If you take the sofa i left on the side of the curb to bring it home, i am not your supplier.
You found something for free in my trash. That does not make me your supplier. Me being your supplier mean we have a relationship that does not exist here.
And yes, you literally are a supplier if you are putting things out there for free, with no strings and no support, and others are taking them.
(The article is very nice otherwise and I agree with your points, just not the language)
I mean, the analogy sucks. But it’s worth considering that you’re doing more than just putting it into the ether.
Analogy doesn’t suck, looking through “I’m entitled” lenses distorts the picture for you.
It’s when the code is maintained, bugs are fixed, releases are put together, etc. that people start acting entitled.
A better analogy would be someone who opens a sofa depo, starts giving away “as-is” sofas, then starts building new sofas and improving them. Some people take those sofas and use them in rental homes. Then it turns out that someone planted listening devices in some of the sofas, so the landlords start showing up at the depo and asking questions about supply chain security…
Yes, you are. That you do so completely passively doesn't erase the fact that you are supplying something and that some kind of a relationship exists.
The law(s) generally also recognize it like that, and the license you are quoting does so as well ('_provided_ "AS IS"').
Sure, your relationship can be a completely passive non-business no-strings relationship, but the relationship is still there.