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An open letter to the Joomla Core Team - GPL vs Non-GPL Licenses

Background: I am a web developer turned software consultant in my full time job. As a part-time hobby and job I develop websites. I have discovered some time back, and think its the best thing I've discovered since I've been online ... I have a number of live and healthy Joomla websites, and would love to keep on learning, and sharing the love. I have also developed a free module for Joomla (the Featured Articles module ... nothing else yet). However I plan on spending lots of my "free" time on other Joomla development...

Just a small note on the current components debate. I strongly believe that one of the strongest points of Joomla is the large amount of extensions available to the core functionality. The even greater thing about the extensions is that there are so many to choose from, that you can usually choose whether you want to go for a free extension, or for a non-free component. Some people are willing to spend money, other's arent. The Joomla project can support both, and both have existed together fairly well.

The current debate / change in the licence agreement looks like it will be de-moralising a lot of developers and long-time serving members of the Joomla community.Disgruntling these peope, will cause them to abandon the joomla product, probably moving to rival software products. This will start a snowball effect where the quality of available products will go down, because only newbies will develop and Joomla will lose the name it has acquired. The greatest advert for any product is word of mouth, and the worst thing that can happen to any product is to get bad mouthed.

Please ensure that nothing is done to harm this healthy thriving community. Allow these developers to keep on thriving, and Joomla will thrive, and everyone will benefit. Ensure that any decisions taken will not demoralise the community.

Just my 2c

Joomla On!

http://www.dart-creations.com

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