paying for Han-Wen's development work

[Mark Van den Borre]

> Han-Wen Nienhuys <address@hidden> writes:
> 
> > 20000 downloads of the 2.6 release
> 
> wouldn't be nice if each one donated $1? :-)
> 
> >  1. apart from the "involved" people like you,  how do you convince 
> > people to donate money?[...] Psychologically, it's much easier to part with 
> > money, if you get 
> > something in return.
This is not about donating. It's about investing.

> >  2. getting donations will create a tension between sponsored features 
> > and unsponsored work.
[...]
> > I would be much more comfortable if a campaign is set up to amass money 
> > for sponsored features. For example, I could post a "dynamics 
> > improvement project" with specs and a price-tag and people can then 
> > contribute. When the price target is met, I start working, and collect 
> > the cash once its done.
This creates unnecessary overhead cost. Han-Wen has proven himself
extensively already. No need for this kind of "if you implement feature
x, I'll pay amount y".

Han-Wen needs a stable income for working on LilyPond. Potential sources
of income are stable (monthly stakeholder investments and wages) or
unstable (one time stakeholder investments). Stable sources are the most
interesting, obviously. For the unstable ones, a buffer is needed.

An idea. (Don't mind the numbers)

Imagine we can find 12 (small groups of) people willing to take
responsibility each for one month's worth of Han-Wen's wage, say €2000.
The idea is that each of these fills up one monhtly jar. If successful,
no need for personal contributions from these people. If not, they
donate out of their own pocket what is needed to fill their personal
responsibility of €2000. In other words, 12 (groups of) people
personally guarantee Han-Wen a minimum monthly income for 12 months.

All 12 would be forced to look at possible sources of income creatively.
Identifying stakeholders, calling them, visiting them, getting them to
invest. If I look at myself in privileged western Europe, I could
probably:
* set aside €1500 for the worst case scenario
* convince two or three friends and colleagues to invest €10 a month
* extract say €120 LilyPond license money from some of the 100+ public
music schools in Flanders (northern part of Belgium)
* get a friend to split the responsibility if I don't succeed at filling
my jar
* contact people at the musicology departments of BE universities
? get Han-Wen employed at one or more of the 100+ public music schools
in Flanders for a few hours a week
* get the music shop where I buy my guitars to buy a LilyPond license

Just my €.02.

Mark
-- 
Mark Van den Borre
Noormannenstraat 113
3000 Leuven, België
+32 486 961726