🚀 go-pugleaf

Obviously, free software is not going to be a viable commercial
product.  So FSF does not have the money to provide the regular
upgrades, wide spectrum of products, etc., etc. that one hopes to get
from commercial vendors.  However, there are other ways to fund
software development.  For example, in the Gnu Manifesto, RMS writes:

All sorts of development can be funded with a Software Tax:

     Suppose everyone who buys a computer has to pay x percent of
     the price as a software tax.  The government gives this to
     an agency like the NSF to spend on software development.
     
     But if the computer buyer makes a donation to software development
     himself, he can take a credit against the tax.  He can donate to
     the project of his own choosing---often, chosen because he hopes to
     use the results when it is done.  He can take a credit for any amount
     of donation up to the total tax he had to pay.
     
     The total tax rate could be decided by a vote of the payers of
     the tax, weighted according to the amount they will be taxed on.
     
     The consequences:
     
        * The computer-using community supports software development.
        * This community decides what level of support is needed.
        * Users who care which projects their share is spent on
          can choose this for themselves.

Dale