Seems to be a unique train of thought, but I'm not ready for making my stuff open source.

This probably has more to do with unfamiliarity with the various licences than about vanity or secrets.

When it comes down to it, I prefer Freeware: freedom to use and distribute, but not to modify(ie closed source).

Considering the software will remain the same either as Freeware or as Open Source, what real good would distributing the source code do? The programming language isn't very popular, so most people won't be able to use the code anyway.


What risks are involved with Freeware that Open Source doesn't have?

What risks are involved with Open Source that Freeware doesn't have?

I could use a little help on this please.

hmm... i'll take a stab here -- it's all theory anyways...

The major benefit of open source is that two heads are better than one, if you will. even though you think you are using a language nobody knows, unless you invented it, i'm sure somebody could find something to improve upon in your code if they had an interest in your product.

I think another major benefit to open source over freeware is confidence in the product. I would more readily try something new that was open source, rather than some freeware product tucked away in a little corner of the 'net. "you get what you pay for" applies to freeware, but doesn't carry the same connotation with open source.

I guess basically, that since the open source movement took hold, i don't really see a point for freeware. i see 'freeware' as more 'spyware' and 'adware' nowadays, anyway.

yes, along with what secesh said: making it open will allow people to use it for their project, and if its under the GPL license, any project that uses your code must also be under the GPL (and any program under the GPL must release its source code for everyone to see)

i say the biggest advantage to making a project open source, is that people will actually be able to use it, in GNU/Linux, the "base" system varies from distro to distro, a binary for one distro, might not work with another one .. if the sources are open, people could compile it on there system, and that would allow many more people to use it