Open source projects want people to use their work. Google wants bugs -- especially security ones -- found and fixed fast. Both goals make sense. The tension starts when open source developers expect payment for fixes, and corporations like Google expect fixes for free.
Paying for bug fixes sounds fair, but it risks turning incentives upside down. If security reports start paying the bills, some maintainers might quietly hope for more vulnerabilities to patch. That's a dangerous feedback loop.
On the other hand, Google funding open source directly isn't automatically better. Money always comes with strings. Funding lets Google nudge project priorities, intentionally or not -- and suddenly the "open" ecosystem starts bending toward corporate interests.
There's no neat solution. Software wants to be used. Bugs want to be found and fixed. But good faith and shared responsibility are supposed to be the glue that holds the open source world together.
Maybe the simplest fix right now is cultural, not technical: fewer arguments on Twitter, more collaboration, and more gratitude. If you rely on open source, donate to the maintainers who make your life easier. The ecosystem stays healthy when we feed it, not when we fight over it.