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0 pointscapitalsigma3y ago0 comments

Because developers want to be able to hack on their own tools: fix bugs, add features, whatever. Graphics designers do not have the skills to hack on their own tools, so there isn't a huge population of them sitting around going "damn, I wish I had feature X -- I know, I'll build my own editor and open source it!"

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PraetorianGourd3y ago

Some do. Probably over-represented on HN. Others want to work their hours and spend the rest of their time with non-technical hobbies, or with family, or literally anything else. If that isn’t you, no big deal. But we should not paint all developers with the same brush.

capitalsigmaOP3y ago

Enough developers want to hack on their own tools that the market is smaller than you would naively expect, counting the number of developers and how many tools they each use. It's a bit like asking "how come we're having so much trouble selling our extended warranty to professional mechanics, even though professional drivers buy extended warranties all the time?"

PraetorianGourd3y ago

The real reason is that there are free alternatives. For many people, “free and open source” is the same as just “free”.

Again, I can fix most things on my car. I can afford the tools needed. But I don’t want to because opportunity cost.

One thing I have always found weird is the whole, “hey can you look at my computer? It is all slow” is considered okay to ask anyone in IT, but it (at least in the circles I was raised) inappropriate to ask a mechanic in the family to work on your car, the accountant to do your taxes, the plumber to replace your toilet.

And even with mechanics, some like to work on specific cars as a hobby, much like an engineer might want to play around with ML and work on a CRUD app for pay.

3 more replies

anigbrowl3y ago

Good god no, I just want it to work. I used to be that way, but you can be too in love with customizing your tools to the point that it gets in the way of doing your own projects. I do not want to spend all my time carving better knife handles.

I think about writing my own IDE sometimes, but then I think how all-consuming such a project would be, and having to support a userbase made up of developers.

badsectoracula3y ago

> I do not want to spend all my time carving better knife handles.

I do not either, but i do want to be able to fix a knife handle that is annoying me instead of being at the mercy of the knife manufacturer.

scarface743y ago

I have absolutely no desire to hack my own tools. Hacking my own tools doesn’t put any money in my pocket nor is that what I have ever been hired for.

jmiserez3y ago

I don't often hack my own tools either, but it's great to have the possibility to do so.

When you really need that bug fixed for your edge case or platform, it's much easier to submit a patch rather than wait around for someone else to fix it.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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PraetorianGourd3y ago

capitalsigmaOP3y ago

PraetorianGourd3y ago

The real reason is that there are free alternatives. For many people, “free and open source” is the same as just “free”.

Again, I can fix most things on my car. I can afford the tools needed. But I don’t want to because opportunity cost.

And even with mechanics, some like to work on specific cars as a hobby, much like an engineer might want to play around with ML and work on a CRUD app for pay.

3 more replies

anigbrowl3y ago

I think about writing my own IDE sometimes, but then I think how all-consuming such a project would be, and having to support a userbase made up of developers.

badsectoracula3y ago

> I do not want to spend all my time carving better knife handles.

I do not either, but i do want to be able to fix a knife handle that is annoying me instead of being at the mercy of the knife manufacturer.

scarface743y ago

I have absolutely no desire to hack my own tools. Hacking my own tools doesn’t put any money in my pocket nor is that what I have ever been hired for.

jmiserez3y ago

I don't often hack my own tools either, but it's great to have the possibility to do so.

When you really need that bug fixed for your edge case or platform, it's much easier to submit a patch rather than wait around for someone else to fix it.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse