On 29/03/2012 09:53, Fabrizio Tappero wrote: > Hello guys, > is money coming from companies the only way an open-source project can > be financed with? > > Regards > Fabrizio > > > On Thu, Mar 29, 2012 at 10:13 AM, Miguel Angel Ajo Pelayo > <miguelan...@nbee.es> wrote: >> Hi Dick, I find good that you share all this with the project so clearly. >> >> As far as I understand (please correct me if I'm wrong) we must be seeking >> for a project maintainer, and better if it gets funded from some >> corporation >> (that would be the best situation). >> >> In our case, we're such a little company (2 people) that we're already >> doing >> more than we can with the scripting, which I'm happy to do it in the >> weekends, >> and eventually we'll have something stable and nice to include in KiCad at >> the right time. >> >> If I could help in handling the contributed patches, I'd step to the front, >> but I >> still don't find confident enough about the internal architecture of Kicad >> (just >> to know if something will work or just will cause trouble...). And also, in >> our current >> situation we have a very bad lack of man/hours in our little company. >> >> >> Something ideal could be to find a set of companies or corporations >> interested in >> economically funding kicad (or "kicad foundation") and make things from >> there. But this could be complicated at this time I think. Any ideas? >> >> It's good to know that SoftPLC is interested in offering paid support for >> other companies, >> because that's something that builds trust about other companies that could >> be interested in working with kicad (companies that may end funding..) >> >> Sincerely, >> Mike >> >> 2012/3/29 Dick Hollenbeck <d...@softplc.com> >>> It is my fear that the KiCad project has or will soon hit a ceiling with >>> regard to >>> graceful growth. I fear that without additional corporate funding and >>> full time >>> coordination of incoming patches, that this ceiling will become very >>> visible in the near >>> future. >>> >>> For the last year, I have been a proponent of building in the kinds of >>> features which >>> would appeal to corporate/institutional users. The reason is that >>> corporate users have >>> access to funding, in one form or another. Hobbyists cannot propel this >>> project beyond >>> the near term project structural ceiling that I am forewarning about. >>> >>> >>> This will be a fairly difficult growth spasm to overcome for the project. >>> Just >>> contributing more patches will only overwhelm a part time organizer/sifter >>> of such patches. >>> >>> >>> Linus Torvalds does not work on Linux using his own money, even though he >>> originally did. >>> There are certain milestones to be expected as a project grows beyond a >>> single person. >>> Not all projects are destined to succeed with passage beyond each >>> milestone. >>> >>> >>> In each of your little contributions of ideas, strategy, and heave forbid, >>> genuinely >>> tangible contributions, please remember what I am saying. The hobbyist >>> who says his >>> screen is not big enough may not be as important as the corporate user, >>> such as CERN, who >>> says they will use it if and when it does XYZ. >>> >>> >>> This month, for the first time, one developer received several thousand >>> dollars in funding >>> for specific features which were agreed to and requested by a "corporate >>> like" funder. >>> This is a step in the right direction. But let me emphasize that it came >>> about because we >>> listened closely to the corporate user. >>> >>> >>> Related to this, without intent to make matters worse, SoftPLC Corporation >>> has decided >>> today that it will no longer fund the fixing of bugs, nor offer any more >>> free support. I >>> can be hired to fix bugs and offer support, but won't do it for free >>> anymore. >>> >>> >>> To the extent possible, SoftPLC Corporation *will continue* to fund only >>> development of >>> *new* code. This means no bug fixing, nor support. Since I am often the >>> guy who answers >>> an initial knock on the door on this mailing list, I think somebody better >>> plan on >>> stepping up and filling that role immediately. >>> >>> >>> I hope that KiCad can smash through the structural ceiling that I forewarn >>> about, but this >>> is definitely not a certainty. >>> >>> Best regards, >>> >>> Dick >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers >>> Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net >>> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers >>> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> >> >> >> -- >> >> Miguel Angel Ajo Pelayo >> http://www.nbee.es >> +34 636 52 25 69 >> skype: ajoajoajo >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers >> Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net >> Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers >> More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp >> > _______________________________________________ > Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers > Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net > Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers > More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp > It would be great if something similar to the way Blender is funded could be formed
http://www.blender.org/blenderorg/blender-foundation/ This would be the gold standard in my opinion. David. _______________________________________________ Mailing list: https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers Post to : kicad-developers@lists.launchpad.net Unsubscribe : https://launchpad.net/~kicad-developers More help : https://help.launchpad.net/ListHelp
