Licensing Memes

Oh No, Anyway

5 days ago 239.5K views 0 shares

Microsoft announces they'll stop selling Windows 10 product keys, and the entire developer community collectively shrugs while adjusting their pirate hats. Because let's be real—who's actually been buying Windows keys at full price? Between gray market keys for $5, corporate volume licenses that mysteriously multiply, and the fact that Windows basically activates itself if you stare at it long enough, this announcement has all the impact of a semicolon in Python. The "OH NO! ANYWAY" format perfectly captures how developers feel about Microsoft's licensing theatrics. They've been playing whack-a-mole with activation for decades while we've been out here running unactivated copies with that little watermark like it's a badge of honor. Plus, most devs are either on Linux, using their company's license, or have already moved to Windows 11 (willingly or not). Fun fact: Windows activation has been "cracked" so many times that Microsoft basically gave up and made Windows 10 free to upgrade to back in 2015. The pirate hat is just chef's kiss—a visual representation of every developer's relationship with Microsoft licensing since the dawn of time.

Journalists Having Bad Ideas About Software Development

Programming Git

24 days ago 237.4K views 0 shares

Journalists Having Bad Ideas About Software Development

So a tech journalist just suggested that open source should "ban itself" in certain countries based on geopolitics. That's like suggesting gravity should stop working in specific time zones because of trade disputes. The entire point of open source is that the code is, well, open . It's publicly available. You can't "ban" something that's already distributed across millions of repositories, forks, and local machines worldwide. Even if you deleted every GitHub repo tomorrow, the code would still exist on countless hard drives, mirrors, and archive sites. Trying to geofence open source is like trying to un-ring a bell or put toothpaste back in the tube. The MIT license doesn't come with geographical restrictions for a reason. That's literally the opposite of how information distribution works on the internet. But hey, at least we got a solid Boromir meme out of someone's fundamental misunderstanding of software licensing and distribution.

Bro You Used MIT

Git Webdev Programming

26 days ago 284.6K views 0 shares

The MIT license literally says "do whatever you want with this code, I don't care." It's the most permissive open-source license out there—you can use it, modify it, sell it, tattoo it on your forehead, whatever. So when a dev slaps MIT on their repo and then has a meltdown on Twitter because someone actually *used* their code, it's like putting up a "FREE PIZZA" sign and then crying when people eat the pizza. The cat's bewildered stance perfectly captures the rest of us watching this drama unfold, wondering if they've ever actually read the license they chose. Pro tip: if you don't want people using your code, maybe don't pick the license that's basically the digital equivalent of "take it, it's yours."

Bruh You Used MIT

Programming Webdev Git

28 days ago 230.2K views 0 shares

The MIT License is basically the "do whatever you want with my code, I don't care" of open source licenses. It's one of the most permissive licenses out there—you can copy, modify, distribute, sell, and even use it in proprietary software. The only requirement? Keep the copyright notice. So when a dev slaps an MIT license on their repo and then gets mad that someone "stole" their project... buddy, you literally gave everyone permission to do exactly that. That's like leaving your front door wide open with a sign saying "help yourself" and then calling the cops when someone takes your TV. The Persian cat's dramatic pose perfectly captures the absurdity of complaining about something you explicitly allowed. Should've gone with GPL if you wanted that copyleft protection, my friend.

One Rich Asshole Called Larry Ellison

Databases Programming Backend

3 months ago 280.7K views 0 shares

Ah, the alternative definition of Oracle that database administrators whisper when license auditors aren't around. The company's licensing costs are so astronomical that you need venture capital funding just to run a "Hello World" query. Oracle DBAs don't have retirement plans—they just have Oracle license negotiation PTSD. The real database transaction is the money leaving your company account.

The MIT License Paradox

Programming Git

3 months ago 224.8K views 0 shares

The classic developer duality: "Sure, use my MIT-licensed code for anything you want!" followed by the existential crisis when someone actually does. It's like putting a "Free, take one" sign on your code and then having a meltdown when someone actually takes it. The MIT license is basically saying "here's my code, do whatever, just don't sue me" - until the theoretical becomes practical and suddenly you're questioning all your life choices. Nothing says "open source contributor" like the cognitive dissonance of wanting your work used while simultaneously feeling violated when it happens.

Silence Tech CEO

Programming Git Javascript StackOverflow Frontend

3 months ago 265.4K views 1 shares

When a tech CEO meets an open source developer who's about to reveal how their company's "revolutionary proprietary algorithm" is actually just forked from a GitHub repo with zero attribution. The hand gesture isn't saying "stop"—it's frantically trying to pause the conversation before the entire board meeting discovers their $50M valuation is built on npm install and Stack Overflow copypasta.

The MIT License Paradox

Programming Webdev

3 months ago 169.0K views 0 shares

The classic developer hypocrisy in its natural habitat! We're all for permissive licensing until someone actually exercises those permissions. "Sure, use my MIT-licensed code for anything... wait, you're SELLING it? With a different NAME?! How DARE you do exactly what I explicitly allowed!" The cognitive dissonance hits harder than a production bug on Friday afternoon. The MIT license is basically saying "do whatever you want" but our egos still can't handle seeing our precious code in someone else's commercial product. We want the street cred without the consequences of our licensing choices.

Unfortunately Named Enterprise Linux

Linux Devops Bash Programming

3 months ago 324.3K views 0 shares

The sign makes a brilliant wordplay on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), one of the most popular enterprise Linux distributions. "Can't spell HATRED without REDHAT" is a savage burn that sysadmins who've battled RHEL licensing or compatibility issues will feel in their souls. The irony is delicious—a system designed to be reliable and enterprise-grade being associated with pure frustration. Anyone who's ever spent 3 hours trying to install a package that worked perfectly on Ubuntu knows this special kind of pain. It's the computing equivalent of stepping on a LEGO while barefoot.

Microsoft Licensing: Where Logic Goes To Die

Microsoft Devops Windows Cloud

4 months ago 282.9K views 0 shares

Microsoft Licensing: Where Logic Goes To Die

The eternal Microsoft licensing labyrinth claims another victim! Anyone who's survived a Microsoft audit knows this pain - trying to decipher their deliberately cryptic licensing rules is like trying to solve a Rubik's cube blindfolded while someone keeps changing the colors. After days of reading contradictory forum posts, conflicting official docs, and getting different answers from every MS rep, this admin finally reached enlightenment: "Screw it, I'm doing it my way." The beautiful simplicity of "one server, one license, two VMs" is the IT equivalent of finding inner peace. The best part? That defiant "Here are my 4 licenses for 4 servers with 8 VMs" stance. It's the sysadmin equivalent of telling the IRS "here's my math, fight me."

He Never Asked For My Data

Microsoft Security Windows Programming

6 months ago 299.4K views 0 shares

OMG, the AUDACITY of people romanticizing Clippy in 2023! 💅 That paperclip assistant from Microsoft Office was literally THE ORIGINAL PRIVACY INVADER before it was cool! While we're all losing our minds about apps tracking our every move, Clippy was just sitting there, innocently bouncing around our Word documents, NOT asking for our age, NOT canceling our perpetual licenses, and NOT demanding our location. THE HORROR! A digital assistant that just... helped?! Without stealing our data?! What a concept! *dramatically faints onto keyboard*

Oracle Being Oracle

Databases Programming Backend

6 months ago 295.5K views 0 shares

The corporate structure at Oracle perfectly captured in one diagram! While Engineering sits in a tiny, neat box with a handful of people, the Legal department sprawls into this massive, exponentially growing tree of doom. Anyone who's dealt with Oracle licensing knows this pain—you need 17 lawyers to understand their terms, but only 4 engineers to build the actual product. The licensing complexity is their true innovation! No wonder developers run screaming when they hear "Oracle audit." It's not a database company with a legal department; it's a legal department with a database side-hustle.

Browse

Licensing Memes

Oh No, Anyway

Journalists Having Bad Ideas About Software Development

Bro You Used MIT

Bruh You Used MIT

One Rich Asshole Called Larry Ellison

The MIT License Paradox

Silence Tech CEO

The MIT License Paradox

Unfortunately Named Enterprise Linux

Microsoft Licensing: Where Logic Goes To Die

Mechanical Keyboards (affiliate)

He Never Asked For My Data

Oracle Being Oracle

Spotlight

GearScouts.com

Ducky One 3 TKL Matcha Hotswap Double Shot PBT ...