Microsoft To Charge For Available Open Source Software In Microsoft Store

[Tolkem]

Hi, everyone! Hope you're all having a nice life!
Found this while checking my feed https://www.opensourceforu.com/2022...able-open-source-software-in-microsoft-store/
An excerpt:

In other words, Microsoft customers must pay to purchase a Store version of an app that is free elsewhere. In the Store, free and paid versions coexist at times. Paying for a free app is bad enough, but this isn’t the only problem that users may encounter when they make the purchase. Updates may also be a concern, as copycat programs may not be updated as frequently or as quickly as the source applications.

Funny to see Krita there given the fact that it is freely available on its website https://krita.org/en/download/krita-desktop/

 

[SlowCoder]

I think this has already been happening for some time. I believe the problem being that just about anyone can upload a package to the MS store, and charge what they want, including a lot of software that's already free. Bunch of people taking advantage of the less knowledgeable, and the GPL itself.

 

[Deleted member 137406]

Bunch of people taking advantage of the less knowledgeable, and the GPL itself.

Imagine that tuition for the price of an education.

I always check if free versions of software are available prior to downloading a paid version.

Doing so has saved me a bit of cash from time to time.

 

[bob466]

Why doesn't this surprise me

and since I don't use windwoes...I couldn't care less.

 

[gvisoc]

So, it's not Microsoft who's charging, but a rando scammer.

Congratulations for the clickbait.

 

[JasKinasis]

Nobody ever said that you couldn't sell free software!
The "free" in free-software (at least in GNU licensed software) is "free as in freedom", and not necessarily "free as in zero cost to the user", or free as in "free beer".
The GNU licence actively encourages the sale of free software.
And the MIT/Berkeley BSD licences allow the use of the software for any purpose - free or commerical.

If the software is licensed under GNU, or any GNU compatible licence the only other stipulation/requirement of the licence is that anybody selling/distributing the software must also make the source code available to the users of the software.
But if the software is licensed under one of the MIT/BSD style licences - they are not required to publish the source code, but are only encouraged to do so.

When it comes to free-software - if a good portion of the money is going to the original/current developers of that project - I don't see a problem with charging for it.
But if free-software is being sold by a corporate or private entity, who has no ties to the original project - then it does seem more than a little wrong to be profiting from somebody else's work.

That said, it does also seem a bit daft to pay for a piece of free software in an online store, when you can get it for free elsewhere on the net!
Personally, I have never directly paid for free-software. But I have donated money to various free-software projects in the past.

 

[Tolkem]

Nobody ever said that you couldn't sell free software!

Agreed.

That said, it does also seem a bit daft to pay for a piece of free software in an online store, when you can get it for free elsewhere on the net!

Yep. That was my thought, too, and that's why I used krita as an example; you can get the latest (and even beta versions) for free on its website.

 

[Deleted member 137406]

That said, it does also seem a bit daft to pay for a piece of free software in an online store, when you can get it for free elsewhere on the net!

People is just plain lazy and or just do not want to spend a few minutes doing an online search I guess they're scared they might learn something.

Personally, I have never directly paid for free-software. But I have donated money to various free-software projects in the past.

I donate to free software after I've tested it out and make certain it works and does what I need it to do.

 

[SlowCoder]

People is just plain lazy and or just do not want to spend a few minutes doing an online search I guess they're scared they might learn something.

We, in the Linux world, are quite aware of freely available software. But people who are not tech savvy, and/or live in the Windows/Mac world, are largely not so aware. I cannot blame them for their lack of knowledge, and I will not try to drag them kicking and screaming into our world.

It is the people who take advantage that are to blame. But in this case they appear to be working within the law and rules of the companies that host them and advertise in their store. So there's not much to be done; we aren't going to change minds or force knowledge en-mass.

 

[Deleted member 137406]

We, in the Linux world, are quite aware of freely available software. But people who are not tech savvy, and/or live in the Windows/Mac world, are largely not so aware. I cannot blame them for their lack of knowledge, and I will not try to drag them kicking and screaming into our world.

I know quite a few people in the Windows and Mac world who are quite aware and computer savvy however are just plain lazy and nothing more.

Takes but a few minutes to do a search if you're really interested.

Ain't no one trying to drag anyone anywhere or into anyone's world.