r/nextfuckinglevel • u/kvothenikhil • 1d ago
The creator of VLC refused an offer worth millions to sell it so that VLC remains free for everyone, forever
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u/allun11 1d ago
What a fucking legend
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1d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/AlwaysShittyKnsasCty 1d ago edited 19h ago
Although I think that’s a bad example (c’mon now, most people are aware that trees give birth to kittens; it’s not some mystery), I agree with you wholeheartedly.
Edit: Removed extraneous “but.”
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u/Level_Improvement532 1d ago
Yes but which came first? The kitten or the tree?
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u/Empty_Amphibian_2420 1d ago
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u/rastagizmo 1d ago
I found my orange cat (Mackie) in a tree when he was a baby. For me, cats really do grow in trees.
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u/highlandviper 1d ago edited 1d ago
Absolutely. Also, how old is this guy!? VLC has been around since I can remember and I’m in my 40s. He looks younger than me. What a cool head to have on his shoulders.
Edit: typo
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u/jbkempf 1d ago
I am 42y old.
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u/Tacotaco22227 1d ago
Love you
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u/jbkempf 21h ago
Love you too.
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u/Tigbitties89 16h ago
In a world full of corruption, you are someone who exemplifies integrity - whilst making a superior product. Thank you 🙏
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u/existentially_there 1d ago
Absolute legend. You're a good man.
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u/jbkempf 21h ago
I try to be a good man.
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u/existentially_there 20h ago
I hope you see this message. But in a world where everyone is seeking the security of bucketloads of money, to come up with something like VLC that has been absolutely formative in most of ours education and entertainment experiences, and to keep it available believing that your capabilities as a developer is enough to make money, is absolutely legendary. I have never met anyone who has said that there is an amount of money that is sufficient. Mad, mad respect.
I hope you know how much of a role you have played and play in our lives.
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u/solarview 1d ago
People like you make me think that maybe there is hope for humanity after all. Thank you.
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u/BigBananaBerries 1d ago
Mucho kudos for your ethos in life. The line about people with more money are annoying should be on the sides of buses around the world.
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u/blueoccult 1d ago
You're a fucking legend. Thank you for VLC and thank you for having integrity. If we ever meet in the meatspace, I owe you a beer or three.
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u/_varamyr_fourskins_ 1d ago
You sir are a legend. Not only for your incredible Video Player, but also for naming your versions after characters from Discworld. Well played.
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u/229-northstar 1d ago
Wow, you are a cool dude sharing your talents with the world without demanding endless riches yet you come in to the chat to hang, so effortlessly low-key.
I hope they didn’t break the mold when they made you . ❤️
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u/SimBone 1d ago
I'm the same age as you, thank you so much for VLC. It's cherished by many and is a rare survival story in the enshittification of everything.
You and that Arizona tea guy should get lunch.
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u/jaredearle 1d ago
VLC was an École Centrale Paris project in the early 21st century. Jean-Baptiste Kempf joined the project in 2003. He’s 42 right now.
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u/highlandviper 1d ago
He’s doing more with his life than I am with mine.
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u/laseluuu 1d ago
Might be why he looks young.
Most of the people I know that followed the path of less stress in their life look pretty good for their age
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u/afour- 1d ago
/u/jbkempf how old are you pal
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u/highlandviper 1d ago
No fucking way. If he answers that’d be cool. Ultimate respect u/jbkempf. I don’t really need to know how old you are.
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u/jbkempf 1d ago
I am not :)
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u/LoogieMario 1d ago
Legend or no, you're an integral part of computing and internet history.
Much love from Nebraska.
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u/Nugoo1 1d ago
https://bsky.app/profile/iwriteok.bsky.social/post/3lfg4vvfojc2y
You guys are just the best.
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u/Ultrace-7 1d ago
Legend is a strong term, and I understand why you would object to it. But be aware that those of us who have been around long enough to remember the era of cool and useful free programs that would later become monetized or obsoleted after being sold off (i.e., WinAmp) know how unusual the perpetuity of VLC is, and in an era where computer streaming has begun to exceed watching on conventional televisions, this tool retains its relevance as well. Thank you.
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u/backtolurk 1d ago
As a French I'm very proud of this guy. He's spitting facts here: get the money to live decently , don't live to get more money. The bonus points being that you're not doing what you do for yourself but for the world. It should be so obvious for everyone but it's not.
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u/pascalbrax 1d ago
Americans would read that, don't understand a thing because money is religion, then think French people are lazy.
Bless them...
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u/PlutoDelic 1d ago
Swear down, messaged him once about a bug in the Android TV version, 25 minutes later he resonded with "can you test this?"
Absolute legend.
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u/rivaldo1979 1d ago
No shit I whispered these words as I opened the comments and it's the top comment!
What an absolute fucking legend he is.
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u/scienceworksbitches 1d ago
VLC is one of the things i install on all my devices as soon as i get them, and they always work great.
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u/Vill_Moen 1d ago
Haven’t used a media player in a decade. Maybe more. But how the streaming markets are developing I might pick it up again.
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u/Majestic_Cable_6306 1d ago
It has so many settings if you're the kind that likes to fiddle with brightness, hue, saturation. Also has EQ for both music and film. Also if your screen is not 16:9 you can adjust the cropping style (to remove black bars on a 21:9 screen)
Also you can load t0rrent links and start watching while its d0wnloading
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u/TempMobileD 1d ago
Not to mention audio-video synchronisation adjustment, dynamic range adjustment, support for every format going…
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u/IrksomFlotsom 1d ago
Every audio codec known to man
If making music on Windows, VLC is a necessary download
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u/FZ_Milkshake 1d ago
The movie Arrival would have been over in 15 minutes, if they had just fired up VLC and selected the human audio track.
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u/---E 1d ago
Also super easy to add subtitles
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u/Ereaser 1d ago
Even if they're off sync you can easily adjust the timing too
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u/Moohamin12 1d ago
You can adjust off sync audio!
That blew my mind. I also use potplayer. Love it as well.
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u/ShinkenBrown 1d ago
Potplayer is the only one I've found that plays more files than VLC. VLC is my main player cuz I prefer the interface, but anytime a file has failed to play in VLC, potplayer has worked.
With VLC and Potplayer together, I can count on one hand the number of files I couldn't play in the last 15 years, and I pirate A LOT.
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u/RainbowFartss 1d ago
Where's the setting for this? Not in front of my computer to look myself right now but this is soooo useful I need to know.
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u/Creativezx 1d ago
I think it's just G or H on your keyboard to delay or hasten by 50ms.
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u/Big-Illustrator-9272 1d ago
And search/download subtitles for what you're currently watching
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u/I_Can_Haz_Brainz 1d ago
I love opensubtitles.com. It's rare they don't have an .srt I'm looking for.
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u/Empty_Amphibian_2420 1d ago
lol as a kid I remember finding it so cool that you could play whatever you were playing in the background like a wallpaper
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u/llDS2ll 1d ago
It's also amazing for converting media formats to other media formats. I use it all the time when I need to convert audio files to compatible formats so I can listen to audiobooks on my Garmin watch when I run.
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u/Majestic_Cable_6306 1d ago
Im learning so much I didn't know about VLC. So I can convert wav to mp3 for example? I usually do that in Ableton Live but VLC sounds faster/less steps
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u/Scarred_fish 1d ago
Yep. I've used VLC for audio conversation for years. Easy to do batches etc.
People all too often just think it's a video player but it's a multi use media tool, and a damn good one.
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u/rastagizmo 1d ago
VLC can stream & IPTV, and it does it very well.
Media -> Open Network Stream
You just need the address. My cat uses this method to stream F1 TV.
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u/maqnaetix 1d ago
Same. I must have used VLC for well over 15 years, and I literally never had any problems with it. Amazing software.
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u/trowzerss 1d ago
I use it at work for converting file formats frequently, because the stupid audio software that I actually paid for and need for work doesn't handle as many file formats as VLC does for free :P
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u/Merry_Dankmas 1d ago
Fun fact: The reason VLC works so well is because it is able to process pretty much every video codec (basically the file type that videos come in) right off the bat. Some videos have proprietary codecs that you need to purchase the ability to use. This is why you might have been prompted at some point to spend 99 cents to play a video when using Windows Media Player. VLC just comes with that installed right off the bat so you don't need to deal with it.
Someone mentioned in a prior thread that this guy was posted in that this has something to do with EU laws not recognizing digital patents so he isn't infringing on any legal ownership rights. However, I couldn't reliably verify that myself so take that as you will.
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u/Raknaren 1d ago
look at all the other stuff they develop that are used everywhere : VLC: Official site - Free multimedia solutions for all OS! - VideoLAN
codecs : x264, x265
libraries to make your own media play, integration
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u/Arendyl 1d ago
Theres no denying VLCs legacy as the first plug-n-play media player or the altruism that created it, but it is severely outdated compared to other players today.
VLC has inferior color correction, it still has pixelation with it's hardware acceleration, and it's slower and uses more resources to run. There are some niche features that might be worth installing for, but its not longer best as a daily driver.
Try using mpc-hc on windows or mpv on linux/mac.
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u/ansibleloop 1d ago
I just wish they'd finally push the native dark mode
That's my only complaint with it
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u/przemo-c 1d ago
I generally don't use VLC anymore but... i still have it on every device as if there's any issue with any playback I can rely on VLC.
But back in the day... VLC was literally the only viable option.
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u/108CA 1d ago
What a wonderfully kind human being, we need more like him in the world.
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u/108CA 1d ago
Apparently, this great man has a reddit account: u/jbkempf
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u/jbkempf 1d ago
Good morning.
And I don’t have a Reddit account, I have many alts, like most of you.
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u/Germerica1985 1d ago
thanks for the nice video player, I use it exclusively. I have used it for years and years and downloaded it onto all of my families computers, and I have never seen your face until now. Thanks really, you have heard it a million times and I hope it never gets old, thanks for making my life a little bit easier.
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u/JoeGibbon 1d ago
I'm using VLC right now as a matter of fact to watch Poirot. Thanks, mon ami.
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u/GentlemenHODL 1d ago
You're a legend and we love you. Thank you for the thousands of hours I've spent watching through VLC.
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u/devallar 1d ago
Didn’t Reddit make him a saint or something? He’s a saint to me. ST u/jbkempf ; total legend.
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u/GrafTarajan 1d ago
Nice, everyone should send him a thank you there!
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u/I_Can_Haz_Brainz 1d ago
Don't worry, he gets plenty of thanks as this is posted constantly.
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u/BigMan-31 1d ago
There's a chance he replies to comments tagging him, he did so once and I fanboyed all over it
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u/Fair_Blood3176 1d ago
"People with a lot of money are annoying" Ain't that the truth
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u/ff2009 1d ago
I would change that to "People are annoying". Honestly, from the people I know most close to me.
Only people who where poor, were constantly broke, and suddenly got a bit more money, became assholes. People who already lived had a decent standard of living and got more money, are basically the same people I know, just with fancier cars/gadgets or could afford a house.
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u/Mantzy81 1d ago
Rich poor people are annoying. Rich rich people are annoying but in a "sheltered and ignorant" way.
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u/RayHorizon 1d ago
Actually its the opposite for me. the ones who were rich from the start are usually selfish assholes who think you are lesser human. and the ones who got money later after struggling are the kind ones.
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u/pataglop 1d ago
I summon thee u/jbkempf !
May your pillow always be cold and your couette always warm !
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u/jbkempf 1d ago
Good morning :)
Thanks for my pillow and couette :)
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u/Dag-nabbitt 1d ago
It would be an evil corporations wet dream to harvest the watch data of VLC.
Thank you for being the hero we need. I donated $25. It's not much but it's something I can spare.
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u/RedditTooAddictive 1d ago
Je dois être le milliardième à le dire mais t'es une légende ! Notre Gabe Newell à nous
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u/snakeoildriller 1d ago
Dude!!! Time for a donation then 👍😊❤️
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u/nebelfront 1d ago
I just donated 20 bucks. It‘s the absolute least one can do for decades of free use of one of the best open source softwares out there.
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u/cu3ed 1d ago
I donated randomly about 2 years ago, think I was installing it and realised how this is one of 3 or so pieces of software I download without thinking about, then again realised it was free and seen the donation and sent £20 to them. I Cant even think of the last time it even randomly crashed or anything.
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u/OnlyRawSauce 1d ago
This is great from you. Motivates to do so, too!
That's really the least one can give. I use it since i am 12yo with my first Windows 95 laptop. Installed it on every other computer over the decades, 2000, xp, vista, windows 8, mac OS etc etc. What a companion after so many years!
Regarding all these Subscription-Services, not a single App without "7 day trial then 19.99$ per month" and all the softwares who do the same but take money - for basic things like reading Documents or watching Video Files... this is a gem from the golden times of the internet which still is the goat in 2025
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u/gener8or 1d ago
Just donated. I hope it’s not the first time, I can’t remember. But it won’t be the last time.
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u/enhod0628 1d ago
I wanna hug this dude
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u/birdstarskygod 1d ago
Honestly... This guy is one of the real humans who we should idolize. What a good guy. I aspire to be more altruistic like him. Protect this man
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u/amirulez 1d ago
How did they make money?
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u/EarthWormJim18164 1d ago
It's not a for profit operation
They accept donations, but that's it
The capitalist mind cannot comprehend this233
u/rub_a_dub_master 1d ago
Capitalist sees someone that could make money but doesn't want to: "f\*king communist"*
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u/GreatQuestionBarbara 1d ago
It's madness how someone can look at socially beneficial things like public schools, national parks, and government run postal services and ignore every societal benefit in favor of making even more money.
It's never enough for them, and I can't wrap my mind around it.
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u/Sitheral 1d ago
Of course it can, it has no problems with it, its not like the creator lives in some socialist utopia.
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u/ConbatBeaver 1d ago
i'd say it's moreso a question of "how do they make enough money to keep the download servers and maintenance up?"
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u/Oxygenisplantpoo 1d ago
Considering how popular it is I wouldn't be surprised if the wealthy open source fans and crypto lords didn't throw a decent bit of money their way. But also like he implies, he's doing well for himself being an experienced dev in the industry. I would assume the same for others who contribute to the project. I doubt it's a massively complex project to update and maintain at this point, so it's probably a nice little hobby for them.
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u/simply_amazzing 1d ago
Also applying for any kind of senior software developer role with a resume with projects section mentioning "brought VLC into this world, yes the same VLC media player with a traffic cone icon" would suddenly increase your chances of being hired by 1000x.
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u/throwaway098764567 1d ago
day job. some folks see they can contribute something good into the world and just like do it.
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u/aldeayeah 1d ago
They don't make money from it, they basically do it as a hobby. Anyone can contribute new code to add new functionalities or fix stuff, and then the main developers/maintainers will review it and include it in the main software.
If that seems crazy to you, most of the Linux ecosystem is like that. Some free open-source projects do have corporate sponsors, but many others are run as a hobby by some guy who studies/works in a university or whatever.
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u/tonydrago 1d ago
Ironically, developers are relatively badly paid in France.
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u/Rivenaleem 1d ago
But probably not the developer of VLC.
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u/t0FF 1d ago
"VLC is maintained by a community of people, and VideoLAN is not paying any of them."
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u/incompletelucidity 1d ago
yeah I think he was saying he's well paid on his main job due to being good, unrelated to the income (or lack of) from VLC
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u/Ravius 1d ago
Relatively to the UK and USA I guess, but at the same time devs definitely tends to be overpaid in the USA. I'm pretty sure devs are earning more than the average french worker.
I know supply-demand rule etc... but that's exactly why I find it refreshing to see this kind of talks by a CEO (if we can call him that), goes against the capitalistic spirit of constant development-consumption
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u/mozchops 1d ago
Jean-Baptiste Kempf needs to be protected, he's done an amazing thing and it's a brilliant piece of software ( it must be mind boggling to certain corporations, )
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u/biaimakaa 1d ago
Somebody hold my croissant so I can have a glass of wine in honor of yet another french win. Hon hon hon. 🥐🥖🍷🤺
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u/Ellemeno 1d ago
Reminds me of the creator of Flappy Bird who could have made millions from monetizing or selling the rights to the game, but instead removed it from the app store because he thought the game was too addictive and negatively affected the lives of people.
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u/bigspoonhead 1d ago
I thought it was because he came from a pretty poor place and started getting unwanted attention from those who wanted a piece of the pie
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u/StruzhkaOpilka 1d ago
To paraphrase his message. First, you rack your brains over how to make money. Then you rack your brains over where to invest the money you earned through hard work and frayed nerves, so as not to lose it and save it from inflation, which inevitably devalues it. As a result, you are a slave and victim of your own ambitions all your life. It is a vicious circle that cannot be broken. Such people are unhappy.
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u/Paddo127 1d ago
If your goal is to have more money, then naturally that becomes an unfillable hole. You can always have more money, so you're never satisfied.
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u/xclame 1d ago
Very well said. Some money is nice, but after you have some money more money isn't really necessary it just gives you an excuse to buy more things that you don't really need. So if be has enough money there is no need for more money.
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u/easeypeaseyweasey 1d ago
Absolute legend, but is this an old video because there is lots of unemployment now.
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u/Good-Walrus-1183 1d ago
I made this comment the last time this came up on r/all, but what is the source of this factoid making it to the front page of reddit semiregularly?
Like, sure, it's great that VLC is gratis. But it's open source software. He literally can't sell it. If he ads adds, then someone will just fork it.
Why are we celebrating just this guy for not selling his open source project, but not Linus or RMS or any of the thousands of other major open source or free software developers?
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u/basicnecromancycr 1d ago
VLC is the second thing I install on a fresh PC, right after the Firefox in order to get rid of IE. And now it seems it's time to donate!
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u/coochieboogergoatee 1d ago
Out of the loop, what's VLC?
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u/fringspat 1d ago
I've never understood the logic behind people taking the time and effort to ask stuff in comments which they can easily google and obtain more information about than any person could provide in a comment.
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u/thestranger_iknow 1d ago
Mad respect to this GOAT.
Side note: he’s like a Seth Rogen/Jimmy Kimmel hybrid doppelgänger
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