[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Re: Allow money donations for precise bugs
From:       Gábor_Lehel <illissius () gmail ! com>
Date:       2005-03-12 13:01:55
Message-ID: 9cfeadb805031205014fb4b2d8 () mail ! gmail ! com
[Download RAW message or body]

I don't like the sound of all this 'guarantee' stuff. Why not just
have plain old-fashioned bounties? Let people pledge a certain amount
of money they would pay if the feature were implemented, and otherwise
everything stays the same, the devs just have something else they can
take into account when prioritising bugs/wishes -- it would work much
like votes do now, except money speaks rather louder than votes do*.

I see two problems with this, one technical and one more 'fundamental':
the technical one: how to make sure people actually pay what they have
pledged when the feature is implemented? obviously, they should not
have to pay anything until it is.
the fundamental one: it may have a rather negative affect on code
quality if people start doing ugly hacks just to claim the money. is
there any way this could be avoided?

Overall, I'm not sure whether it's a good idea, but it's certainly an
interesting one.

* before someone misinterprets this, I'm not suggesting to replace
votes with bounties (rather to have both), just comparing the two

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 08:37:03 +0100, Maurizio Colucci
<seguso.forever@tin.it> wrote:
> Dear friends,
> 
> I apologize in advance for the cross-post but it seems adequate here, as this
> proposal involves users and developers.
> 
> IN BRIEF
> --------
> 
> Currently, in bugs.kde.org, I can *vote* for some bugs or new features. My
> idea is to allow KDE users and fans to put their *money* in place of abstract
> "votes".
> 
> I mean, allowing users to donate money for implementing a *precise* feature
> or fixing a *precise* bug.
> 
> IN DETAIL
> ---------
> 
> The idea is that
> 
> 1. everyone can donate freely for any feature separately (or not donate at all).
> 
> 2. when, and if, the *overall* donation for a given feature reaches a certain
> threshold, that feature is *guaranteed* to be implemented.
> 
> I am still not sure who should define the threshold and, once the threshold
> is reached, who would decide which programmer is to take care of the task.
> 
> But first, please let me discuss the important reasons behind this proposal.
> 
> THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND THIS
> --------------------------
> 
> Why am I proposing this? The recent article from Eugenia about Gnome ignoring
> their users (http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=9933) made me think it's
> the right time to propose what I've been thinking for a while.
> 
> In the article, Eugenia correctly points out that OSS projects tend to ignore
> the needs of *ordinary* users: currently the OSS model tends to favour the
> needs of *corporate* customers (because corporations such as IBM or Novell
> put the money for those features), and those of *power* users (because they
> program the features they themselves). But the needs of *ordinary* home users
> are not respected as much. They often tend to be ignored (although KDE is
> surely better than Gnome in this respect).
> 
> So Eugenia is right here. But, IMHO, her error is to assume that this lack of
> respect for the need of ordinary users _is the developers' fault_. Instead, I
> think it is the *users* fault; I think users are still not as _responsible_
> and self-aware to get together and *directly* finance the features they want.
> 
> Consumers are not yet a responsible community and they have no awareness of
> themeselves as a big power. This is exactly why the world today is dominated
> by corporations.
> 
> Just for an example, I would pay quite a lot to have a sidebar with recent
> folders added to konqueror. I am sure many of us have a small amount money,
> but no time to contribute code. Some of us love KDE so much that we would
> happily donate some, *provided*  we are guaranteed the feature to be
> implemented if the threshold is reached.
> 
> IMPROVEMENTS AND THINGS TO CLARIFY
> ----------------------------------
> 
> As an incentive to donating, you could give an additional guarantee:
> The guarantee that, if the threshold is *not* reached within X days, his
> money will be given back to the donator, or at least it will be reusable to
> sponsor another wish.
> 
> ----
> 
> I would like to hear many opinions about that. I am posting a similar
> proposal in Gnome's list.
> 
> My best wishes to you all,
> 
> Maurizio Colucci
> 
> >> Visit http://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-devel#unsub to unsubscribe <<
> 


-- 
Work is punishment for failing to procrastinate effectively.
_______________________________________________
kde-usability mailing list
kde-usability@kde.org
https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-usability
[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]