The very nature of free and open source software is based upon philosophy fundamental different to that of proprietary offerings in the market, i.e., it is not based on generating revenues and profits for it creators. Nevertheless, developers have to eat and pay their bills. And, quality software requires time and resources. So how can FOSS projects address the marketing challenge? Some of the best examples that readily come to mind are the KODI project, the home of the premier cross platform multi-media software, the Firefox browser from Mozilla, and VLC from the Video-LAN Project. Each of the project accept donations and in some cases even sell themed merchandise like t-shirts, coffee mugs, etc.

I can remember Mozilla placing an add for Firefox in a major newspaper some years ago but beyond that I believe that most FOSS projects have relied on word of mouth marketing or message boards for making their efforts known. However, with the rise of Steem and Steemit these projects have an opportunity to build direct relations to their user base. By communicating effectively and frequently with those users, developers can receive compensation through upvotes from the Steemit community. Therefore, the better the engagement with the community, the better the compensation for the projects. In the end, we all get to benefit from better software.

A good topic of discussion, thanks.