On Tue, Jan 14, 2014 at 3:03 PM, Bob Beck <b...@openbsdfoundation.org> wrote: > Just to bring this issue back to the forefront. > > In light of shrinking funding, we do need to look for a source to > cover project expenses. If need be the OpenBSD Foundation can be > involved in receiving donations to cover project electrical costs. > > But the fact is right now, OpenBSD will shut down if we do not have > the funding to keep the lights on. > > If you or a company you know are able to assist us, it would be > greatly appreciated, but right now we are looking at a significant > funding shortfall for the upcoming year - Meaning the project won't be > able to cover 20 thousand dollars in electrical expenses before being > able to use money for other things. That sort of situation is not > sustainable.
There's an equation that has to be satisfied here. It has a demand side and a supply side. You demand a certain amount of electricity and someone has to supply the money to pay for it. I'm going to be blunt here, in an effort to be helpful (it's also not foreign to the OpenBSD style). I get the impression that the demand for electricity is viewed as a given: you use what you use and people need to step up and provide the money to pay for it. If I'm wrong, please say so. But if I'm right, the demand can be adjusted. Sometimes you need to eat cornflakes instead of caviar. For example, I've never understood why this project supports the old architectures it does, considering the associated costs. The recent discussion of a need for a replacement Vax for package-building illustrates that. Perhaps this is an opportunity to reassess the scope of the project and trim some things that can no longer be justified on a cost-benefit basis. If the choice is between shutting the project down and reducing its scope to something sustainable, it's a no-brainer. This project has made really significant contributions, both in the obvious area, security, but also to the art of managing and building complex software that is reliable. To have it go away rather than trim its sails in way that acknowledges reality would really be a shame. /Don Allen > > > > > On Fri, Dec 20, 2013 at 5:08 PM, Theo de Raadt <dera...@cvs.openbsd.org> > wrote: >> I am resending this request for funding our electricity bills because >> it is not yet resolved. >> >> We really need even more funding beyond that, because otherwise all of >> this is simply unsustainable. This request is the smallest we can >> make. >> >> ------- >> >> Hi everyone. >> >> The OpenBSD project uses a lot of electricity for running the >> development and build machines. A number of logistical reasons >> prevents us from moving the machines to another location which might >> offer space/power for free, so let's not allow the conversation to go >> that way. >> >> We are looking for a Canadian company who will take on our electrical >> expenses -- on their books, rather than on our books. We would be >> happiest to find someone who will do this on an annual recurring >> basis. >> >> That way the various OpenBSD efforts can be supported, yet written off >> as an off-site operations cost by such a company. If we reduce this >> cost, it will leave more money for other parts of the project. >> >> We think that a Canadian company is the best choice for accounting >> reasons. If a company in some other jurisdiction feels they can also >> do this successfully, we'd be very happy to hear from them as well. >> >> I am not going to disclose the actual numbers here. Please contact me >> for details if serious. >> >> Thanks.
