>>Companies tend to assume that somebody else is paying for the development of open-source software, so they do not have to contribute.
I think if you are a billion dollar company using these tools, sponsoring maintenance isn't a lot to ask.
Curiously enough this came up even during the days of Perl.
I don't think Perl got its due, especially given the fact that even until most recently almost everything of importance was done with Perl. Heck internet was made possible because of Perl.
bluGill•1h ago
I've often asked how my company could support them. Most I ask don't understand the question. Those that do only point out that I can contribute code changes - which I have but rarely as we pick good projects that meet our needs: there rarely are bugs or features we would care about enough to not do our regular work.
what would be nice is a non profit that would take money and distribute it to the projects we use - likely with some legal checking that they are legal (whatever that means). FSF is the only one I know of that does generic development and they have ideas that companies generally oppose and so are out
JoshTriplett•33m ago
Many projects have foundations or fiscal sponsors you can work with.
If you care about Python, you could support the Python Foundation, and/or hire or sponsor some Python developers. If you care about Rust, support the Rust Foundation, and/or hire or sponsor some Rust developers. If you care about Reproducible Builds, or QEMU, or Git, or Inkscape, or the future of FOSS licensing, or various other projects (https://sfconservancy.org/projects/current/), support Software Freedom Conservancy.
If you care about a smaller project, and they don't have a means of sponsorship, you could encourage them to accept sponsorship via some means, or join some fiscal sponsor umbrella like Conservancy.
simonw•27m ago
A lot of open source maintainers are bad at asking for money, and most companies find it very hard to give money away without some kind of formal arrangement in place.
Here's a way you can work around that, if you are someone who works for a company with money:
Contact the maintainers of software you use and invite them to speak to your engineering team via Zoom in exchange for a speaking fee.
Your company knows how to pay consultants. It likely also has an existing training budget you can tap into.
You're not asking the maintainer to give a talk - those take time to prepare and require experience with public speaking.
Instead, set it up as a Q&A or a fireside chat. Select someone from your own team who is good at facilitating / asking questions.
Aim for an hour of time. Pay four figures.
Then do the same thing once a month or so for other projects you depend on.
I really like the idea of normalizing companies reaching out to maintainers and offering them a relatively easy hour long remote consultation in exchange for a generous payment. I think this may be a discreet way to help funnel money into the pockets of people who's work a company depends on.
JoshTriplett•37m ago
> I think if you are a billion dollar company using these tools, sponsoring maintenance isn't a lot to ask.
It isn't a lot to ask, but it's challenging to 1) find who to ask, and 2) get them to care about the long-term view in a way that doesn't fit into short-term thinking and budgeting.
kamaal•1h ago
I think if you are a billion dollar company using these tools, sponsoring maintenance isn't a lot to ask.
Curiously enough this came up even during the days of Perl.
I don't think Perl got its due, especially given the fact that even until most recently almost everything of importance was done with Perl. Heck internet was made possible because of Perl.
bluGill•1h ago
what would be nice is a non profit that would take money and distribute it to the projects we use - likely with some legal checking that they are legal (whatever that means). FSF is the only one I know of that does generic development and they have ideas that companies generally oppose and so are out
JoshTriplett•33m ago
If you care about Python, you could support the Python Foundation, and/or hire or sponsor some Python developers. If you care about Rust, support the Rust Foundation, and/or hire or sponsor some Rust developers. If you care about Reproducible Builds, or QEMU, or Git, or Inkscape, or the future of FOSS licensing, or various other projects (https://sfconservancy.org/projects/current/), support Software Freedom Conservancy.
If you care about a smaller project, and they don't have a means of sponsorship, you could encourage them to accept sponsorship via some means, or join some fiscal sponsor umbrella like Conservancy.
simonw•27m ago
Here's a way you can work around that, if you are someone who works for a company with money:
Contact the maintainers of software you use and invite them to speak to your engineering team via Zoom in exchange for a speaking fee.
Your company knows how to pay consultants. It likely also has an existing training budget you can tap into.
You're not asking the maintainer to give a talk - those take time to prepare and require experience with public speaking.
Instead, set it up as a Q&A or a fireside chat. Select someone from your own team who is good at facilitating / asking questions.
Aim for an hour of time. Pay four figures.
Then do the same thing once a month or so for other projects you depend on.
I really like the idea of normalizing companies reaching out to maintainers and offering them a relatively easy hour long remote consultation in exchange for a generous payment. I think this may be a discreet way to help funnel money into the pockets of people who's work a company depends on.
JoshTriplett•37m ago
It isn't a lot to ask, but it's challenging to 1) find who to ask, and 2) get them to care about the long-term view in a way that doesn't fit into short-term thinking and budgeting.