Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2004 21:45:25 -0600 From: Ryan Sommers <ryans@gamersimpact.com> To: Nick Rogness <nick@rogness.net> Cc: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Where is FreeBSD going? Message-ID: <1073533525.650.59.camel@localhost> In-Reply-To: <Pine.LNX.4.44.0401071837230.14210-100000@skywalker.rogness.net> References: <Pine.LNX.4.44.0401071837230.14210-100000@skywalker.rogness.net>
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On Wed, 2004-01-07 at 20:29, Nick Rogness wrote: > 1) Allow for paid development for a specific bug/feature > > - Setup some program that allows users like myself to pay for a > developers time to fix a specific bug. The company I work for > would easily pay serious dollars to fix our SMP problems with 4.X. > Unfortunetly, getting someone's attention that has a great > understanding of the OS is hard to find without rude remarks and > what-not. > > You could even extend it as far as saying we will promote this PR > to the top of the list of tasks if you pay us XX dollars. Or > maybe, the more you pay the higher you go. > > This would reassure the user base that things CAN get done if > needed and also let the developer/bug fixer feel like they can > make money and have some fun. It will also bring in money for the > project as part of that money could go back into the Project. > > You could easily setup a "pool" mailling list (like -requests) > which someone like myself would email a request with the problem > description (or PR). If a developer is interested in tackling the > problem for money, we could privately negotiate a price. > > The same can be done for driver development and others. Make it a > "Donation for a specific request". I don't want to give money to > some Foundation where money can be thrown around in the wrong > areas. I want to pay the developer personally for their efforts. > ( I feel the same should be done with our taxes as well ;-) > I really don't like the idea of making this a "policy," or even some official part of the project. I think this might discourage some from contributing in hopes to be paid for it. I think a better solution for companies looking for this would be to post to the jobs@ mailing list noting that it is a temp job. I don't think giving priority to paying entities is a path the project should tread down. If someone needs FreeBSD developer work they should look for someone to hire. Something like this might also jeopardize the project's "not for profit" status. I think the jobs@ mailing list would be a better start. (I'm going to be looking for a full time job in about 11 months and if I got one where I got to code/administer BSD I'd feel I was in Heaven.) :-) > > 2) Setup a mailling list for just new developer questions. This would be a great idea, however, it might be something the hackers@ list was originally intended for. Unfortunately I think no matter what list you create there will always be those feelings and people that will speak like that. People just have to remember that although it may sound as if someone is ridiculing them it might not be there intention. The Internet is a rather flat medium for communicating emotion. > > 3) Simple but time consuming requests from developers > > - Isn't it possible to have developers pass off some of > their simple tasks to others? Think of it like a "pet dog". > Your dog may be able fetch your newspaper but he couldn't read it. > Still fetching the newspaper takes time! > > The requests I see are usually Jr. kernel type requests. > Everyone wants to contribute at the kernel level but that takes > a lot of knowhow and experience working with fbsd's kernel. Let > users get involved with simple (stupid) tasks which are time > consuming. Now define "simple"... > Again, I think a JKH (Junior Kernel Hacker) list (like the one PHK had for awhile) would be a great addition. I'll even volunteer to maintain it if developers were willing to help me by providing these small "projects" for people to work on. As someone attempting to join the ranks of people in the "Submitted by:" log lines this is one of the hardest things for me to do is find something I can work on. I think this might be some duplication of the PR database; some PRs are things that could be accomplished without too much skill. I think the trouble though is wading through to find these specific issues. Perhaps such a list could contain cross-references to the PR db. -- Ryan Sommers ryans@gamersimpact.com
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