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Ask HN: Am I the only one who feels bad for using free software?

10 points by renanbg ↗ HN
So, I'm going through a disillusionment with free software after I read a couple of post here on HN about the struggle of some developers with maintaining their projects both financially and emotionally.

This feeling has grown on me to the point i've began avoiding using most free software besides some i can't live without, and to these projects i donated the amount i could as a student from a developing country (in case you're curious, i donated $2 to Mozilla, Wikipedia, Sumatra PDF, Tab Session Manager, Cookie AutoDelete and Calibre; as i use these software everyday).

Still, i feel bad as the "free software contract" is not clear as in paid software: am i donating enough or am i just reaping the hard work off a stranger all the way around the globe?

This is an uncomfortable position, as I don't like the feeling of stealing the hard work off of anyone and don't want to put myself in that position either.

So, how do you guys cope with these feelings?

12 comments

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DamonHD
Give what you can when you can, pay if forward. But if you avoid free stuff out of guilt when you are trying harder than most, that would be perverse!

I use places like Patreon to help play it forward for some, and make donations from time to time for others.

I can tell you from being on the other end of this that donations are a fraction of what you get for charging, or (say) running ads, but that really doesn't have to matter.

Johnny87
Nah, we pay for enough already lol. But forreal if you want to support them and you have the means to do so then great!
goatcode
Have you contacted authors and asked how much they'd need, or would feel comfortable accepting?
renanbg
Well, i didn't, because i can't really afford to donate more than the $2. But if i could, i would indeed sponsor the guys more solidly.
goatcode
IMO I wouldn't feel bad about donating what you're able to and comfortable with. That's all they're asking for, after all, and likely it's more than the majority even think about giving. If you still feel compelled later on, you could swing back around and toss a bit more their way. Again just my opinion, but I hope it can give some outside perspective.
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saluki
Instead of feeling bad, pitch in money when you can, but even better pick one you could contribute to and contact the maintainers asking how you can help.

Then you're giving back and improving the software along the way, I don't think you'll feel bad when you're contributing time to an open source project.

The tech world runs on open source, use it and give back when you can.

renanbg
I'm at the moment looking forward to it. I'm just having some trouble learning other people's code and navigating it, but i guess that's a skill you have to develop by doing it.
gitgud
If you start contributing to Open-Source, the guilt of using FOSS software changes into pride!

And there's many ways to pay for free software, without using money...

- || Honest Feedback || Leaving a respectfully honest review, or emailing with constructive criticism makes maintainers feel like they've actually reached someone.

- || Reporting Bugs || Politely reporting a bug you find is a useful way to contribute back to the project as it can help.

- || Testing New Features || Beta testing features is a good way to help the developer reduce bugs in new releases.

- || Spreading the Word || Writing a blog about a piece of software or sharing it with friends is a great way to grow the community and generally appreciated by maintainers.

- || Helping With Support || Watching forums and bug trackers and helping diagnose issues is a great way to give your time instead of money to a project.

All of these require zero programming experience or money, but can be much more valuable than a $2 one time donation.

wprapido
You can donate money, and / or time and skills.
[dead] sima002
What’s the Difference Between Bookkeeping and Accounting? Which accounting software would you recommend for an SME Why?

https://bit.ly/3iUYfk8

giantg2
I release my software for free. You shouldn't feel bad. People like me release their software to help others.

You can donate money, create your own software, contribute to existing software, or pay it forward in another aspect of life. I think that last option is an important one. Maybe your biggest impact would come from volunteering at a food bank?

I guess what I'm getting at, is that the important thing is perspective and community. If we all have the mindset to help each other, then we can find ways to make our communities better in our own ways.