Editor's Note: Money is Not Wealth

I'd like to add something to this part, though:

Quoting:A related part of the anti-FOSS background noise is "Why would anyone give away good code for free?"

The code doesn't have much value unless it is part of a larger project. It's not the code itself that has value to the guy writing it, it's the improved project. Surely there are many motivations for contributing to a free software project, but selfishness explains a lot of contributions.

As for money being the only motivator, what do these folks do in their leisure time? They must lay down anytime they are not at work. Why would you push the button on the remote if you're not getting paid and money is the only motivation to do something? I don't get paid for taking care of my son, but I'd rather do that for free than the job I get paid to do.

I have to agree, Bigg. Even when people try to assert that "money isn't everything", they can go overboard into asserting that other people are motivated by only money.

Money is the medium of exchange. It is how economic calculation can be performed on a more complex basis than "I'll give you three chickens if you give me one cow."

With the division of labor, the medium of exchange becomes very important due to the simple fact that without it transactons become so cumbersome that productivity fails.

But Bigg does point out why the old saying isn't "Money is the root of all evil."

The old saying is "LOVE of money is the root of all evil."

Focusing on only money is just as self-destructive as it is destructive to relationships.

Those who cannot see past their own biases to see that money isn't the only motivation people have are sad, sad people.

TC, Nice, very nice.