On 2/22/13 6:00 AM, Louis Suárez-Potts wrote: > Hi, > > On 13-02-21, at 20:58 , Rob Weir <robw...@apache.org> wrote: > >> http://www.techdrivein.com/2012/12/top-5-kickstarter-crowdfunding-alternatives-opensource-software.html >> >> It would be interesting to consider to what degree a service like this >> can be used by the broader AOO community. >> >> Maybe one way to think of it is this: >> >> -- We are currently comfortable have a webpage listing consults who >> offer services to users related to OpenOffice. We don't endorse them, >> and all transactions are between the consultants and their customers. >> The ASF is not involved. >> >> -- It would be analogous to offer a similar link to a crowd-funding >> website, with no endorsement, but as a service to the ecosystem. >> Also, all transactions are between the developers and the users. The >> ASF is not involved. >> >> Thoughts? Does anyone have experience with services like these? >> >> -Rob > > Two responses. > > 1. Early in OOo I had the idea of listing developers as you describe. This > was about 2002 or so, and the market was fairly young, but there was > definitely potential. The issue was that our extensions market was very > undeveloped then. It has grown a lot since. But at the time, little was done > in this way, though I set up several avenues with then-current dev. sites. > > Why are extensions useful, as a means of community expansion and ecosystem > development? Because as we have long known, working on extensions is likely > easier for most than other elements of the code; extensions, one can > speculate, probably demand less mentoring than so-called core development. As > we've long known, expanding the community via extensions/add-ons is a quick > and efficient way to do it—and it's a pattern that several other large > projects follow. > > In terms of the actual mechanisms… I can point to several but within Apache? > Or outside? And I can query directly on the Foss lists. (/louis waves at all > those who may read this who are also subscribed to those lists I refer to.) > > > 2. I hesitate to once again introduce the discussion about establishing a > marketing effort outside of Apache (or not) that could also be funded by the > kindness of crowds, if not strangers. Briefly, I think being as local as one > can be offers a solution, so that all that a "central" Apache OO would > provide would be the consensual message of our value as a project within > Apache and the value of the application. > > louis >
the OSBA does exactly something like this with their initiative to organize and sponsor a development project for OOXML improvement. A project description, a public call for bids, a selection, contracts and go. Ok the point that this project were not optimal from a OpenOffice perspective is a different story. But the example have shown that it can work and everybody can start doing it. Juergen
