Crowd funding.....
17 Feb 2012 02:28 - 17 Feb 2012 02:31 #17746
by justin
Crowd funding..... was created by justin
Most likely a bad idea, but I wonder if something like this could have any place in an open source project:
Imagine I could come to a linuxcnc page where I can request a feature. However, instead of just a request I also pledge a certain amount of money for the developer(s) who work on it.
Just taking an idea from my last post, I would like to see a parameter added to Linuxcnc so that I can specify exactly what happens when the control reads and M1 code (coolant turns off, spindle stops, etc). I would gladly pay say $100 to have it. Then another user comes along and agrees so pledges $20 etc. Eventually there might be enough cash to motivate someone to do it.
There would be a huge amount of issues that this would create with control and direction of programs, and would be difficult to fairly implement. Is there anywhere similar things are being done? I imagine so.
Any one have thoughts?
Imagine I could come to a linuxcnc page where I can request a feature. However, instead of just a request I also pledge a certain amount of money for the developer(s) who work on it.
Just taking an idea from my last post, I would like to see a parameter added to Linuxcnc so that I can specify exactly what happens when the control reads and M1 code (coolant turns off, spindle stops, etc). I would gladly pay say $100 to have it. Then another user comes along and agrees so pledges $20 etc. Eventually there might be enough cash to motivate someone to do it.
There would be a huge amount of issues that this would create with control and direction of programs, and would be difficult to fairly implement. Is there anywhere similar things are being done? I imagine so.
Any one have thoughts?
Last edit: 17 Feb 2012 02:31 by justin.
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17 Feb 2012 12:50 #17754
by Dropout
Replied by Dropout on topic Re:Crowd funding.....
This idea may have merit.
There is a trend these days for research projects to go up for bid rather than companies doing them in house. A ex-senior Proctor and Gamble exec is running a company that does this. (check out "Mavericks at Work" for more on this idea").
The idea as I see it, would be to post a task or idea and let people bid on the solution.
If done right, it could open up LinuxCNC to a whole new level of users who don't have the programming skills to handle it themselves.
There is a trend these days for research projects to go up for bid rather than companies doing them in house. A ex-senior Proctor and Gamble exec is running a company that does this. (check out "Mavericks at Work" for more on this idea").
The idea as I see it, would be to post a task or idea and let people bid on the solution.
If done right, it could open up LinuxCNC to a whole new level of users who don't have the programming skills to handle it themselves.
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17 Feb 2012 14:15 #17758
by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic Re:Crowd funding.....
justin wrote:
It might work, but I can see reasons that it might not.
I don't think any of the current developers are particularly motivated by money. They seem to code for fun, and adding money and deadlines removes the fun.
So, you would be hoping to buy the time of someone who is not a current developer. Unfortunately LinuxCNC is a rather large (and not at all well designed) piece of software, and it would take someone new several weeks to understand the code well enough make the changes, and would have to persuade someone with existing push-access that the changes were tested and safe. I suspect that anyone who wanted to work for money would balk at the time investment.
However, if you are happy to run your own unique version of LinuxCNC (and to patch it yourself if you upgrade versions) then it might be possible to do what you suggest already.
You could post a request at, for example, www.vworker.com/ and see if anyone is willing to make the mods for you.
Having said that, what you suggest does seem an entirely reasonable feature.
Imagine I could come to a linuxcnc page where I can request a feature. However, instead of just a request I also pledge a certain amount of money for the developer(s) who work on it.
It might work, but I can see reasons that it might not.
I don't think any of the current developers are particularly motivated by money. They seem to code for fun, and adding money and deadlines removes the fun.
So, you would be hoping to buy the time of someone who is not a current developer. Unfortunately LinuxCNC is a rather large (and not at all well designed) piece of software, and it would take someone new several weeks to understand the code well enough make the changes, and would have to persuade someone with existing push-access that the changes were tested and safe. I suspect that anyone who wanted to work for money would balk at the time investment.
However, if you are happy to run your own unique version of LinuxCNC (and to patch it yourself if you upgrade versions) then it might be possible to do what you suggest already.
You could post a request at, for example, www.vworker.com/ and see if anyone is willing to make the mods for you.
Having said that, what you suggest does seem an entirely reasonable feature.
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17 Feb 2012 19:09 #17769
by doug6949
Replied by doug6949 on topic Re:Crowd funding.....
As someone who wouldn't hesitate to invest money into some changes, I must admit I still think it is a bad idea. The development team has steadfastly resisted "democracy" for very good reasons. The result is slow, methodical improvement of a package that now closely represents industry standards.
Mach3 is a perfect example of the democratic approach to software development. The voting body (back when votes mattered) was a customer base incapable of understanding the consequences of their actions. Then the lobbyists gained control; in this case, the many board builders offering products as unsafe and unorthodox as the software itself.
I think LinuxEMC is one place where we need to trust our leaders to make the decisions.
Doug
Any similarities between the above statements and current world events are purely coincidental. 
Mach3 is a perfect example of the democratic approach to software development. The voting body (back when votes mattered) was a customer base incapable of understanding the consequences of their actions. Then the lobbyists gained control; in this case, the many board builders offering products as unsafe and unorthodox as the software itself.
I think LinuxEMC is one place where we need to trust our leaders to make the decisions.
Doug
Any similarities between the above statements and current world events are purely coincidental. Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
18 Feb 2012 09:12 #17784
by Rick G
Replied by Rick G on topic Re:Crowd funding.....
Like Andy I believe that most people involved with LinuxCNC do it for the fun and the challenge and invest a great deal of their time improving the product and helping others in several different areas.
Trying to add a more commercial element to the project will most likely reduce the number of people willing to freely invest their time.
This makes more sense to me, If you need specific changes and are willing to pay for them you can have that done commercially on your own unique version, (one of the great things about open source) all without trying to steer the entire project in a different direction.
Rick G
Trying to add a more commercial element to the project will most likely reduce the number of people willing to freely invest their time.
However, if you are happy to run your own unique version of LinuxCNC (and to patch it yourself if you upgrade versions) then it might be possible to do what you suggest already.
You could post a request at, for example, www.vworker.com/ and see if anyone is willing to make the mods for you.
This makes more sense to me, If you need specific changes and are willing to pay for them you can have that done commercially on your own unique version, (one of the great things about open source) all without trying to steer the entire project in a different direction.
Rick G
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19 Feb 2012 20:31 #17843
by justin
Replied by justin on topic Re:Crowd funding.....
I agree that money could steer an open source project in the wrong direction. It would however make me feel less guilty requesting features that I don't have the knowledge to work on myself! I come to the project as a end user of cnc machines....not much more. Maybe it is time to learn...
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19 Feb 2012 21:56 #17847
by andypugh
Replied by andypugh on topic Re:Crowd funding.....
justin wrote:
I think Michael might be able to add M1 to the list of re-mappable codes, so you could over-write M1 with your preferred behaviour.
The only difficulty would lie in writing G-code which can read the current state f spindle and coolant in order to re-enable them correctly, though section 17 makes it look easier than I thought.
www.linuxcnc.org/docview/devel/html/remap/structure.html
I agree that money could steer an open source project in the wrong direction. It would however make me feel less guilty requesting features that I don't have the knowledge to work on myself! .
I think Michael might be able to add M1 to the list of re-mappable codes, so you could over-write M1 with your preferred behaviour.
The only difficulty would lie in writing G-code which can read the current state f spindle and coolant in order to re-enable them correctly, though section 17 makes it look easier than I thought.
www.linuxcnc.org/docview/devel/html/remap/structure.html
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