Should TE be for profit?

[charlieg]

charlieg, you are more than welcome (in fact I encourage it!) to voice your opinions and try to persuade others to go along with your ideas however if the majority decides that it should be closed, then we have to go with that. This is apparently what democracy is all about.

I'm simply trying to make the educated argument for open source, partly by highlighting the problems with closed source. What people decide to do is what they decide to do; all I can do is try and guide y'all in the right direction [in my opinion].

[benji147460127]

I fail to see why a GPL project should be sold for profit (yes, this is legal.)

Firstly, any organisation set up to handle development immediately loses all right to non-profit status. There goes gift aid, VAT refunds and income tax refunds. Secondly, it is too hard to organise in the sense that it's difficult to determine who gets what out of the profits. Thirdly, it would reduce the number of users to zero unless it was pirated, which it would be, which would pointlessize the commercialisation. Fourthly, it's just not very nice. Fifthly, it's pointless in the sense that anyone would still be able to compile it, and a breakoff project with properly free graphics bundled up nicely would replace it.

When eventually functionality is reached, simply go with the regular GPL method of distributing the graphics under the CC-A-NC and the binary for no money. This is the only way the game will actually develop and indeed be used: only very stupid people (read: Linspire customers) pay for GPL software.

[DaleStan]

You can't pirate GPL'ed software. It simply can't be done; as soon as you have the source code, you also have a license to give it to whomever you want. And as soon as you have a binary, you have a a license to receive a copy of the source.

You also don't sell GPL'ed software. What you sell is the dead-tree manuals, the fancy boxes, the pretty CDs, the protective cases, the right to use the tech-support number, the right to use the official multiplayer servers, &c.

[charlieg]

And of course google ads...