[mythtv-users] Per Card Volume Control Bounty started

[Brian Wood]

On Sep 7, 2006, at 2:12 PM, Brian Wood wrote:

>
> On Sep 7, 2006, at 1:31 PM, Daniel Walton wrote:
>
>>
>>>
>>> I think what you are trying to do is well-intentioned but
>>> impractical.
>>>
>>> $500 US is less than you could make flipping burgers at a Manhattan
>>> McDonalds for two weeks,  the actual value of performing such a
>>> project on the open market is probably closer to $5000 or probably
>>> more. At that level accounting protections would be a necessity, and
>>> I think the IRS would begin to take an interest as well.
>>
>> I don't think the goal of this proposed bounty system is to try to
>> pay the devs
>> what they would make on the open market for their work.  They are
>> all doing the
>> work for free right now and $500 is a lot more than $0 so it seems
>> like a good
>> idea to me.
>
> What you say is true, and I think it proves my point that the
> developers are not motivated by dollars.
>
> But what is being talked about is causing a developer to do something
> that he or she would not otherwise do by offering money, and I think
> this will fail.
>
> But as I said, I'd certainly love to be proved wrong.

Thinking about the matter further, what is something that good coders  
*do* need and want ?

One answer is academic credit.

How about hooking up with a CS school and getting some requested  
projects done in exchange for some sort of endowment to the school?  
Perhaps equipment (good stuff, not old junk) or commercial software ?  
Maybe even a scholarship endowment ?

I have known several students who have trouble coming up with a  
project idea, and a tit-for-tat with a school might benefit everyone.  
The students get credit and the contributers get the code they want,  
and if the school received the endowment up front there would be no  
problems with collections. No IRS problems either (I don't think, I  
am not a CPA).

Just a thought.