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Comment by benjiro | Hacker News Reader

Calling the OP a freeloader is over the top.

The software was released as a free version, with NO expectation for it to go commercial.

The fact that they switch to a paid version, and stripping out features from the original free version, is called "bait and switch".

If OP knew in advanced, he will have been informed about this and the potential 299 price tag. And he will have been able to make a informed decision BEFORE integrating the code.

> You just decided to rely and freeload (as, as far as I can tell, you never contributed to the project).

But you complaint about him being a freeloader for not contributing to a project. What a ridiculous response.

I feel like you never even read the post and are making assumption that OP is a full time programmer.

Datastar can do whatever they want, its their code. But calling out a *bait and switch* does not make OP the bad guy.

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Yeah, I agree, it's over the top. I'm just matching the over-the-top language of the original post, which pretty much calls the Datastar devs "disgraceful" and to "f them".

I did read the post. I know OP not a programmer. And that makes it even worse: OP has the audacity of saying they "make no money from the project" while it being a scheduling tool for their presumably plenty money-making clinic.

It would in fact be less shocking if they were a programmer doing a side project for fun.

This piece is not a rational, well tempered article. Is a rant by someone who just took something that was free and is now outraged and saying fuck you to those who made their project possible in the first place, not even understanding how licenses work or even being aware that the code they relied on is still there, on github, fully intact, and available for them.

This sort of people not only want to get it for free. They want their code to be maintained and improved for free in perpetuity.

They deserve to be called freeloaders.

The license makes it very clear that “no expectations” goes all round, including the right to other people doing free maintenance for you.

its not bait and switch, its main has features we are willing to continue to support given we did a whole rewrite and this is what we think you should use. Don't like it? Fork it, code is still there. I hope your version is better!

> its not bait and switch, its main has features we are willing to continue to support given we did a whole rewrite and this is what we think you should use. Don't like it? Fork it, code is still there. I hope your version is better!

It sounds like your are the dev of Datastar...

Let me give one piece of advice. Drop the attitude because this is not how you interact in public as the developers of a paid piece of software.

You can get away with a lot when its free/hobby project, but the moment you request payment, there is a requirement for more professionalism. These reactions that i am reading, will trigger responses that will hurt your future paycheck. Your already off on a bad start with this "bait and switch", do not make it worse.

I really question your future client interactions, if they criticize your product(s) or practices.

> I hope your version is better!

No need for Datastar, my HTMX "alternative" has been in production (with different rewrites) over 20 years. So thank you for offering, but no need.

>Drop the attitude

I have to be honest, I dont see what's wrong with it.

They were accused of bait and switch, which is not even half true. Old Pro code is still available under MIT. Newer version charges more. That is it.

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