[haiku] Re: Haiku Inc: Proposed Annual Budget
- From: Ingo Weinhold <ingo_weinhold@xxxxxx>
- To: haiku@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:14:31 +0100
On 2009-11-24 at 00:07:11 [+0100], Niels Reedijk <niels.reedijk@xxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
> 2009/11/23 Matt Madia <mattmadia@xxxxxxxxx>:
> > On Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 17:30, Stephan Assmus <superstippi@xxxxxx> wrote:
> >> Should we come up with a prioritized list of tasks and then collectively
> >> decide who would be our best guy among the willing devs (as potential for
> >> awkwardness, though)? Or should each dev make one or more project
> >> proposals
> >> and then everyone gets to vote on these?
> >>
> >
> > Personally, I believe individuals should formally submit project
> > proposals. After all, they are essentially applying for contract work.
> >
> > I even drafted a basic process at
> > http://dev.haiku-os.org/wiki/WorkInProgress/RequestFunding#Employment
>
> Honestly, I dislike the idea that Haiku Inc. would fund developers. I
> find it disrespectful for the developers that put in countless man
> hours to work for free, as well as for the less sexy positions like
> web designers, translators, documentation writers and yes, I am
> biased, system admins who do necessary but less visible work.
>
> I think it is a violation of the basic principle that Haiku Inc. does
> not interfere with the direction the project is taking. I know we have
> HCD, but I think that's different, as it has a dedicated funding
> mechanism, so I see Haiku Inc. only as managing the money, not as
> agents. This changes when the board has to decide how unmarked cash is
> divided over individuals that get paid for things others are doing for
> free. It is like the lottery. The acceptable alternative would be
> earmarked funding for developers, but there is already a system for
> that: the bounties at Haikuware.
Which is a nice idea, but IMHO simply doesn't work that well. The money that
has been handed out so far was nowhere close to compensate for the time
invested in the projects. So for a developer tackling a project it's merely a
bonus for a project he/she would do anyway, but probably not actually buying
developer time.
> And making it 'democratic' would not make a difference. You are asking
> a group of unpaid volunteers to vote for who in their midst gets paid
> for the same work they do for the honour. It serves no purpose except
> creating spite among the devs.
The purpose is to buy developer time that would otherwise be lost to Haiku.
Admittedly that doesn't apply to full time employees, but there are quite a
few freelancers among the developers, who do sell their time for money to
make a living. Money invested here would actually add developer time.
> Funding for development should stay where it is now: at companies
> sponsoring developers to do paid work on Haiku for whatever reason,
ATM there aren't many companies out there that do such a thing. And until we
a a final, stable release that probably won't change. Not that I think that
thereafter Haiku will be particularly attractive to companies either -- I'd
love to be proven wrong, though.
> or
> at community driven fund raising where Haiku Inc. should at most play
> a money-managing role.
Well, until that is about serious money, this will at best a steering effect,
IMHO.
CU, Ingo
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