This is going to grind on me for a while. 240 characters is nowhere near enough to explain what’s wrong here. 
Also, I’ve learned the hardest way possible that you should never get involved with an open source project that’s making a moral plea for free labor while there’s a VC-backed startup adjacent, set to capture all the value. Turns out, “open” is usually a synonym for exploitation.
Be wise about the business structures surrounding anything with which you get involved. It’s great to volunteer your time — but do it eyes wide open. Keep an eye out for people with equity trying to guilt you into working for them for no cash, and no equity. They are everywhere.
Read a start-up’s team page to see which people are employees, & therefore probaby have equity — and which work for an outside agency, & therefore likely don’t. Pay attention to, say, the gender or race of the people in each group. These are signals of the values of a company.
I truly miss the spirit of the early web, when it wasn’t about money, and so many of us were working hard nights & weekends to just do good stuff and give it away for free. I still want things to be like that. But the tech industry is worth trillions of dollars. Just be careful.
I believe people should start businesses & should make money, sometimes lots of money. I don’t have any problem with strategizing how to capture value. I just don’t trust people anymore. Especially 100% male teams with VC backing. Why? Because I’ve seen *horrible* exploitation.
