I actually prefer the funding model where occasionally these free software developers do receive a big payday without any shame or stigma and a fork of their project is almost instantly launched under different branding. So Avast gets a one time user network buyout but the functionality of the tool persists in availability. Better funding for the project while it remains free is never a bad thing though, if you get a lot of value out of some free software you use please never forget to tip or even patreon/other-subscription-payment-plan its continued development!