The problem with SheetCam is that I had to use Google to find out what it is. Then I found the website and it is still not clear how I would use it to convert my CAD files into g-code or if it would work for that. You might want to describe the use cases and sample workflows that go from an idea to a finished part and where SheetCam fits into that.
Yes "Dumping it on Github" is required but not even close to sufficient to make it into a successful project. You will need to put all the above information in the README.MD file. The documentation has to be open source too. I think the easiest projects ones to get started are software tools because all your users are software developers and have the skills to modify your open source project. But a product targeted to machinists means that the vast majority of your users are not software developers and would lack the skills required to contribute. You have to solve that problem. Finally, the platform matters a lot. Is it written in something obscure? An open-source CAM system written in Haskell is not going to take off. But if written in Python you have 1,000 times more potential contributors. What is the run-time platform? Windows users almost never contribute to Open Source projects. It needs to be multi-platform. So, ... I idea would be... I think the best way to transition this is to change just a little at a time, first move the code github and drop the price to zero. Then offer to sell technical support contracts that include pre-compiled binary files. If you are lucky, dropping the price will dramatically increase "sales" and with a much larger user base, you will be as busy as you want to be doing support. You can control the number of hours you work by adjusting the price of the contract. Others will see they can make money by consulting and will compete with you, then you can drop out or just work less. Getting machinists to contribute will be hard, better I think to give them some incentive by encouraging them to compete with your tech support business. But this depends on a MUCH larger user base. You get that by dropping the price to zero and improving the technical documentation and quite a lot of self-promotion. About self-promotion. It should be easier with an open source product. You will be asked to leave many forums if you are selling something but giving something away is different. In short: Do a smaller transition. Continue to "sell" it but drop the price to zero, offer a new service for X dollars per year and yes, do put it all in Github Later you stop doing the sales and consulting and leave it on GitHub. The point is that there is no "hard" transition. Also you might work on showing how SheetCam works with the CAD programs people are using. Perhaps FreeCad is a good starting place. On Thu, Feb 23, 2023 at 5:27 AM Les Newell <les.new...@fastmail.co.uk> wrote: > Hi all, > > I'm intending to retire some time this year and I am trying to decide > what to do with SheetCam. One option that I'm seriously considering is > making SheetCam open source (GPL). If this is too off topic for this > list please tell me. > > I really want to see SheetCam continue to be developed and improved. My > accountant thinks I'm nuts to even consider going open source but my > biggest concern with selling it is that I don't want to see it get > turned into a cash cow with very little development, pretty much the way > Mach3 ended up. > > While I have contributed to a few open source projects including > LinuxCNC I have never started one. To be successful an open source > project needs a strong leader or team of leaders. I don't want to be a > leader. I don't expect to just dump it on Github and walk away but I > also don't want to end up doing just as much work as I'm doing now. My > ideal scenario would be to recruit a team of core developers then > gradually reduce my involvement. The question is, am I likely to be able > to recruit those developers? > > Basically at the moment I'm looking for advice and opinions. > > Les > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > -- Chris Albertson Redondo Beach, California _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
