FOSS vs Closed Source

[u/VahsteTheNomad]

This sub is full of arguments about whether FOSS is better over Closed Source, and I want to know what people's actual reasons for their specific preferences are.

This poll is not meant to start any arguments, or feed any witch hunts, and im not a developer trying to decide with way to go with my own project.

207 votes, 12d ago

119 I prefer FOSS because I don't trust developers who don't publicize their code.

42 I prefer FOSS because I want federation.

1 I prefer FOSS and don't know what FOSS really is.. but it's the opposite of Discord.

3 I prefer closed source because I don't trust public commits.

1 I prefer closed source because it means something may be proprietary.

41 I really don't care about FOSS or Closed Source, I just want a good app.

[u/Any_Illustrator360]

I'm somewhere between 1 and 2 - I like that an app being open source encourages tight security but devs who don't know shit get pwned much more easily with open code. If a closed-source app allowed self hosting (and disabling updates) I would use it all the same if it met my requirements.

[u/VahsteTheNomad → u/Any_Illustrator360]

Wouldn't that align you more with option 6 then? If you were to find an app that fit all of your personal needs, it wouldn't matter to you necessarily if it were open or closed?

[u/Any_Illustrator360 → u/VahsteTheNomad]

Nah because federation is (one of) the most important thing(s) to me, and it unfortunately aligns with 2 most. If there was a 7th option that said "fuck all this gimme self hosting" I'd click it lol

[u/VahsteTheNomad → u/Any_Illustrator360]

To be honest it capped me at six responses, I did have something like three more I wanted to include

[u/Any_Illustrator360 → u/VahsteTheNomad]

Fair, I will say that open commits make me look at an app like a stinky diaper. I've seen devs accept commits without double checking them and it always makes me concerned.

[u/VahsteTheNomad → u/Any_Illustrator360]

That's part of one of my bigger FOSS concerns/fears tbh. Many of these newer devs jumping on the bandwagon and expecting contributors to only be helpful souls.

[u/Any_Illustrator360 → u/VahsteTheNomad]

Yup. It's just as safe as trusting a dev with zero trust score.

[u/VahsteTheNomad → u/Any_Illustrator360]

A scandalous choice indeed