• DarkenedFax
    4·
    5 years ago

    I think they do love open source despite not being so themselves. I heard that they used to use Linux on all of their machines, they have (most of) Android open sourced, their webm format is fully(?) open-sourced, they have hosted/sponsored open source coding events, etc. While Google is undoubtedly a truly awful company if you’re looking for any user privacy, aside from that it would be a generally unwise business decision being one of the largest tech companies to make their biggest assets fully open source, and I can’t really blame them on (only) that front.

    [/edit] If I recall correctly Discord, Microsoft, and Facebook have all taken the stance of “loving open source” despite all offering blatantly surveilling and entirely closed-source products. Interesting business choice for sure.

    Have an amazing rest of your day!

      • SirLotsaLocks
        1·
        5 years ago

        That’s a fair point, but I mean if they promote open source because it’s useful for them, it’s good advertising, everyone else loves it, and it allows for things to be more secure, is it too much of a stretch to believe they actually love free software? it’s no secret that free software is generally better in every way anyways. Also I would like to mention that their “new” operating system built from the ground up is also open source FWIW.

    • SirLotsaLocks
      1·
      5 years ago

      Yeah I really think they generally care about open source, but keep their main closed source software. they’ve done more than most of the other companies you mentioned.

    • dynamicHatEcosystem
      2·
      5 years ago

      Googles summer of code was awesome this year, they included a couple of MD programs that I would have loved to play with. In the southern hemisphere though so it would have crossed over with school (and two other projects). Google is surprisingly really into open source

  • nokoru
    3·
    5 years ago

    Discord ❤️ open source too, lol.

  • diorama
    2·
    5 years ago

    A mocking page might be deserved: “closed software <3 open source”
    #openwashing + economical benefits from their side

    (btw. I still remember Stallman at FOSDEM several years ago claiming the “free software philosophy” is a mixture of communist, anarchist and capitalist ideas)

    [disclosure: here a F/LOSS advocate]