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...

verification?

[Anonymous Coward]

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

If so, how?

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.

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.

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. =)

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

30 Fold?

[antis0c]

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

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).