Re: [libreplanet-discuss] rewards for crowdfunding Free Software projects

[Aaron Wolf]

This whole issue is complex, and it relates to what we're trying to do
with Snowdrift.coop — we are making a system more specifically designed
for the challenges faced by free/libre/open projects.

Here's our run-down of why these reward-focused campaigns are ill-fit:
https://snowdrift.coop/p/snowdrift/w/en/threshold-systems

But anyway, we aren't operating yet (although we're working hard to get
there). We ran our own one-off drive and continue accepting regular
donations during our pre-launch phase. We did thanks, stickers,
sponsored-commits, shirts, that sort of thing. It's a lot of work and
hassle and we have to think of the whole thing as publicity value as
much as money because the costs and hassle of this type of fundraising
are substantial…

Cheers

On 12/20/2015 10:41 AM, Andrés Muñiz Piniella wrote:
> El 20 de diciembre de 2015 18:15:59 GMT+00:00, Daniel Pocock 
> <daniel@pocock.pro> escribió:
>>
>>
>> A lot of crowdfunding sites emphasize giving some rewards back to
>> donors.
>>
>> While most developers would rather just get on with coding, the
>> rewards,
>> small things like T-shirts and bigger things too, are hard to avoid.
>>
>> Has anybody looked at this in detail?  Does anybody have any ideas
>> about
>> what type of strategy to use with rewards, especially for software
>> projects?
>>
> 
> I had a thank you mention in the code(I think?), a postcard and a T-Shirt 
> from gnumediagoblin. I think that was equivalent to 3 different levels, each 
> higher in price. I think for larger donations there was even limited edition 
> Sculptures.
> 
> I don't know if that answers the question.
> 
> 
>> Obviously, the best reward is finishing the project itself.  Unlike
>> other types of crowdfunding projects, software projects typically end
>> up
>> open sourcing everything they produce so everybody is automatically
>> getting a copy of that work, regardless of how much money they
>> contributed or any other rewards that entitles them too.  This is a big
>> distinction from projects like films or comic books or hardware
>> products
>> funded by crowdsourcing.
> 
> gnuMediaGoblin is still going. But I don't think it will be finished as there 
> is a lot of things being added to it.
> 
> 

-- 
Aaron Wolf
co-founder, Snowdrift.coop
music teacher, wolftune.com