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ADD Another reason to why care #521

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Expand Up @@ -224,8 +224,20 @@ <h2 id="faq">Frequently Asked Questions <a href="#faq"><svg width="24" height="2
<p class="font-bold" id="regular-user">
I'm a regular Terraform user, and I'm not competing with HashiCorp. Why should I care? <a href="#regular-user"><svg width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <path d="M13.5442 10.4558C11.8385 8.75022 9.07316 8.75022 7.36753 10.4558L4.27922 13.5442C2.57359 15.2498 2.57359 18.0152 4.27922 19.7208C5.98485 21.4264 8.75021 21.4264 10.4558 19.7208L12 18.1766" stroke="black" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/> <path d="M10.4558 13.5442C12.1614 15.2498 14.9268 15.2498 16.6324 13.5442L19.7207 10.4558C21.4264 8.75021 21.4264 5.98485 19.7207 4.27922C18.0151 2.57359 15.2497 2.57359 13.5441 4.27922L12 5.82338" stroke="black" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round"/> </svg></a>
</p>

<p>
There are three reasons that you, as a regular Terraform user, should
care.
</p>
<p>
First, if you want to automate your Terraform process, like you would
with any other code, you are limited to either spending your precious
engineering time and money to build your own solution or using
Terraform Cloud. HashiCorp is removing options from you in how best to
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Terraform Cloud. HashiCorp is removing options from you in how best to
Terraform Cloud. HashiCorp is removing options from you on how best to

Comment on lines +235 to +236
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I feel like this is missing a logical step to help readers connect the dots: why does this license change limit that to the only options? I think you'd have to explain that HashiCorp has explicitly said that any CI / CD solution for TF other than TFC/TFE could be a considered a competitor, so either you build your own, or pay them for theirs. Anything else on the market likely has to disappear.

Also, is that the top reason we think readers should care?

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@Magnitus- Magnitus- Aug 21, 2023 •
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Anything else on the market likely has to disappear.

Including, potentially, existing/upcoming free open-source solutions so if you build your own, there is the added caveat that you may not be able to open-source it and try to make it a solved problem for the industry without monetization being the direct goal.

Every single company/organization may very well have to either sign-up with Hashicorp or solve the problem again on their own.

The focus is often placed on commercial competitors, but lets not forget that the free open-source ecosystem around Terraform can itself become a competitor here.

I know it doesn't seem very friendly to commercial interests, but my take is that the free ecosystem (what I consider solved problems in the industry) should grow and commercial actors should remain creative finding new unexplored niches to commercialize. Anything else (more precisely this new business license here) leads to stagnation (can you imagine where we'd be right now if you had to pay a license to someone and ask for permission for every little thing we now take for granted?).

Hashicorp should not be afraid to let Terraform grow and that includes embracing competition, commercial and otherwise.

automate your Terraform process.
</p>
<p>
How do you know you're not competing with HashiCorp?
Secondly, how do you know you're not competing with HashiCorp?
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@marcinwyszynski marcinwyszynski Aug 20, 2023 •
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I guess the third argument is that a license change is a slippery slope. Done once it can be done again if the 1st decision does not yield expected business results. Say you require payment for any production use (so, TF remains free, but for non-production use only).

In that sense what should worry everyday users is not only the current license, but the fact that the license owner is desperately trying to squeeze out more value from it.

Even if you don't care for OpenTF, and want to continue using Terraform under BSL, your best bet is to support OpenTF to remove the incentive for Hashi to further limit your options.

Hope that makes sense.

</p>
<p>
That's not meant to be a redundant or snarky question. The key issue with the BUSL is that the wording is
Expand All @@ -248,6 +260,16 @@ <h2 id="faq">Frequently Asked Questions <a href="#faq"><svg width="24" height="2
want to contribute back to Terraform, given there's no certainty they'll be able to use their own work at a
future job.
</p>
<p>
Even if you clearly do not compete now, what happens if HashiCorp is
purchased by another company?
</p>
<p>
Finally, consider why the license change was made: HashiCorp is
concerned that its competitors are having too large of an impact on
its revenue. What will HashiCorp do if this change does not have the
impact on revenue that they hope?
</p>
<p>
In short, the BUSL is a poison pill for the entire Terraform community.
</p>
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