Maybe BSD's Should have...

[jwele]

I was thinking about how GNU/Linux/Unixes do not innovate as much as replicate.

Ubuntu: Trying to be next OSX
KDE/LXDE/XFCE: Very Windows feeling
Gnome3: Feels like a handheld DE

What if PC-BSD had a Kickstarter type site, where users of PC-BSD can submit a feature request, and append a $/Euro donation to it.

Wanted X feature:
Bounty: ${Total donations}

I was thinking it could really spark developers interests to want to develop for FreeBSD/PC-BSD and thereby making a better unique experience for all. Many see no incentive to program something for free unless they really want X feature and use Y OS.

People don't even necessarily have to append money to it either it could be a big Feature Poll that identifies what users want. The innovative have a chance to voice their opinion on what would make the OS better. The users would have a vote as to what features they would like to see. Even without a dollar amount it feels like a big useful idea. With money on the line, hungry CS student's looking for a portfolio and something that matters would be willing to step up to the plate, programming things to help BSD be unique.

I feel there would have to be some copyright feature though so Big distros don't rip off other people ideas. But even if they do, and they do it just to build a desired feature, that's free programming work. As long as its open source with a BSD license I would be happy with someone developing for free with your ideas.

The url BSDBounty.org comes to mind.

Just a thought, what do you think about it?

[allen875]

I like this idea myself. I am a cheapskate myself which is why I turned to the opensource movement many years ago but is absolutely not the reason I have stuck with it. I bought a new laptop last year that came with windows 7 and removed that by the end of the first week.

I would put up money to see a wanted/needed feature added into BSD or Linux. Especially since I am not much of a coder myself. People have to be paid for the talents/skills in some way or another.

[peterlong]

Agreed - not to mention it is nice to see how it was accomplished.

[aikaimmortal]

I like this idea. It also furthers the essence of community ownership. If we want a feature, petition for a feature, fund a feature.. and then see the feature rolled out, it would be pretty sweet.

However, AFAIK the FreeBSD Foundation funds quite a bit of development.. would it be better to donate directly to them rather than Kickstarter?

[Tigersharke]

A little crazy and may take it out of the realm of ordinary folks, but surely if you donated like $1000 to the FreeBSD foundation, with that money earmarked for a specific goal/application, then they may be more able to find the right person/people for the job- they may also be able to say if it is an outrageous or unreasonable (or impossible) request.

[fluca1978]

What if PC-BSD had a Kickstarter type site, where users of PC-BSD can submit a feature request, and append a $/Euro donation to it.

Wanted X feature:
Bounty: ${Total donations}

The FreeBSD Foundation is here for that.

Many see no incentive to program something for free unless they really want X feature and use Y OS.

I wish this is not true at all.

People don't even necessarily have to append money to it either it could be a big Feature Poll that identifies what users want. The innovative have a chance to voice their opinion on what would make the OS better. The users would have a vote as to what features they would like to see. Even without a dollar amount it feels like a big useful idea. With money on the line, hungry CS student's looking for a portfolio and something that matters would be willing to step up to the plate, programming things to help BSD be unique.

Isn't this already happening? I'm missing something, sounds like reinventing the wheel here. Why a student would benefit from the above and not from the model the foundetion is already applying?

[jwele]

The FreeBSD Foundation is here for that.

"There are many on-going projects being worked on by volunteers, companies, etc." It is different than my description. I understand that when you donate you can append a feature request but what I had in mind is that 1->Many users could vote monitarily and have a running bounty for x project. So say I want Intel Pro Wireless XXXX on *BSD. I would go to the site, post what I want and put a $10 donation into the idea. Then whoever else wants it also can put money into the pot. By the end of the year maybe 1k has been raised. If a developer looking for a portfolio or a job because he does not have one that will look pretty appetizing. It would allow software to remain free and developers to get paid for their work.

I wish this is not true at all.

It unfortunately is in some cases true. Developers have to feed themselves. Positive reinforcement is a psychologically proven working method of gaining desired results. Money in this case would be the positive reinforcement.

Isn't this already happening? I'm missing something, sounds like reinventing the wheel here. Why a student would benefit from the above and not from the model the foundetion is already applying?

There are online petitions. One famous one being Silverlight for Linux. I feel though that will alone is not enough. Developers need to justify their costs. Netflix will not pay developers to manufacture something that will not have a return on investment. Microsoft won't open source their technology because they are Microsoft. There are freelance sites but my site will be different. It will allow multiple people to put up money on one project vastly increasing the money payed to a developer looking for a job.

[thnewguy]

It sounds to me like you are describing something like the FOSS Factory. It's a website where people can start projects and people can donate to them. Developers who submit solutions to the project can collect money donated to those projects.

[fluca1978]

I still don't believe that a site like that could give a long term help to the community. The problem is that things to be done must be scheduled also with expert supervisors. Therefore some central-community entity must be there. After that, locking money to a single feature could make the coding of other basic features hard.
However, if you are so convinced of your idea, it is worth discussing it with a few developers and the foundation to see what they think about.