[openbeos] Re: "One Hour for Haiku" - Coordinating Voluntary Cash Donors

  • From: "Hugo Santos" <hugosantos@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: openbeos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 01:05:02 +0100

Hi all,

 I've only more recently began working closely with the project so
some of my points can be a bit off. Personally, as a developer i feel
that the more time i have to work on the code the better. So, a strong
and active organization with motivated individuals available to do
most of the non development work would certainly help development
itself.

 However I believe that the will/opinions of the core participants
cannot be neglected as they set forward and evolve the software that
the is the basis of the project itself. But in the recent weeks i've
seen several people, non-developers, which are very passioned about
the project -- which is the primary source of motivation -- and
willing to help more if they the chance. People which i personally
think would be valuable additions to the project.

 We cannot neglect the work Michael Phipps has performed over the
years regarding some of these points, including bringing the project
from scratch and creating and managing the non-profit organization
behind it. However one has limited time to spare, and as the project
grows also do the number of events and dimension Haiku as a project
can be involved with.

 To solve the kind of issues which have been identified, other open
source projects create elected boards that guide both the
non-development aspects of the project as well as the development's
general direction (a part which the admin team assumes right now,
which makes sense). I really think that Haiku could improve from
having such a board, elected by the participants, which would help
relief the burden Michael Phipps has carried over the years. The board
would mostly coordinate and execute administrative work, manage the
funds as well as the image/trademark. Good communication between the
board and the core developers would be an absolute necessity though,
as the development requirements and general associated details
(licensing, etc) are very important.

 Just a thought,
   Hugo

On 4/28/07, Simon Porter <hailstorm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Hi Koki,

Correct me if I'm wrong, Haiku Inc = Micheal Phipps. I am guessing only he
has access to figures such as how much donations has been received and also
what it has been spent on. I did see that there are financial statements for
2004 and 2005. This information could potentially be presented in a more
easily digestible format. Would it be possible to have access to such
information on a more regular basis?

 If that is possible then maybe the next step is to set goals/budget like
you mentioned.

 Regards,

 Simon

 ________________________________

 > Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2007 13:50:02 -0700
> From: koki@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> To: openbeos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [openbeos] Re: "One Hour for Haiku" - Coordinating Voluntary Cash
Donors
>
> Hi Czeslaw,
>
> Czeslaw Czapla wrote:
> > But it would be a mistake to pose these various elaborations as
> > *prerequisites* to implementation of a simple membership donation
> > program like One Hour for Haiku. I must argue that it would be more
> > useful to think -- contrariwise -- of the membership donation program
> > as part of a *foundation* that could ultimately permit greater
> > organizational capabilities and maturity through improved financial
> > wherewithal.
>
> There is already have a *foundation* and it's called Haiku Inc. I am
> just pointing out that this is the one entity that should have been
> driving this kind of effort.
>
> > Keeping it simple, what I am proposing is really just an addition to
> > the Haiku website.
>
> You can surely keep it simple as you propose. However, if you want to
> make a *meaningful* difference in terms of funding (and then more), then
> you need to do something more involved.
>
> People are willing to donate, but they do want see their contributions
> translate into tangible results (or at least results that they can
> relate to). You should start with having some sort of yearly
> *operational budget* (so to call it), with a breakdown of the different
> areas that require funding (admin, legal, advocacy, development, etc.),
> specific goals for the year (ie., move website/Trac to dedicated server,
> trademark Haiku logo(s), hold WC07 in Europe, exhibit at XXX Expo and
> YYY Conference, sponsor development workshop, hire X number of for X
> months, etc. etc.), and target numbers for each area that people can
> donate against. A donation drive can be announced, and scale showing how
> much has been raised so far against the total target could be shown in
> the website front page. Finally, for transparency purposes, you need
> some sort of periodic financial reporting showing where the money has
> actually been spent.
>
> As a desirable side effect, the above exercise would also help project
> some sort of direction of where Haiku is headed as a project (not the
> OS), making it more compelling by inspiring the sort of confidence that
> makes people more comfortable with entertaining the idea of making a
> monetary donation that they consider worthy.
>
> All of the above can only be done with the *proactive* involvement of
> Haiku Inc. and the endorsement of the core devs (admins). I realize this
> is quite involved, but then, so is the work of the many contributors to
> Haiku, and you don't see developers/etc. complaining because they spend
> their time on Haiku. I am not a dev and I certainly don't speak for
> them. But when I contribute to the project, I know that I would expect
> this sort of reciprocity from the entity that I am giving the copyright
> of my work to.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Koki
>
>


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