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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mustrum_Ridcully" data-source="post: 2802008" data-attributes="member: 710">I think the analogies between open gaming and open source software are only superficial.In case of Open Source software, everybody can go and look at the source - yo don't have to pay anything. You can now modify the code and reuse it for your own purposes (within the limits of the Open Source License used). In case of Open Gaming content, you can access this informaton and reuse it only if you already bought the original PDF. (though you then can go and sell it as a 500 pages PDF for 50 $ together with the OGL, if you like to)In case of Open Source Software, developers can still make money with it - they offer support for the users. There is little need for most of us to get support for OpenOffice, but a corporation that is migrating from MS Office to OpenOffice, thinks look very different, since there are thousands of documents that have to be imported correctly. And Open Office is still avery simple example.A Open Source Developer can even get paid for his work by a corporation because he simply develops software that will integrate nicely in their workflow and accomdate to their business-specific needs. But Open Gaming Material is different. There are no corporations that want to switch from Shadowrun 3.01D to OGL Simon the Sorceror. There are no gaming groups that need their old characters to port over between these systems - and if they would, they'd do it themselves, perfectly willing to accept any shortcomings.The only support that is required for Open Gaming if there is need for errata. But who would pay for that alone?But these differences can also "hurt" gaming - the only ones that can evolve a system are those that already paid for it - this limits the persons that contribute to it. It is certainly not as narrow like it was in the Software Industry before Open Source (Since only the corporation using the Software, but more likely those selling it could change anything at all), but it is also not as flexible as the Open Source ...Though having people earning money with Open Gaming is certainly not bad for D20 - since this is the only guarantee that we have that people continue creating new material. As a hobby, it is difficult to constantly create good and innovative material ...</blockquote>

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