How does the GPL help a user who doesn't write code themselves?

They have the right to use the code, and they have the right to use improvements that someone else made, and they have the right to get someone to make improvements for them.

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mgulick 2 hours ago | parent [-]

They also have the guarantee that the code licensed under the GPL, and all future enhancements to it, will remain free software. The same is not true of the MIT license's weak-copyleft.

	▲	red_admiral an hour ago \| parent [-]
		As far as I know, all the (L)GPL does is make sure that if A releases some code under it, then B can't release a non-free enhancement without A's permission. A can still do whatever they want, including sell ownership to B. Neither GPL nor MIT (or anything else) protects you against this. (EDIT) scenario: I make a browser extension and release v1 under GPL, it becomes popular and I sell it to an adtech company. They can do whatever they want with v2.