Secret dream : make Sublime Text open source

[oxman]

Hello,

For how much you'll accept to make Sublime Text opensource ?
We can make a counter with donation to make Sublime Text opensource.

I really want a new very nice editor like Sublime Text on linux opensource to become the new reference of graphic editor (Like Vim/Emacs in text mode)

[hsoft]

I agree that being open source is a plus for the user. As a TextMate user, I feel a bit (but only a bit, TM is still a nice piece of software that works well) cheated by the lack of development. If TextMate was open source, this wouldn't be a problem.

Of course, there's always the problem of reconciling money and open source...

It's a shameless plug, but I've been exploring possibilities of doing such reconciliation: http://open.hardcoded.net/about/ . It works rather well, and I'm sure it would work much better with a product that is targeted at developers (because most developers understand the problematic of intellectual property).

I haven't tried ST yet (but it does look like a great alternative to TM (Python!)), but I don't like the idea of investing money in a closed source application again. What if the developer (there's only one developer working on ST right?) dies? What if he makes so much money that he decides to drastically reduce his work hours? I suspect that the latter happened to TM's developer, and I don't like it much since there's nothing I can do about it.

[GreyWyvern]

Open source means that Jon stops getting paid for developing ST.

When Jon gets tired of the project, or it gains a significant amount of momentum that open sourcing makes sense to keep pace with further development, then I would support it. Right now I like the idea of a dedicated developer with a financial investment in making ST the best it can be.

[gpfsmurf]

Development of Sublime text is going pretty well, I don't see how making it open source would help. If anything, it could make it worse.

[hsoft]

I'm not saying that ST's development isn't going well. On the contrary, it seems to be sailing right now.

I'm saying that investing time and money in a closed source app is always a risk from the perspective of the user. Textmate's development used to go very very well. Now, it's dead and there's nothing we can do about it. Don't think that it cannot possibly happen with ST.

As for "Open source means that Jon stops getting paid for developing ST", that's precisely what I'm trying to address in the link I gave in my previous post.

[adzenith]

Jon has mentioned a couple times that he'd rather open-source Sublime than have it die:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=177&p=873&hilit=open+source#p873
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=177&p=909&hilit=open+source#p909

re: open source. I'd rather see Sublime open sourced rather than abandoned, but it is a commercial venture, and it just doesn't make any sense to both release it as open source and continue working on it.

[charlesroper]

It looks to me (and I've not been looking long because I'm a newcomer) like there is plenty in ST to keep open source (small O, small S) hackers busy. The menus, the chrome, many of the commands found in the menus and much else about ST is open and customisable. Seems to me that with a really strong core and equally strong API, the approach Jon has taken could be a great compromise for everyone.

[hsoft]

Please guys, have you read my link about Fairware? I'm telling you that the "money/open source" problem is something that I think can be addressed. Why keep answering "but open source means no money / hobby development"?

That being said, it's re-assuring to know that Jon would rather see ST being open source than to see its development stall. However, I still think that there's a danger similar to TextMate's death for ST. If ST makes a lot of money without any work on Jon's part, then he has no incentive to either work on it or make it open source. Will he stay true to his principles? I hope so, but for the user, it's still a risk.

Now, please, tell me stuff like "your Fairware thing can't work because...", but not stuff like "open source means no money".

BTW... I tried ST alpha yesterday. It's pretty cool. Rough edges (of course) so I can't replace TextMate yet, but cool...

[hsoft]

I'm pretty sure there's been considerable effort taking Sublime from its very first prototype to where it is now, cross platform, based on a custom UI toolkit. If he wants to make millions from his work, that's his choice.

Absolutely! But then, if I'm reluctant to invest money and time in a closed source app, that's my choice, right ?

[douglasmiranda]

I would very much appreciate the ST was Open Source.

I just hope it continues to evolve as we use it without worries.