I agree with open source =/= free but what most comments like “open source alternative to” mean is exactly that. HN is a forum promoting ideas both for the benefit of everyone and / or commercial, yet each time someone showcases their work there is someone posting a “free alternative” post as if it’s meant to mean something. Cargo culting open source is really not doing anyone a favour and instead it is pushing more and more entrepreneurs types away from hackernews. Unless some drug maker made a commercial drug to cure cancer and someone else made a free open alternative to it, i really don't care about free github star whoring on hn.