The Toxic Side of Free - How I Lost the Love

Explore the dark side of maintaining a free, open-source project in this 33-minute JSConf talk. Delve into a five-part personal narrative about JS Bin, a side project turned full-time venture, and the challenges faced over seven years. Discover the impact of spam, user abuse, and financial struggles on both the project and personal life. Learn about the complexities of monetization and the unexpected legal issues, including dealing with DDoS attacks, child pornography, and terrorism. Gain insights into the often-overlooked difficulties of running a popular free service, while finding glimmers of hope amidst the struggles. Contrast this candid account with typical success stories, offering a sobering perspective on the realities of open-source project management.

Remy Sharp: The toxic side of free. Or: how I lost the love... - JSConf US Last Call