Submitted by “Imagine the following situation: a collection of computer users draw up a wishlist of software they’d really like to see developed. These end users then begin to donate money to projects that they’d individually like to see appear. A programmer then goes about creating an item from the list that has donations attached to it. Once the project is complete and enough money has been raised, the author can collect the cash and release the software. Finished code is withheld until enough money has been donated. It’s worked for other operating systems, but can it work for RISC OS?”
operating systems has it worked with..?!
To use Thom’s favorite OS as an example (kidding Thom), SkyOS has been holding a software randsom for a while now, and they’ve gotten a couple of neat software packages out because of it. Here is the site.
http://www.skyos.org/?q=node/5
Why was the parent post modded down? That was a perfectly ok question to ask…strange.
I’d suggest it was modded down because the answer to the question is in the linked Drobe.co.uk article.
e.g. AROS and MorphOS have Bounty-Systems with quite nice results…
I’m holding a few interactive video art installations ransom at
http://pippin.gimp.org/lost_in_time/
The most peculiar thing about that ransom project is probably the discounts given to social code liberators.
Fascinating link.
I think this will catch on. Just searching for “code bounties” I found several projects that benefited from Google’s Summer of Code.
Also,Shuttleworth laid out 100,000 USD last year:
http://www.markshuttleworth.com/bounty.html
for Ubuntu bounties:
http://www.ubuntulinux.org/community/bounties/
As I see it, holding software ransom means that the software already exist. A bounty is an offer for someone to implement the code.
[i]Here are some software projects for which I’m prepared to pay a bounty. You’ll have to submit a proposal and some references, if you want an advance on the bounty. My budget for these bounties in 2004 is USD 100,000. I’m open to proposals for projects that will further the goals laid out below.<i/>
Wow, they put their project specs out and programmers tell them how much money they want to do it along with their references and credentials. Throw in a couple million insurance you’ll have exactly the way contract programmers have made a living since the epoch. Well except they call your check a, “bounty”, and there’s no bonus or percs.
[i]I’m open to requests for funding work that needs to be done to make Python the most widespread common scripting language on the net.<i/>
They sure aren’t helping anyone.
What’s different with it ? If I say I’d like a piece of software developped, and have a significant budget for it, I can invite companies to tender for the budget.
It’s a good idea. It has worked for decades in the software industry.
That’s half of it, but whilst tendering works at the developer end, code ransom works at the user end as well.
In other words, it’s the comminity of users who choose which projects get the most money, through individuals each donating small amounts.
This is different from your average tender, where it’s just one organisatoin with all of the money offering it up to potential developers. Moreover the tender model simply may not be viable in a small or FOSS market.
That’s a difference, isn’t it?
Yep, I think you are right. It’s a syndicated tender.
Ah! I see you’re also right: it is a reinvention of an old idea.
I agree that it’s still a good idea though.
It was to be ported to linux… the guy sold the project and it became commercial ware that did not support linux.
Out of curiosity, do you have any links concerning this? A project name?