MT Promises
Dive into Mark has a pretty good posting on MovableType 3.0. MT has never been OpenSource or free. But in Mark's opinion it was open and free enough for most people. But with the coming of version 3.0DE, MT has made a choice. If you want to use it, you have to pay. A lot.
Mark goes on to say, if I understand what he is saying, that commercial software like MT doesn't have a future and that only OpenSource efforts do. I have to disagree with this. If anything, the history of software indicates just the opposite. I mean, most programs OpenSource or not, aren't around very long. But I think people tend to do things that they get rewarded for and if a program is successful and the author gets money for it, he or she will probably continue development of the program. On the other hand, people working on OpenSource alternatives don't get money for their work. Sometimes that doesn't matter. But most times it does since most people aren't independently wealthy and need to earn some money to have a roof over their heads and food on the table. Hence, at best, they may spend some free time working on the program but they will spend the majority of their time on things that pay them money.
Note that I'm not making a value judgment here. It's simply the way things are.
But being that as it may, there are other content management systems. You have a choice. You can stay with MT and support its development or you can switch.
I'm in the process of testing MT 3.0 Developer's Edition. I've installed it but so far am disappointed. The comment registration system, designed to ban spam, works against various robots, but does nothing against armies of low paid people in India hired by spammers to send their drek far and wide.
As Mark notes, he's already received spam while running a beta of the new registration system. Hence, the main reason for going to MT 3.0 is probably void.
Even before MT 3.0 came out, I began taking a look at other solutions. Pair.com, the host to this site, supports two: Blosxom and Geeklog. Either would work, although, for my taste, Blosxom is too minimalist and Geeklog is too fussy.
But another program has gotten a lot of word-of-mouth and is called WordPress. I haven't had much time to work with it so I won't say anything about it yet but if you are looking for an alternative, you may want to check it out (although I'm a little concerned about the dynamic versus static-based page debate).
The bottom line is you have a choice. You don't have to use MT3.0DE. Hence, rather than demonizing Mena and Ben, who are just trying to make a living producing a product people want and are willing to pay for, find something else.