I have been researching this because there is a product for a start up I am involved with for which I am considering open source as well. It seems that paid support/free software open source models work in fields where there is an established custom to pay for support. This works for both desktop and server OSs, as most enterprises are trained to pay for OS support (thanks to Microsoft) and in databases where enterprises are used to paying shitloads for support (thanks to Oracle) and other enterprise software.
Will it work for webservers? Probably. Usually companies that use webservers are supposed to have capable webmasters, but once a company becomes large enough the biggest motivation of its executives becomes to cover their asses, and at that point they will probably start paying for support.
Unfortunately, this model will probably not work for our software because we are trying to make it a zero configuration zero support product. The paid support/free software model is a bit of a perverse incentive as it rewards products that are more difficult to use and configure.
I don't know that it's quite as sinister as incentivising products to be actively anti-user friendly.
If you think about it, the only products that are typically supported via contract seem to be extremely sophisticated, large, or cornerstone products. Making such products OneTouch-EZ is likely a waste of everyone's time and resources, because you have to hamstring the product and spend a ton of development effort making it idiot-proof, when you could have just been making it better instead.
You are right, it is not really sinister and I never suggested it was. It is just unfortunate that you cannot go the open source route if you are not within a certain range of products.
Will it work for webservers? Probably. Usually companies that use webservers are supposed to have capable webmasters, but once a company becomes large enough the biggest motivation of its executives becomes to cover their asses, and at that point they will probably start paying for support.
Unfortunately, this model will probably not work for our software because we are trying to make it a zero configuration zero support product. The paid support/free software model is a bit of a perverse incentive as it rewards products that are more difficult to use and configure.