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Comment by capableweb | Hacker News Reader

Yeah, fuck any type of balance in the world right? It's either stealing software or never give back to FOSS, no middle grounds here.

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That's not what I meant. And clearly Facebook isn't currently at the extreme yet. Facebook doesn't just steal - it seems like it happens every once in a while, but they have given lots of FOSS gifts to the world that have genuinely improved web development.

This comment is the one that seems to be two extremes with no balance. Those companies make absurd amounts of money and would not be able to be nearly as profitable (or maybe even exist at all!) without FOSS scaffolding to build on. It's a power imbalance. Any giving back they do in terms of money or manpower is peanuts compared to what their top-earners are pocketing.

Dear downvoters: I have worked at these companies too. I've been the one doing the pocketing. Is my experience not valid enough to speak?

> This comment is the one that seems to be two extremes with no balance

Indeed. Frustrated with the black & white view from umvi I responded with my extreme view. I'm sorry about that.

I agree with you that companies should, if they can, contribute back to open source, either with funds or time spent contributing to the project.

I only responded like that because I don't think it's either "companies take open source and never contribute" OR "companies take open source, overwrite the license holder and doesn't credit the author". I think the issue is much more nuanced than that, but I let my feelings write my previous comment.

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