The 'Everyone Gets the Source Code, Donations Get You Binaries' Software Model 341
TroysBucket writes "One developer who is trying to fund his development work via donations has taken on an 'Everyone gets the source code, donations get you binaries' business model, where he provides installers and binaries directly only to donating users. Quoting: 'A very central goal of everything I am doing, right now, is to show a concrete [and highly documented] way that other developers can fund their own FOSS work. With that in mind One major mistake I made, right off the bat, was that I provided very little direct benefit to people who donate (no “perks”).' Has anyone seen this work well before with other projects?"
Re:One caveat. (Score:5, Informative)
He says in the post that others can do this and that he has no problem with it.
Re:One caveat. (Score:5, Informative)
He know, he's fine with it. From TFA:
"Now. You'll note that all of this software is GPL'd. Which means any Tom, Dick or Harry (or any other awesome name) can build their own binaries and distribute it on their website or repository. And I have absolutely no problem with that. None whatsoever."
Re:One caveat. (Score:3, Informative)
But that's wrong. So wrong that you failed to read this:
>Now. Youâ(TM)ll note that all of this software is GPLâ(TM)d. Which means any Tom, Dick or Harry (or any other awesome name) can build their own binaries and distribute it on their website or repository. And I have absolutely no problem with that. None whatsoever.
>modded informative
And the moderator was wrong too.
--
BMO
Re:One caveat. (Score:5, Informative)
Donation? (Score:5, Informative)
I don't have a problem with this business model - it seems interesting and I hope it works.
However, I hate it when people use the word "donation" to mean a mandatory payment. A donation is a voluntary gift.
Re:Works for RHEL (Score:4, Informative)
Re:One caveat. (Score:5, Informative)
AND, if you give them @OpenBSD money, they print your name on the CD cover, which makes you look Super Cool!!!
PyMol (Score:4, Informative)
PyMol does this and its the de-facto standard in protein structure visualisation
Re:One caveat. (Score:5, Informative)
Sorry, I meant not the cover, the booklet. Don't want to mislead anyone aiming Super Cool status.
Re:One caveat. (Score:5, Informative)
In GPLv2 (perhaps not GPLv3) you can have the program open source, but keep the build scripts to yourself.
I'm glad you took the time to read the GPL before commenting: