Paid for Programming

[dz]

I'd be willing to design a site where Zaurus users can ask for a program, and in turn can put a 'bid' on how much money they'd be willing to put into this program.  That way we can get what we want programmed, and the programmers can be compensated for their efforts.

I have no problem coding, but my site design (look and feel) could use some work.  Regardless, would anyone be willing to help me design the look and do some lazy work (polling the community on certain topics)?  If org would want, it could be a part of the ZUG, or we can make it completely separate so we don't put too much of a load on the server.

Regardless of whether or not anyone helps, I'm still going to go ahead and do it.  I've heard many people asking for it, so I figure it's wanted.

[offroadgeek]

dz - I've been meaning to email you about starting up the project we were discussing a few months ago... do you think we could kill two birds with one stone?

I would love to build up the downloads site so that people can upload/download ipks as necessary (zaurus repository), and allow for projects (like freshmeat), and it could have project/app requests like you mentioned.

what do you think?  I also have a quad xeon 700 with 4gb ram that could be a decent development/compiler box... maybe we could put it to good use  

[anonuk]

dz, i have been thinking along the same lines for a while, would definitely be interested in helping out, im moving house this weekend - but i'll pm you next week....

[dz]

org, I'm definately down for still doing our project.  It would probably be easier as well to put it all into one big site.  It'd be much more organized that way.

It would take a while, so I'd imagine a full ready to go version won't be ready for several months.  But I think we could turn out an amazing site, and we have plenty of beta testers.

I can be ready as soon as you are to start programming.  If you want, we can find out whoever else wants to help, and all meet up on irc one day and discuss who does what.

Just for some reference, here are my credentials: http://www.dangerz.net/portfolio/

[zenyatta]

Nice idea, though I'm curious about the "programmers can be compensated for their efforts" bit. Working out a compensation scheme that would be transparent, fair and efficient sounds like a Herculean task to me. Do you have any ideas you could put forward?

I'm especially interested in who would carry the risks - the prospective users (payment in advance) or the developers (payment upon completion). Thinking about it, I see a system of project profiles that would include (as bare minimum):

- a feature specification
- a deadline
- a running total of bids on the project (actual paid money)

Then there would be a trusted escrow that would collect funds from bidders and either release them to developers upon meeting the spec or refund bidders if the deadline passes and the spec is not met. I have no idea how the funds should be split in case of multiple coders working on a project. And there would also have to be a dispute resolution procedure for cases when it's not clear whether or not the spec has been met.

Like I said, it sounds quite ambitious.

z.

[ced]

just use ebay for the management... buying people on the net! :-)

[dhns]

Thinking about it, I see a system of project profiles that would include (as bare minimum):

- a feature specification
- a deadline
- a running total of bids on the project (actual paid money)

Then there would be a trusted escrow that would collect funds from bidders and either release them to developers upon meeting the spec or refund bidders if the deadline passes and the spec is not met. I have no idea how the funds should be split in case of multiple coders working on a project. And there would also have to be a dispute resolution procedure for cases when it's not clear whether or not the spec has been met.

I imagine it could work somehow like this:

* anybody can propose a project (incl. deadline and description)
* potential users can donate into a fund (covering all projects) specifying the project they want to support
* if the project (idea) is great, the fund accumulates - nonsense remains unfunded
* programmers can submit their programs as a solution for a specific project
* for each download they get credit points
* payment from the general fund is based on these relative credit points (similar to project activity at Sourceforge or FreshMeat)
* so that really downloaded projects get more money
* if there is nobody working on the project, the fund becomes bigger and bigger and the willingness to develop programs will increase (*)
* and the fund needs to have some trustees of course...

The only issue I have not solved yet is how to avoid "fake downloading" which drives the credit points up to get more payment for a nonsense project that I have submitted myself...

BTW: SourceForge has recently installed a Donate! program (using payPal). So that project owners can get donations to drive their projects (and pay the new subscriber fees).

-- hns

(*) just a crazy idea: if the fund gets large enough, there is no limitation to software. A new Linux PDA project could also be financed that way...