GPL, BSD, Opensource/Free Software movement.

I've be a mindless supporter of these movements for years now not because I was a developer myself but because most of them provided me with a lot of useful free software.

However now that I'm becoming more of a programmer I'm questioning the ideology behind these movements.

1. For which situations are these intended? For every developer?
2. Doesn't it go against the developer himself? How can he secure profit while still sustain such projects?

Just willing to learn.
Thanks.

>>21
>>22
I would say don't compete with the free alternatives.  If there are already a dozen free 3D rendering applications out there, then don't plan on making your millions by writing a 3D rendering application.

Instead, look at it like this:  You now have a great selection of free 3D rendering applications to use in making your "real" project, whatever that is, that will make you rich and famous.

The bottom line is that open source isn't really out there snatching up all the cutting-edge projects.  It's filling in the gaps where the old applications were either monopolized or just generally shitty.

If you find that the application you want to write has already been done by open source, then your idea simply isn't innovative.