It may be true of most people, however there are a lot of people writing a heck of a lot of code gratis. If *all* software were free (as in beer), not many companies would go out of business which weren't ISVs or Microsoft, or software consulting houses. If it were all required to be Open Source but not free very few at all would go out of business (companies like SuSe and RedHat open source all their software and they seem to be in business, so you see it's possible to do.)
The only externally used software I've written for my current employer was given away. Eventually software will reach the same stage of life as stock photography- almost all the pictures necessary are already taken- what will happen to your economics then?
Remember, unless you're playing, software isn't an end, it's a tool. If hammers were free, only the hammer makers and sellers would be impacted. The fact that there are very few commercial DNS server products on the market, for instance, doesn't mean people won't sell non-generic name service solutions or go hungry.
The opposite question is why spend years paying for a product if, after you've purchased it, the developer has made the fair value from you?
Finally, not everyone who is being paid to write software _should_ be. Narrowing that field down wouldn't be a bad thing in all cases.
Doug's point is only key if you're a one trick pony with only one way to make a living, otherwise it's not a very important point.
I spent almost 5 years at an ISV (mostly as an assembly language programmer), and let me tell you- "product" code is nowhere near as lucrative as custom code, which would be cheaper if most of it was already built- but the fact that VB programmers make more than teachers isn't necessarily a good thing.
Look at the stock photographic industry and understand what happens if you've only got one skill and the market shifts to commoditize it and be full of talented ameatures who don't mind making a tiny ammount or no money producing as good or better material.
Re:Does anyone here develop software? (Score:2)
The only externally used software I've written for my current employer was given away. Eventually software will reach the same stage of life as stock photography- almost all the pictures necessary are already taken- what will happen to your economics then?
Remember, unless you're playing, software isn't an end, it's a tool. If hammers were free, only the hammer makers and sellers would be impacted. The fact that there are very few commercial DNS server products on the market, for instance, doesn't mean people won't sell non-generic name service solutions or go hungry.
The opposite question is why spend years paying for a product if, after you've purchased it, the developer has made the fair value from you?
Finally, not everyone who is being paid to write software _should_ be. Narrowing that field down wouldn't be a bad thing in all cases.
Doug's point is only key if you're a one trick pony with only one way to make a living, otherwise it's not a very important point.
I spent almost 5 years at an ISV (mostly as an assembly language programmer), and let me tell you- "product" code is nowhere near as lucrative as custom code, which would be cheaper if most of it was already built- but the fact that VB programmers make more than teachers isn't necessarily a good thing.
Look at the stock photographic industry and understand what happens if you've only got one skill and the market shifts to commoditize it and be full of talented ameatures who don't mind making a tiny ammount or no money producing as good or better material.
Paul