Affero's Hack-a-Thon

Henri Poole writes "I've got friends who ride their bikes for a week and get me and others to donate $100 to their cause. Spending more time on lists then roads, we've set up an analogous service for Free Software and Open Source projects. Substitute the physical sweat with a good hack, and you'll see the match. After you save your next newbie from tech-hell, just ask them to help your cause. In Lessig's blog, he writes "If there's one thing I've learned from watching, and tinkering, in this web-log space, it is that the many tiny brushstrokes of thousands paints more and more powerfully than the blast of even the most important and powerful papers...As I indicate on my Affero page, I count FSF and EFF as the two key players to support." And if you don't think you can make a difference, do this math: A $1 donation to the FSF for every user of GNU/Linux would increase their budget by 30 fold."

Comments

Re:Advertising

[zapfie]

Wow, I didn't know Slashdot was in the business of giving away free advertising... Good to know!

You're new here, aren't you?

This is simply a good idea

[The-Perl-CD-Bookshel]

Yeah, I could give my money to these people who will fight the scourge of the corporate world...or I can make a twenty minute phone call!

Wait, i'm reading Slashdot, that means that I don't have anyone to call, so i'll just give my buck to the EFF instead of Terry Bradshaw.

wow...

[c0dedude]

and I thought MY posts were really confusing...

Re:wow...

[Entropy_ah]

What did you just say?

verification?

[Anonymous Coward]

Can you verify that your "earnings" are really forwarded to the cause you've selected?

If so, how?

Re:verification?

[KeatonMill]

[sarcasm] Cause PayPal is teh uber! [/sarcasm]

I think...

[Stalyn]

Hemos is still hungover from CmdrTaco's wedding.

Huh?

[Otter]

Affero's Hack-a-Thon...Substitute the physical sweat with a good hack, and you'll see the match.

Ummm, not that you should be expected to read your own site before submitting a story about it but -- which is it? Donations for hacking or in appreciation for tech support? The site is entirely focused on the latter and your writeup seems to be half about that and half something entirely different.

Actually, that's not a bad idea.

[dabj.net]

If FSF/EFF had $1 for every person whose computer I've fixed/reinstalled/upgraded they would have...well heck...atleast $20 more than they have now. I think that in the future I shall make a point of telling them to donate a small sum to FSF/EFF the next time some coworker of my mom/distant relative/that guy from high school asks me "So what do you want for this?". (Well, the guy who calls at 11:30 PM on a sunday evening because he can't find his favorite font will still have to pay me $50 per hour plus expenses) Bummer it's a hassle to donate money if you live in Sweden though.

Henri Poole...

[joestar]

Isn't he a former MandrakeSoft CEO who has been thanked from Mandrake 18 months ago for having tried to convert the Linux company into a e-learning company?

As it seems Poole didn't know anything about Free Software when he joined, it's great to see the months he spent with the Mandrakians converted him to Free Software anyway! Free Software: a real virus ;-)

Really?

[nihilogos]

I ride my bike every day, and you're telling me I can get money for it?

I am wary of handing my bank details out over the internet, so if you are genuine please contact Mr.Abiola Williams at the Bank of Nigeria. He has all my account numbers.

Re:In Soviet Russia...

[User 956]

In Soviet Russia we imagen a beowulf cluster of these...

In Soviet Russia, Beowulf imagines a cluster of YOU!

Re:Increase 30 fold?

[JVert]

I agree, 1$ per user may not sound like much...
until you think about it...
Reminds of an old proverb "I am not a selfish man, I only want $.05 from every man in america."

It just seems unlikely to me...

[Soulfader]

...that your average Joe is going to respect your wishes to make a micropayment to an organization he's never heard of.

User: "So what do you want for this?"
Tech: "If you find my service useful, please consider contributing $25 to blah blah blah" (at this point user has tuned tech out)
User: (Internal monologue) "He doesn't want my money, apparently. Very well. I shall buy bread and circuses. Huzzah!"

Maybe it would be better just to take their money and donate it for them. =)

Re:It just seems unlikely to me...

[God! Awful 2]

Yeah right, like your average computer newbie is really going to want to contribute to one of these groups. As if your mother in law is going to read one of RMS's manifestos and think he's a prophet, not to mention sane.

As for the EFF, remember that the majority of Americans think it's okay for the government to read your e-mail, as long as it helps stop terrorism.

-a

Re:It just seems unlikely to me...

[CynicTheHedgehog]

Whenever I go fix someone's PC, be it Windows or Linux, they always try to offer me money. I usually refuse, but I think from now on I'll open their web browser to eff.org and tell them that if they want to pay me, do it there. These are family members and friends of family for the most part, so there is some feeling of obligation, and if I pop open a charity then I really don't think they'd feel right refusing.

Or I could take the money and send it myself. But this way I'd eliminate the middle man, and gain the ability to accept payment in the form of credit cards :)

Re:It just seems unlikely to me...

[CoughDropAddict]

User: "So what do you want for this?"
Tech: "If you find my service useful, please consider contributing $25 to blah blah blah" (at this point user has tuned tech out)
User: (Internal monologue) "He doesn't want my money, apparently. Very well. I shall buy bread and circuses. Huzzah!"

I admit I have thought this way before. I've gotten a lot of use out of VIM, but I've never :helped uganda.

every user of GNU/Linux

[DV]

Hum, seems that there is far less users
of GNU/Linux than Linux users. Maybe the
30 fold figure is a bit unrealistic.

DV, Linux user since '92 , a time where
the FSF could not care less about Linux

Re:every user of GNU/Linux

[jpt.d]

GNU/linux is not Linux.

Linux is a kernel.
GNU/Linux is a kernel with user space tools (almost a complete operating system, depending on your needs).

Re:every user of GNU/Linux

[messiertom]

The alternatives which do not use a lot of GNU tools will not, and should not, be called GNU/Linux. But systems running the Linux kernel with lots of GNU software are running GNU/Linux.

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

could be easier process flow

[SethJohnson]

Some of these boxes could be removed from the diagram if instead of having a link to the aeffro website, Joe put a .sig in his e-mail that said, "If you appreciated this help, donate to XYZ."

Re:could be easier process flow

[mstyne]

yeah but then how would we know who was the #1 super duper tech support guru -- i mean, come on!

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Yeah, i know one shouln't reply to one's own posts

[c0dedude]

1. Dude on bike 2. ?????? 3. Profit!!! 4. plea for money 5. ??????? 7. EFF and FSF Budget increases 30 fold!

30 Fold?

[antis0c]

For ever user of GNU/Linux? I don't think RMS has that kind of money.

Re:30 Fold?

[PapaZit]

Instead, let's contribute a dollar to Linus for every user of Linux. ;)

GNU/Donations

[asv108]

I've donated money to the EFF in the past and a few other electronic charities, but I've never considered donating to the FSF. Does the FSF support projects that refuse to call their project GNU/Projectname? I guess what I'm trying to say, is giving money to FSF an endorsement of Stallman's views? Does the FSF give money to KDE or other programs that are in competition with FSF projects? The irony of the matter is that I would have donated to the FSF long ago if it wasn't for Stallman's extremism, but I guess the FSF wouldn't exist without Stallman's original vision.

I'd donate, but...

[ryochiji]

I'd like to donate to FSF and EFF because of what they stand for. But the sad fact of it is, my own OpenSource project has only resulted in $10 in donations for over 2.5 years of work (despite the 10,000+ downloads and ~500 registered users in the 7 months since initial release...not to mention the estimated 15,000+ end uesrs).

As a college student who has a stomach to fill, rent to pay, and an education to complete, making monetary contributions really isn't an option. Hell, if I had money to spare, I wouldn't be trying to sell thongs (see sig).

Re:I'd donate, but...

[LetterJ]

I hear that. All of this "if every one just donated a dollar" talk doesn't go anywhere. If every user who downloaded my PHPTriad gave me $1, I'd have nearly $2 million. I made about $200 in 2 years with nearly 2 million downloads. I switched to a more commercial model and am doing much better. It's a sad fact, but without at least a small level of coercion or extreme celebrity, people don't pay.

Re:Hmmm QWZX

[Stalyn]

Now that's funny!

When I (mis)read the title of the story...

[mtec]

I thought it was about black hairdressers...

*true*

Not free as in beer

[geekee]

I guess they weren't kidding when they said not free as in beer.

Re:Not free as in beer

[Cruciform]

I've always wondered about the 'free as in beer' analogy...

After all, the saying goes "You don't buy beer, you rent it."

So beer sounds more like a licensing deal. In the end, if you keep trying to use it, you just end up with a bad taste in your mouth.

Don't forget the ACLU

[autopr0n]

Being able to copy and share files, use strong encryption, etc are nice. But lets also try to keep our "real life" rights as well, and donate to the ACLU along with the EFF!

Re:Don't forget the ACLU

[Suppafly]

if only there was a group similar in function to the aclu which people took seriously and didn't automatically think poorly of anything that mentions them.

Hrm...

[autopr0n]

Is it just me, or is it amazing how few people realize that the editors arn't responsible for the text in italics?

I mean, maybe they should be responsible, but they certanly don't act like it.

Debian Project Donations

[Anthony]

Whenever I make a purchase from http://www.everythinglinux.com.au, I make sure I add a Debian Donation or two to the order.

Huh?

[autopr0n]

The only people who have that reaction to the ACLU are right-wing crazies. You're not a right-wing crazy, are you Suppafly?

I mean it's not like they're PETA...

I've got an idea

[mpsmps]

Maybe the FSF could get funds by having everyone who uses one of their products give them a dollar.

Oh, wait...

Institute for Justice

[Brian Stretch]

There is.

Though the Institute for Justice is mostly into economic liberty (breaking government-sanctioned monopolies), protecting homeowners from eminent domain abuse (so the govt. can't force you to sell your property at whatever price so their favorite big developer can have a bigger parking lot), and defending school choice. That said, they're very good at what they do.

Re:Institute for Justice

[Brian Stretch]

I read the IJ page you linked to and the cases under it, and none of them support your assertion. Could you be more specific? Point out a case and offending quote?

IJ does tend to respresent a disproportionately large number of black litigants, especially when it comes to school choice (since minority-majority districts tend to NEED school choice the most) but also in fighting eminent domain abuse. The New York City commuter van companies they defended were all owned by blacks. What arguments do you have against specific cases?

Good idea but...

[Montreal Geek]

Too bad there are no users of GNU/Linux yet. I guess the FSF is yet to start their own Linux distro (which, incidentally, woudn't be a half-bad idea).

Might I suggest the EFF as a considerably less politically dangerous target of such contributions? Whilst their scope is admitedly more US-centered, I'm guessing the opinion that they are a genuinely useful entity is nearly unanimous.

Oh, and don't get me wrong-- the FSF is useful as well, and they have created good, useful software which I use daily; it's just that they(1) also hold political/sociological stances which make me beleive that some of the figureheads are going forward with both feet firmly planted in midair. :)

-- MG

1) Where they can generally be understood to mean RMS.

Donate 10% of every thong sale to FSF!

[aquarian]

Then they'd truly be open source thongs!

From their website..

[twoslice]

I know how to fix your problem.
Do this: Blah Blah Blah

I cannot fathom any problem that would be fixed by doing "Blah Blah Blah". If anyone can tell me what a Blah is - I'll donate to your cause.

But I don't use GNU/Linux...

[Eneff]

I use Redhat Linux 8.1!

Who should I donate to then?
___

In all seriousness, I still have not seen a cogent argument that supports "if we use free software, we must support the ideals of free software," and it's corellary, "If we use free software, we must support Dick Stallman."

As for paying people for doing tech support in newsgroups and mailing lists (Ob-topic), I keep on thinking it makes someone little more than a hi-tech waiter. It also makes people more demanding. "I won't pay if you don't handhold me through this" when "pay" is akin to 5 bucks.

I always wondered how a 900 number would work for answering questions... Perhaps an 800 number that asked for the credit card number would work better. That way, people aren't paying to wait on hold...

Micropayments better not be too micro

[west]

The terms of service (and I imagine how they support themselves), say they take 6% or $1.00, whichever is higher of each donation.

What it doesn't say is if that is 6% plus credit card charges (usually 2.5%, but often higher of you have lots of small transactions) or instead of credit card charges.

Either way, donations of $10 or less means that they are taking a substantial portion. To be fair to them, it's probably the only way they can stay in business.

Man,

[Mac Degger]

...I ride my bike to uni and to work (and most everywhere I go for that matter, unless it's another city, in which case I take public transport); send me money!