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333 points indigodaddy | 4 comments | | HN request time: 0s | source
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colordrops ◴[] No.33579637[source]
Plex is one of the reasons I now always choose open source over closed source but free as in beer. They start out great but as financial constraints creep in the compromises are made that create a very unpleasant experience. For example, I'd love to use Obsidian, which is an amazing app, but who knows what will happen to it in the future.
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dmitriid ◴[] No.33581330[source]
> I now always choose open source over closed source but free as in beer.

> They start out great but as financial constraints creep in

Funny how you talk about financial constraints, and still refuse to pay for software.

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1. colordrops ◴[] No.33586358[source]
That's a non sequitur. I was talking about financial constraints of the company, not the user. I'd have no problem paying for a piece of critical software if they contractually guaranteed that they wouldn't break the functionality and/or litter it with ads, or at least make it open source if they do. It has nothing to do with my personal financial constraints. That's a misinterpretation on your part.
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2. dmitriid ◴[] No.33586550[source]
"Financial constraints" of a company, any company, are such that:

- development costs money

- workplaces cost money

- people want to eat

You can pay for Plex with money (Plex Pass). And while I sort of dislike them pushing their own content and monetization, it can be easily switched off in settings.

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3. colordrops ◴[] No.33587174[source]
Apparently a free model works perfectly well. I am using Jellyfin happily. Why should I use Plex when Jellyfin works without all the cruft? The developers working on Jellyfin are doing perfectly fine in their endeavors. Is your suggestion that a project is deserving of more use if it is paid for rather than free? Are free projects poisoning the well for all of us trying to make money off of software? Not sure what point you are trying to make.
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4. dmitriid ◴[] No.33587243{3}[source]
> The developers working on Jellyfin are doing perfectly fine in their endeavors.

As long as they have something to keep them above poverty line: https://staltz.com/software-below-the-poverty-line.html (among other articles, the question of how free open source isn't sustainable is discussed often)