FreeLists / openbeos / [openbeos] Re: Bounties

["Jonas Sundström" <jonas@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

If the project isn't comfortable with bounties, let's try something 
else instead. No system is ever going to
be fair, or be able to match up development supply and demand, so I 
say, lets throw out the build-to-order model and instead see what -gets 
built- and reward that. Like a monthly Nobel prize of Haiku. 

Let's try a fund to which people can donate, from which a monthly cash 
reward (award?) can be given to a developer (or other contributor) 
who's contributed something great (code or otherwise) recently or over 
the years of the project. 

I think it's best done independently from Haiku, so it's not an 
internal peer award. But the fund should probably consult the Haiku 
Admin Team so the rewards given are truly deserved, and so not only 
user-visible or easily understood things get awarded.

It's not going to be fair, especially not on the short-term, but it's a 
way for people to say "thank you", rather than saying "work on this" 
and so putting more pressure on the current developers.

This is probably not going to entice developers outside of BeOS/Haiku 
to join up and port anything huge, like OpenOffice. Which I don't think 
was very likely anyway. I believe the "good vibrations" of a cash 
reward at regular intervals will have a greater effect than the carrot-
effect of a bounty. Awards may get noticed. Outsiders may become 
interested. Who knows.

Code quality won't be hurt by hasty work to snipe a bounty. Current 
developers may feel encouraged to stay committed (unless jealosy 
becomes a problem). It may be easier to administrate, except for 
choosing who/what to reward, pleasing everyone. I'm sure there are 
other arguments for and probably some against too. To me it looks 
simple enough to organize, present, understand and administrate, unlike 
a bounties system. Not that anything involving other people's money is 
ever truly simple.

If Karl or somebody else wants to organize this, we could give the 
first cash reward next month! Wouldn't that be fun?

/Jonas.