Re: [Fsfe-uk] UKFSN makes a profit

[Mike Taylor]

> Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2003 09:53:01 +0100
> From: Marc Eberhard <address@hidden>
> 
> This good news obviously raises another very interesting question,
> we have completely ignored so far... what are we going to do with
> the money? I think, it's the right time now to start this discussion
> to give everyone time to think about it and to collect ideas.
> 
> I can see at least two possible options:
> 
> - We could choose a project in need and invest directly into resources for
>   this project (be it hardware or programming time). This way we could make
>   a direct impact on increasing the amount of free software available. It
>   could be handled in a kind of application / grant approach. Any project
>   could apply for money and we would have to set up some board to decide
>   about the priority / amount for each individual project.
> 
> - Or we collect the money and reward a few projects once a year with a
>   prize. That would of course be done in a way, that it provides both
>   PR for us, the project and UKFSN. Again some board would be needed to
>   select the projects and some rules would be needed for suggesting a
>   project for an award.

My vote goes to number two.  I doubt that, in the short term at least,
UKFSN is going to make anywhere near enough profit to fund, say, one
full-time developer, so there's not _that_ much this money can do in
terms of up-front funding.  But _any_ unlooked-for prize is always
extremely welcome -- not to mention that it generates much, much more
publicity.

Consider it this way: one full-time free software programmer on a
salary of £12k => one disillusioned developer; one £1000 prize per
month to someone who didn't expect it, publicised in all the right
places => a dozen happy developers every year, and lots of press.

 _/|_    _______________________________________________________________
/o ) \/  Mike Taylor  <address@hidden>  http://www.miketaylor.org.uk
)_v__/\  "What a senseless waste of human life" -- _Cheese Shop_
         sketch, Monty Python's Flying Circus.

--
Listen to my wife's new CD of kids' music, _Child's Play_, at
        http://www.pipedreaming.org.uk/childsplay/