On Thursday 16 December 2004 16:37, Michael Latta wrote:
[snip]

For a long time I have wanted something like this because I would like to be 
able to offer some funds to the development of Seaside, for example, or to 
the writing of documentation, etc.

I think it would be fine to collect money for work performed as long as we 
could have a structure in which we can predetermine the cost for a project.  
I don't like to mistrust anyone, but neither do I want to tempt someone to 
greed.

My idea goes something like this:

	- a proposal for work is made (by a developer or sponsor)
	- the proposal eventually includes a price from the developer
	- that price pays for all development costs for the targeted release
		- do you charge more for documentation?
		- do you charge more for tests?
		- do you expect tests and documentation to be included?
	- a quorum of "sponsors" pledges funds for the work
	- the developer creates the release
	- the sponsors validate that the targeted release is what they wanted
	- ... after which the developer is paid for the work by the sponsors

A developer could do this on multiple cycles -- 1.1, 2.0, 2.01, 3.0, etc.  The 
community decides what they are willing to pay for, it's the developer's 
responsibility to please the sponsors.

This doesn't cover everything, but it's a rough idea.  Some things to 
consider...

1. Somewhere along the way the developer and interested parties need to have a 
conversation to decide what the release contains.

2. It's plausible that the developer may need to have another conversation 
with his/her sponsors to ask for more money, so there would need to be a 
mechanism for that.  However, since this isn't a binding contract the 
sponsors are not obligated to pledge any more money, in which case the 
developer may decide to abandon the project.

3. We may run into issues where people don't "cough up" their pledges, in 
which case we can have a process for dealing with this (perhaps black-listing 
a sponsor).

4. Who would administer such a program?

5. What costs are there in administering such a program?

6. Can those costs be rolled into the cost of the project?  I think they can 
and should be.

It's a loose structure but it could work.

-- 
Jason Rogers

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in 
the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved 
me, and gave himself for me."
    Galatians 2:20