FreeLists / openbeos / [openbeos] Re: hiring programmers

["Donovan Schulteis" <deej@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>Alternatively take this up with BeUnited which aims to do 
>exactly this kind of thing.

Thank you Charlie.  :)

This is exactly what our plans are, once donations were coming in (or 
membership fees - someday both).

As an example, to complete (or rather restart) work on BeWINE, beunited 
is awaiting the kernel and network components of OpenBeOS.  Once we 
could drop those into a distro (say, PE), we can continue work there.  

We'd take funds raised, and "contract" programmers to finish those parts 
we require.  What do we require?  Components to facilitate our own 
applications.  Drivers to support "Recommended Systems".  Applications 
themselves.  How do we determine what is required?  Well, if it's 
holding back work on our own projects, then it's required.  If there is 
sufficient demand by our members (applications or drivers), it's 
required.  Etc., etc.

Other companies, such as yellowTab, could easily do the same.  

OpenBeOS needs to be an organization with a taxID number and all to 
accept any donations, and it will be soon enough.   (beunited is 
mid-process on that, we are awaiting that ID number).  This could easily 
work for an OpenBeOS code bounty type of setup.  beunited.org could 
simply donate to the code bounty.

But aside that, we can directly contract programmers to work on specific 
parts.  Legal contracts, with legal deadlines, requirements, etc - and 
pay.  :)  Obviously, we'd want to contract those already doing it - to 
provide more incentive to them to work harder/faster.  ;)  We do not 
want to forget those that have already put so much into it, you know.  
:)

But we could also look outside the community and contract someone really 
strong in kernel work to complete x part of it for the OBOS teams.  Or 
someone to work under Marcus, or Axel, helping them finish what they 
need finished.  Or we could contract someone to work "for" beunited.org 
to move the Java or OpenOffice ports along faster.

Obviously, this requires money coming in.  And obviously, that is slow 
in starting.  We'd like to go to companies (big companies) and ask them 
for a tax write-off donation.  But it helps to have something to show 
them first.  So, it takes time to get the ball rolling.  We'd like to 
charge members for subscriptions, but we need something of greater value 
to deliver to them in return.

And to address concerns with memberships - which I know will come up, 
since I mentioned it above... several times.

beunited.org will charge members a per year fee.  It will be very low.  
It will provide the beunited.org distro + applications.  The 
beunited.org distro may or may not be some or all of OpenBeOS itself, 
and it may or may not have modified parts (also open, and submitted back 
to OpenBeOS Org itself).  But this requires our own developers, and all 
of which that are capable seem to be quite occupied with getting 
OpenBeOS R1 out the door - which is a very good thing, mind you.  :)

This membership subscription is aside the free download we will provide 
of a pre-compiled, unchanged, unmodified version of the OpenBeOS CVS 
(what I like to call OpenBeOS RP - Reference Platform).  We will still 
offer that for free to anyone, via download, or cost of CD+S&H.  The 
memberships support funding, which, in turn gets put straight into 
development efforts - ours, OpenBeOS's, or elsewhere (third party, 
drivers, etc).

There will be other member benefits available as we can provide them, of 
course, but a complete distro is the major one.  We'd like to offer 
special deals through other supporting companies where members get 5 or 
10% off purchases with them, etc.  We'd like to offer members an "at 
cost" magazine subscription to the OpenBeOS Times (or whatever).  But 
first things first - we need an OS to preceed all that.

I hope that helps clear up some things about funding and what 
beunited.org has planned to facilitate OpenBeOS developers.  :)

Any further questions, either email myself, Paul Ashford (Director 
Developer Relations) or Simon Gauvins (President) - and please keep the thread 
minimal here.  :)

Deej