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[–] 1 point 1 day ago (2 children)

FOSS is not the only way to make ethical software. Entities like Google could choose to not be evil, it's really not that hard, evil is a choice.

Mapquest seems to be different, but the bar is on the floor so that's not saying much.

But the idea that a pay-for-ad-free subscription is so offensive is a ridiculous purity test; the devs need to be paid somehow. Frankly I never even noticed as I have a system adblocker and Mapquest has never complained about it.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 day ago (1 child)

    If a business chose to not be evil, it would be outcompeted by the businesses that are evil. Most of the evil we see business committing is a result of maximizing profit, and in a system where profit is the primary motive (capitalism), evil will always win. It's an illusion of choice because the non-evil business tend to stay small at best, or go out of business at worst.

    FOSS is a different system where a project's existence isn't contingent on profit; the developers just want to make good software. So sure, it isn't necessarily the only way to make ethical software, but it seems to be the most consistent way, and I have a good feeling that it'll continue to catch on as enshittification continues to rear its ugly head.

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