Re: KickStarter for Debian packages - crowdfunding/donations for development

[Gunnar Wolf <gwolf@gwolf.org>]

Philip Hands dijo [Sun, Jun 16, 2013 at 09:47:18AM +0100]:
> Manu Sporny <msporny@digitalbazaar.com> writes:
> ...
> That is an assumption that I happen to think is completely unfounded.
> 
> IBM tested various ways of incentivising coders decades ago -- almost
> (...)
> We tried DuncTank -- I'd contend that the net amount of productive work
> (...)
> It is bound to direct money to highly visible projects, regardless of
> (...)
> How do we determine a fair split between a couple of developers, one
> (...)
> I presume we'd be open about what people were being paid?  How about if
> (...)
> I'm not against people being paid for Free Software work -- that's what
> (...)
> If a developer and their customer negotiate a deal, nobody but the
> (...)
> In conclusion, I think this is a very dangerous idea, and that it would
> cause nothing but trouble.  The main underlying assumption is wrong.
> People work on Debian as amateurs, in the best sense of the word
> (i.e. motivated by the love of it, not for financial gain).  An influx
> of mercenaries would not be a net gain.
> 
> If it were needed or useful, Debian would not exist.
> 
> If it was a really good idea then we'd all be using something like
> Mandrake instead.

If I were more intelligent and better skilled in words, I wish I had
written Phil's mail. As things are, I can only subscribe to every word
he wrote.