Bounties- based Fundraising for Devs- maybe just a delirium?
 

Ok guys, i just could have had one of my pink-painted/ nonsense ideas. However i would like to share this psychosis with you all.
The topic about fundraising for Cepi make me think that it would be beautiful if we could attract devs to spend more of their free time doing great apps and task like ones already completed/WIP, but not for free (since we really appreciate their work and we want to support their efforts and why not, let them earn something if they deserves). On the other half... ops, i mean,hand ...we know that some features we want are still missing, and not all features are desired the same.
I am trying to imagine a system where there is an account (for collecting funds and donation) and a list of features/apps wanted but also where anyone can straightly targeting their money on one or more feature of that list, and of course, suggesting new features. for every features would be indicated also the amount of money collected/donated for that task.
The developer who will be able to reach that task, providing that feature, will be thanked with that amount of money (or products)

for example:

List: amount/prize:

app for do task -- 100 eur
feature Y improving -- 70 eur + a nokia n9 (donated)
patch for Z -- 5 eur
protocol of system M -- 70 eur+ lastucover for tab(:D)
icon for F -- 21 eur + poppy red TOH
porting of an app E to sfos -- 90 eur
porting sailfish to device D -- 170 eur + Blow.jobTOH
app for counting sheeps -- 0 eur


then, if user Averageuser really want the first object of the list being completed, he can donate 5 eur, specifying for what task.

So the ask "app for doing task X" would increase from 100 to 105 eur.
So if user Averagedev manage to complete that task, he will granted with the prize.

At the same time, if no one wished having the "app for counting sheeps" this would stay at 0 and of course, no devs will want to implement it.


please, let me know what do you think about this...
i am perfectly ok with critics if limit of such a way is kindly argumented and explained. And even if you think i am just going out of mind and i had better to go back playing to candy crush, please be polite and nice :)

Re: Bounties- based Fundraising for Devs- maybe just a delirum?
 

Not a pipe-dream really, this is exactly how donation sites like Indiegogo et al work, except they will take their cut of the assembled pile.

No reason why it would not work here. I'd say lets do it :p
One way could be to tag request chains something like [Crowdfunding] xxx.

If there's going to be lots of requests, then maybe an own subforum could be created for them.

Re: Bounties- based Fundraising for Devs- maybe just a delirum?
 

You do realize that you just volunteered for the job to organize all of this ;)

*stamp patch to the chest*

Joke aside, great idea! I had a similar / smaller thought of just listing all independent devs on a dedicated page to at least make donation easier.
but that went no where last year...

Re: Bounties- based Fundraising for Devs- maybe just a delirum?
 

yeah is the same, but here apart for fees that would go to crowdfunding site (and here a little %, if all agree, could go to talk.maemo.org just to mantein site, wich is not manteined from ads) its absurd to create a campaign on indiegogo just for making task X .. here instead maybe just a section would be great and not difficult to handle (maybe).

Re: Bounties- based Fundraising for Devs- maybe just a delirum?
 

i guess that a list of developer is not as "exciting" as a list of features, cause here we would get force from real/concrete users' desire to have a improvement/feature on a side, and (rightly) devs' desire to earn some money


i offer me as volounteer if needed, along with some other guys, otherwise i could got crazy.
If no one want to apply for this, we could just set a little prize even for their work in manteining things right.

Moreover donation could be both anonymous or public, but the account (paypal/bitcoin/wallet of my cat , i dont know) should have to be transparent with periodic screenshot of movements and money received

Re: Bounties- based Fundraising for Devs- maybe just a delirum?
 

My personal opinion is that donations will not signficantly affect the manpower allocated to tasks. If someone were motivated by money, the donations would be unlikely to cover the opportunity cost of performing the tasks. If someone were not motivated by money, they would complete the task anyway (if it were something they were interested in).

A more effective solution would be to contribute code, rather than money. Of course, the opportunity cost of contributing that code is typically far greater that the sum which would be donated, which brings us back to my first point.

Re: Bounties- based Fundraising for Devs- maybe just a delirum?
 

not all are able to dev, thats the difference. if developers accept donation,it means that in some way the righly like them. i cant blame them for it. but if a dev is in doubt on wich feature being focused,
this can help. i dont know if the effort it woul be so high that wouldnt be covered by donation,if it were enough. i really dont have experience in this field. but better than nothing, since it could increase at least donations

Re: Bounties- based Fundraising for Devs- maybe just a delirum?
 

I'd step it up a notch further and suggest this.
1stly thinking of the sub-communities here and the individ.'s (who are donating) and the dev.'s also...and everyone's happiness all around.
oversight would be needed.
Donating to Bounties are good and all.
But I think it is as overall effective as pecking at feed on the barnyard floor.
I would suggest a step further.

- Known (and agreeable to the process) dev.'s step forward and state which device / os 's they will work on...and a page showing it.

- to safeguard donators/donations I would suggest payment upon completion of work. I know this isn't the kindest method to the dev's but it is honest. For myself ...I don't get paid for musical instruments or paintings or carvings I am working on, or are half finished. I get paid afterwards for successfully completed and functional work.
Everyone deserves to be paid for their work and time...but that is called into question.. if the task is never finished or a product is never functional. So this seems the most reasonable and sane approach. So saying..it allows more power, autonomy, and flexibility for the dev.

- The dev's themselves know more than anyone what is or could be useful to us the end user. Albeit suggested ideas from end users are always good. (But being beholden directly to a small group who demand "mobile strike" be functional immediately on their platform is what I see at best happening from a "bounty" style set up)

In summing things up.
I don't think a bounty system is overall a good short or long term solution...
We've been down that road many times...
I would suggest a departure from the dysfunctional norm.

1- set up a proper page with sections for device / os and list the dev's who love working on them.

2- set up blanket donation to each section.
then there is a pool for the dev's to draw off of... for their hard work.
No one device / os gets abandoned... there isn't the individual "pecking" at a specific need or want and the time wasted in setting up a linear and specific bounty ...and everyone wins.

Re: Bounties- based Fundraising for Devs- maybe just a delirum?
 

Why re-invent the wheel? There's already Bountysource.

Re: Bounties- based Fundraising for Devs- maybe just a delirum?
 

never heard about it,i will check. thanks