And jeez what happened to it anyways? It actually used to be pretty decent back in the 98/XP/7 days :(
VLC represents what the internet could have been and what it should have been.
Wish we could start again with a new internet.
It’s because Jean-Baptiste Kempf is a GOAT and said “non” to fuck-you amounts of money to sell out VLC.
I don’t know if I’ve had the strength to say no to that much money and obviously, that kind of cash has corrupted all but a few bastions of what makes the Internet an awesome place.
Shoutout to Raymond Hill of uBlock Origin fame and all those supporting the lists it depends on. Some many adblockers sold out (including the original uBlock) but he champions on making the Internet a remarkably better place when used. Dude even refuses donations (says list maintainers deserve it more).
So serious question, why not take the money, become ultra rich, then immediately start a nonprofit to recreate VLC Origin
He gets to be rightfully rich, and he funds and protects a free project.
In those times there had been more than one popular free app that suddenly started installing crap on user’s machines.
I guess he just didn’t want to become attached to junkware being installed on people’s machines.
I don’t have the details but may they wanted to buy the source code from him and close it?
I hadn’t thought of it in these terms. Sometimes, someone says something profoundly true and you just have to stop and reckon with it. Fuck RealPlayer and all the other crap (RealPlayer may have been the first (popular) app to deliberately trick people into enabling stuff (hidden checkboxes)). What if capitalism hadn’t happened to the internet.
