In the beginning, open source software looked like a saintly gift to the commonweal. Programmers would work hard, then give away the fruits of their labor to anyone who wanted it. Everyone would benefit from this act of pure charity. Over time, however, companies realized they could make money and give away the software at the same time. They could do how to make money using open source software by doing good. This wasn’t a shock to some of the original open source advocates — it was how some intended it to be. Richard Stallman, for one, always said that «free speech» was more important to him than «free beer. Many companies took this as a blessing to make money and serve their destiny. The smartest figured out how to use open source to strengthen their business, spread their brand, and bolster their power. Open source was not so much a charity as a different kind of marketing, a way to squeeze into the marketplace. The savviest open source devotees embrace th...