RFC/E: Avenues of Defraying Costs

[TPS]

This is a peremptory RFC, as it's been mentioned (in passing) in several other issues.:

@vfeskov You clearly have some costs associated w/ this project. As they grow, I'm sure you'll want to have them covered. Some of the plans I've read elseplace.:

• 1. Freemium: Charging some group of folks (companies, users w/ special needs, &c) an amount that'll cover everyone else → If @GitHub / @Microsoft gets around to accomplishing a version of G👊, a little brittle, & creates more expectations, but possibly more stable revenue
• 2. Donation: Setup ways to give you what we can afford & think the service is worth. F-Droid has a pretty good handle on this toward the bottom of every page. → Less brittle, since less expectations, but likely less stable income
• 3. Get aqui-hired @microsoft @github & support this full time
• 4. Grants & other non-advertising sponsorships
• 5. Advertising… 😭
• 6. Other methods?
• 7. Some combination of the above

[vfeskov]

thanks for raising this issue and providing the options, I appreciate it

I like the idea of raising money for a feature, although tbh i think there's not many features left

Donation button would take the least effort, but I'm procrastinating because of the legal stuff, e.g., I don't want my tax rate to get higher because of this. Once I talk to a lawyer I'll do it

[TPS]

Especially w/ an open project like this (& considering what happened to alternatives, e.g., Sibell ⚰️ 😭), it's always better to drag the 🐘 out to the center of the dining room & 🍴, a bite @ a time, publicly, so more consumers make lighter work. 😉

Ok, I'm done mixing metaphors, old sayings, & idioms… for now. 🙇

[TPS]

@vfeskov I added ☑️s for grants (take a look @ the link included) & advertising (of course, I missed that 🐋 earlier, while remembering smaller 🐘s.… 🤦).

[TPS]

@vfeskov I sincerely hope pt.3 above happened & that's how this is rudimentarily solved officially. 🤞