logoalt Hacker News

JimDabellyesterday at 6:12 PM1 replyview on HN

No, according to the commonly accepted definition of open-source.

Whenever anybody tries to claim that a non-commercial licenses is open-source, it always gets complaints that it is not open-source. This particular word hasn’t been watered down by misuse like so many others.

There is no commonly-accepted definition of open-source that allows commercial restrictions. You do not get to make up your own meaning for words that differs from how other people use it. Open-source does not have commercial restrictions by definition.


Replies

fastballyesterday at 7:00 PM

Where are you getting this compendium of commonly-accepted definitions?

Looking up open-source in the dictionary does include definitions that would allow for commercial restrictions, depending on how you define "free" (a matter that is most certainly up for debate).

show 1 reply