On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 11:21:06 -0400, Steven Schveighoffer
<schvei...@yahoo.com> wrote:
On Thu, 30 Aug 2012 10:27:39 -0400, Joseph Rushton Wakeling
<joseph.wakel...@webdrake.net> wrote:
Simon Phipps (former Sun Open Source chief, now on the OSI board) has
written an interesting article about the dynamics of money in open
source projects, worth reading:
http://blogs.computerworlduk.com/simon-says/2011/09/should-you-donate-to-open-source-projects/index.htm
I will check it out, thanks.
An interesting point of view, and I can see how paying someone could be
misconstrued. If Walter was given money to hire people, and he hired
certain already-active members of the community, it might leave some
thinking "why them and not me?" One thing I think would pose a large
dilemma is who do you pay? Someone who is very active in contributing to
D may not be able to contribute more, simply because there are just so
many hours in a day. I'm amazed sometimes as to how some people do so
much work on D! This means we're just handing out bonuses without getting
much back.
But then would you pay someone like me, who has contributed very
sporadically? Maybe it makes it so I can contribute more, but it's almost
like rewarding me for being less active!
Paying someone in the community is like giving a company more money to
develop a project faster, but instead they just pay their existing staff
more.
If, however, Walter simply just hired two developers *outside* the
community, and added them to the project, it would be a net gain for
everyone. Two previously uninvolved developers who could make the
development go faster. Perhaps that's the only real way to fund a project
like this.
I agree with Mr. Phipps that the best way probably to fund an open source
project is to purchase from a company who benefits from the language
itself, and let them know why. Then they have an incentive to make
contributions ensuring they continue to receive that revenue.
I don't find this much different than paying someone who volunteers via
donations, except that you aren't getting any benefit via service, just
better language.
Thanks for the interesting read!
-Steve
