Re: ANNOUNCE: Request For Proposals

[Aurelien]

I'm a bit confused about the relationships that exist between open
source and money. I think it's good that open-source developers get paid
for what they do. Getting paid for something you do helps you do it
better. That's just because it lets you concentrate on what you do,
instead of having to worry about how you'll get your steak on the table
tonight. After all, many open-source developers ged paid, sometimes very
well I suppose. Darwin is a good example, and I'm sure many big
corporations provide development resources to open-source project like
those hosted at apache.org (I'm thinking of Batik here, for instance).

In general though all open-source efforts are at the infrastructure
level. What I mean by that is that software customers will eventually
pay for are never open-sourced, of course. However, the code this
software relies upon is often open-sourced. Not surprisingly, the
companies that sell the software often contribute to the open-source
infrastructure. This makes sense because:
1) they attract developers who are confident that nothing is hidden to
them;
2) they get infrastructure code improvements for free.

This is good, I think even politically, because in a sense I like to
think about infrastructure code as the "technological air we breathe",
and everyone should be concerned and feel responsible for this.

My opinion is that all open-source software must eventually find a
"superstructure marketplace" from which it gets finance or else it will
eventually perish.

Now, GNUstep isn't Apple or IBM, who enjoy a very large installed base
of users. However, the current trend among GNUstep developers to thrive
for Mac OS X compatibility is right. This will extend the reach of
software developed for Mac OS X to the free OS realm.

But this isn't enough. We need programmers who'll develop software that
specifically takes advantage of GNUstep in association with a given free
OS. Ensuring Mac OS X compatibility is one part of the process of making
GNUstep perennial, and the current GWorkspace port is about just that.

The other part is adding value to the GNUstep/linux/*x combination.

I'm thinking about JBoss here. Those guys have a "partners" section for
people who create commercial products based on JBoss. Couldn't we also
have a "partners" section ?

Therefore, I suggest making GNUstep the UI of choice for linux/*x server
administration. Products exploiting this idea could be: DB front-ends,
configuration tools for: print servers, file servers, web servers,
application servers (JBoss). Maybe a Darwin distribution would be nice,
and that's sellable too ! Such software would of course run on MOSX, but
mainly it would run on a large range of hardware, from very cheap print
servers to very expensive, very available servers.

Now, the question remains: how will we finance the GNUstep efforts ? I
don't know but I think donations are about the only answer. But
donations would be much facilitated if we had a real marketplace.

In the meantime, why not do like the JBoss folks: sell the docs !

Regards,

Aurélien

Le vendredi 9 novembre 2001, à 10:18 AM, Peron, Stéphane a écrit :

> > Well lots of people have offered suggestions of what should be done, 
> > but
> > really only one person has actualy volunteered to do anything...
> >
> > So if your still thinking about this, get your submission in! Obviously
> > the competition isn't that tough ;-)
>         Well Adam,
>
>         I don't think people who develops for Gnustep are interested in
> getting money with.
>         For most of us, it is a hobby and we are happy to forget that things
> can be done without a mercantil relationship.
>
>         OpenSources softwares are a space of liberty. For many of thus (and
> you too I suppose), it help us to forget that crazy consumption society.
>
>         I do understand (and admire) your willing to boost gnustep
> developpement but I 'm not sure using money is the best way . :-)
>
>         Stef
>
>
>
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