@hakui @iwillbite
>imagine comparing something you need to biologically survive with something abstract
What was the Y2K bug about again ?
"Joke" aside we're using analogies to better understand our interactions with digital tools.
I could use like what happened recently with the cats getting guillotined by proprietary litter boxes.
Some protectionism is normal to have otherwise some people would still sell radioactive products even in foods.

>we should release it and lose almost all our sales instead"
Ever heard of trademark ? Because that's what people do to sell their chinesium clones.
Here's another analogy
Corn brand 1, Corn brand 2, Hammer brand 1, Hammer brand 2, in any case people will go for what the consider the best in terms of quality and cost, if a brand fails it's either because the product was bad or they failed to provided proper maintenance/repairs.

>why would you buy a john deere? it's not critical to your survival you can cut the lawn with a pair of scissors instead
https://shitposter.world/notice/Alset18SS7s9jmRlQm
" their maintenance can only be done by specialized minds"
Maintenance of a lawnmower doesn't require much knowledge compared to CS.

>so i take it you didn't buy any free software then
I financed software that I already posses. just like I pay for the taxes that maintains the roads, pay politicians gay prostitutes&drugs and finances war.