 I had an interesting idea for PubKit, I do want to open source the code but I'd also like to get some funding/donations while keeping the service free. The idea is to set a goal, say $15,000 of donations to reach before the source code is published, basically incentivizing the release by a set monetary goal. Wdyt? 10 comments
@dansup I think it would be a good idea to just open source pubkit, those who want to support you will support you. I think this sort of "donate and I'll publish the source" kind of goes against what open source stands for, but hey you do you, everyone wants that bag. @dansup I like this idea; I think you’ll find that adoption correlates with free open source though. Perhaps keep the source open & free, but share your roadmap with ideal donation amounts for items on your roadmap that correspond to effort/costs. Like “code is at this milestone” and “funded up to this milestone” (to show whether you’ve been underfunded for your efforts, or if the community has been generous) (You should subtract any running costs too!)  @dansup that's 100% legit. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Just because its FLOSS doesn't mean you have to work for free. If the donation goal is not reached, it means people don't care. @dansup this can be a service for enterprise. look at the penpot model and maybe ask those folks how they are doing. keeping it open source while implementing donation milestones is also nicer than keeping hostage the code you already wrote. this also enables contributions to the project.  @dansup go for it! You have every right to solicit fair compensation for your hard work. Self-imposed poverty is in no way a part of the open source ethos. Anyone who thinks otherwise needs to understand that the open source code we all love and appreciate will only keep coming as long as the people writing it are housed, fed and healthy. @dansup Your work has (tons of) value. Service is free, you've done a lot for the community. "Love" doesn't pay the bills, though. You deserve to be funded. I believe the main problem is communication. How to say that in a way that doesn't hurt feelings, and make people realize you want to do better, but have a 24x7 limit + bills + social life is a constraint. As someone who will use PubKit for personal use, count on me to my humble money contribution on that.   @dansup Have a look at the #sponsorware model of MkDocs and mkdocstrings Also the #DelayedOpenSource of Sentry, with maybe a payment option for immediate open source access There are many schemes. What will surely burn you out is expecting people (let alone corporations) to "do the right thing" and then realizing they won't (in big enough numbers) |
Gregory's Server
I could go in another direction and monetize the service with a simple open source counterpart.
Or just open source it and hope for sponsors for the website, I'd be okay with this and tbh this is the most ideal option for the fediverse.