[openbeos] Re: hiring programmers
- From: "Donovan Schulteis" <deej@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: openbeos@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 07 Feb 2003 17:53:14 +0000
>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
Other related posts:
