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Light Table reaches funding goal of $200k

kickstarter.com

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Re: Light Table reaches funding goal of $200k

#21

Post by ibdknox »

gits1225 wrote: post #20

Light Table is an interesting approach . I think, it would turn out to be something different & interesting if the project leverages that aspect of it. There are lots of editors which have already done a fine job of editing code. Unless a new interface to computers comes along, those are here to stay. What I am trying to say I guess is that, if the project separated the approach and editing aspects of coding, and the…

I'm inclined to agree. You cannot beat Vim and Emacs as editors... the key is to play a game they can't. I mean to show some examples of that with the next demo :)

Re: Light Table reaches funding goal of $200k

#22

Post by vmind »

jf wrote: post #9

If anybody else is interested, here is a Web Numbr graph of the funding for Light Table over time: http://webnumbr.com/light-table-pledged (Sadly, I didn't think of setting this up until it was really far along).

There's also Kicktraq, which has a longer history and a rough trend to total. http://www.kicktraq.com/projects/ibdknox/light-table/

(webnumbr looks really nice for watching random pages that don't have dedicated trackers, though)

Re: Light Table reaches funding goal of $200k

#23

Post by asmala »

munchor wrote: post #15

This IDE/text editor has some very good ideas, but I would never use it because it doesn't seem like it will be open source, free software, or even freeware. I wouldn't rely on a text editor that can't be improved and changed by the community. Besides, it seems to run inside the browser, and most browsers (even for a single tab) consume quite some RAM. Good luck, nonetheless!

On the mailing list Chris also mentioned that it "will likely use a browser somehow, but that might be abstracted away into a webview or some such thing so you wouldn't really know." [http://groups.google.com/group/light-table/browse_thread/thr...]

Re: Light Table reaches funding goal of $200k

#24

Post by modeless »

This is a really interesting method of funding a software project. It doesn't seem sustainable though. People might (maybe) be willing to fund a "Light Table 2.0" project but certainly nobody would care to fund an "ongoing maintenance and bugfixes for Light Table 1.0" project.

Perhaps the Kickstarter model could be adapted to fund maintenance and bugfixes too. Popular open source projects always have the problem that their bug trackers get spammed with passionate complaints from well-meaning but frustrated users. I'm imagining a public bug tracker where users can pay to raise the priority of their favorite bugs. Not necessarily a "bug bounty" system, but just a way of raising money for the project overall while simultaneously giving frustrated users a productive outlet and reducing spam.

Re: Light Table reaches funding goal of $200k

#25

Post by julian37 »

ibdknox wrote: post #21
gits1225 wrote: post #20

Light Table is an interesting approach . I think, it would turn out to be something different & interesting if the project leverages that aspect of it. There are lots of editors which have already done a fine job of editing code. Unless a new interface to computers comes along, those are here to stay. What I am trying to say I guess is that, if the project separated the approach and editing aspects of coding, and the…

I'm inclined to agree. You cannot beat Vim and Emacs as editors... the key is to play a game they can't. I mean to show some examples of that with the next demo :)

Maybe I'm misreading your reply, but I think you might have misunderstood gits1225's comment. What (s)he was saying is that it would be great if your system would be open so that it could (eventually) be integrated into existing editors. Your reply, on the other hand, talks about "beating" these editors--to me that doesn't sound like you're interested in interoperability.

For what it's worth, I wholeheartedly agree with gits1225. I think will be very hard for you and your team to even remotely approach the editing facilities offered by Emacs or Vim, seeing that these facilities have evolved over decades--especially in a web editor which is subject to a number of constraints.

If your system could somehow (again, eventually) augment these editors--or, if you prefer, be augmented by them--rather than attempt to replace them, then in my mind this would be a win-win for everybody.

Re: Light Table reaches funding goal of $200k

#26

Post by Zirro »

modeless wrote: post #24

This is a really interesting method of funding a software project. It doesn't seem sustainable though. People might (maybe) be willing to fund a "Light Table 2.0" project but certainly nobody would care to fund an "ongoing maintenance and bugfixes for Light Table 1.0" project. Perhaps the Kickstarter model could be adapted to fund maintenance and bugfixes too. Popular open source projects always have the problem that…

I may have missed something, but I believe the point is to get it developed with the help of Kickstarter-money in the first place and then sell through the normal channels to fund future development. As incentive for backers, they most likely get away with a cheaper price than the one we'll see later when the first version is out for sale.

Re: Light Table reaches funding goal of $200k

#27

Post by aiscott »

ibdknox wrote: post #2

I've been a little quiet lately as I've been working on the next demo before the end of the Kickstarter. Based on the reactions I've gotten so far, I think you guys are in for a treat :)

I found the first demo inspiring, and I'm very much looking forward to where things will go.

Re: Light Table reaches funding goal of $200k

#28

Post by hkmurakami »

ibdknox wrote: post #2

I've been a little quiet lately as I've been working on the next demo before the end of the Kickstarter. Based on the reactions I've gotten so far, I think you guys are in for a treat :)

What's most exciting about this whole thing, is the prospect of a new and potentially, hopefully, more flexible mode of sustenance for software developers world wide.

The initial financial risk of the develop first, market later model seems to be greatly mitigated by the kickstarter approach. The market can be validated in real terms, with real money, before a developer has to take the plunge. Striking out on your own was (perhaps) never so easy.

The new model may very well liberate many developers from the financial shackles that bind them to their day jobs; it may create more stories of the Marco Arment lineage: independent, flexible, balanced.

With each new successful story like Light Table that comes along, the more convinced others will become that independent software development as a living may very well be possible for themselves as well.

Re: Light Table reaches funding goal of $200k

#29

Post by vito »

jf wrote: post #9

If anybody else is interested, here is a Web Numbr graph of the funding for Light Table over time: http://webnumbr.com/light-table-pledged (Sadly, I didn't think of setting this up until it was really far along).

What's with the dip(s)? Can people withdraw donations?

Re: Light Table reaches funding goal of $200k

#30

Post by ibdknox »

vito wrote: post #29
jf wrote: post #9

If anybody else is interested, here is a Web Numbr graph of the funding for Light Table over time: http://webnumbr.com/light-table-pledged (Sadly, I didn't think of setting this up until it was really far along).

What's with the dip(s)? Can people withdraw donations?

Yeah, no money is actually exchanged until the funding period closes.
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