Live data from Hacker News

FLOSS/fund for free and open source projects

floss.fund

31–40 of 112 posts

Re: FLOSS/fund for free and open source projects

#31
post #9

To apply, the project must place a funding.json in their public code repository or at a well-known uri location on their domain: https://dir.floss.fund/submit That's already 10x more simpler than the 20 page document some of these other orgs have you fill. Looking at you Llama Impact Grants, OpenAI Cybersecurity Grants, NLNet, & OpenTechFund. --- Disclaimer: A project I co-develop was granted £3.75k in 2023 back when…

They probably need more stuff for tax (tax deduction) reasons, after all it can be considered a (deductible) donation.

I am curious, out of ignorance, if business many expenses are deductible anyway, what would be the fundamental difference between calling it a Marketing/Advertising expense to buy community good will compared with a charitable deduction?

Re: FLOSS/fund for free and open source projects

#32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> just that they are kicking the can down the road: "Just" does a lot of heavy lifting here, considering that you only need all that paperwork if you are accepted ;)

> "Just" does a lot of heavy lifting here No, it does not. Might I invite you to consider the context of what I am saying ? The OP here was boasting about "all you need" is a funding.json and none of the 20 pages of forms of the other organisations the OP chose to name and shame. What I am saying is you're not going to escape those 20 pages. Do it now or do it later, you're still going to have to put in more effort t…

I considered the context, and lo and behold, it says "To apply".

Which makes a huge difference, because you do indeed escape those 20 pages if you are not accepted.

Re: FLOSS/fund for free and open source projects

#33
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They probably need more stuff for tax (tax deduction) reasons, after all it can be considered a (deductible) donation.

I am curious, out of ignorance, if business many expenses are deductible anyway, what would be the fundamental difference between calling it a Marketing/Advertising expense to buy community good will compared with a charitable deduction?

The IRS doesn’t like businesses that only lose money, also known as hobbies.

That’s why you can’t say you are a musician and expense your $700 Fender pedals.

Re: FLOSS/fund for free and open source projects

#34

* Fine print: For successful projects only, and up to $100K per year per project —— From their FAQ: > Currently, our focus is on supporting existing, widely used, and impactful projects to specifically contribute to their sustainability. Very new projects or projects with minimal usage are not considered for the time being. > A project can apply for funding of up to $100,000 in one year. To keep the logistics and ope…

Charitable giving ought to have less conditions than an investment. Of course, the opposite is true.

Re: FLOSS/fund for free and open source projects

#35

To apply, the project must place a funding.json in their public code repository or at a well-known uri location on their domain: https://dir.floss.fund/submit That's already 10x more simpler than the 20 page document some of these other orgs have you fill. Looking at you Llama Impact Grants, OpenAI Cybersecurity Grants, NLNet, & OpenTechFund. --- Disclaimer: A project I co-develop was granted £3.75k in 2023 back when…

Applying for an nlnet grant generously takes like an afternoon. Like the entire rationale for their organization is to prevent you from having to write 20 pages of fluff to appeal to EU bureaucrats, so you can be to the point and chat with technically minded people instead.

Re: FLOSS/fund for free and open source projects

#36
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience developers as a whole are very stingy, even though they complain about companies not donating to open source all the time, and complain when companies do donate but the amount is too little for their liking. (For instance, when I google “microsoft foss fund payout” the first result after the official landing page is https://lobste.rs/s/wyvnuu/microsoft_foss_fund_winner_curl complaining about the amou…

I hate open source and would consider myself the chief anti-open source crusader online. I always try to avoid FOSS and pay indie developers for their software. However, in a few cases I've been forced to use FOSS solutions when there's been no other alternative, and then I donate to the creator of it. And I always see the same thing. Thousands and thousands of downloads over the years and the creator has earned only…

For every perceived freeloader is someone who selflessly donated their time and energy so that someone else could benefit from it and improve it if they wanted to.

Re: FLOSS/fund for free and open source projects

#37
I've maintained a fairly popular open source project for over 13 years[1]. The software is basically "complete." How does funding work for someone like me? I have no initiatives with it that require funding. Occasionally, I need to fix a bizarre obscure bug, or support a new python version/feature (async/await being the last big one). But otherwise, I just field questions a few times a month.

Truth be told, I'd rather be done with the project completely. It's like a little monkey on my back that I can never be rid of, that I must always tend to. But at the same time, since I can never realistically receive funding for it, the only value I get is the fact that my name is on it. I wish a big, legit company would just buy it off of me somehow, but there's no incentive for them either. I don't know how this ends.

1. https://github.com/amoffat/sh

Re: FLOSS/fund for free and open source projects

#38
"The rise of the "open core" model and the unfortunate license changes in many good open projects recently, are clear signs of this growing turmoil. ... That said, Python libraries raising massive amounts of VC funding in quick time does not look like a healthy trend."

I call it a "happy problem" - kind of problem you get in with lot of money.

All participating parties are having middle class above life style and looking for the way to balance each other.

Re: FLOSS/fund for free and open source projects

#39

* Fine print: For successful projects only, and up to $100K per year per project —— From their FAQ: > Currently, our focus is on supporting existing, widely used, and impactful projects to specifically contribute to their sustainability. Very new projects or projects with minimal usage are not considered for the time being. > A project can apply for funding of up to $100,000 in one year. To keep the logistics and ope…

Charitable giving ought to have less conditions than an investment. Of course, the opposite is true.

> Charitable giving ought to have less conditions than an investment.

You should give a "why" with your statement.

Re: FLOSS/fund for free and open source projects

#40

I've maintained a fairly popular open source project for over 13 years[1]. The software is basically "complete." How does funding work for someone like me? I have no initiatives with it that require funding. Occasionally, I need to fix a bizarre obscure bug, or support a new python version/feature (async/await being the last big one). But otherwise, I just field questions a few times a month. Truth be told, I'd rathe…

It's always an option to just publicly announce that you will no longer maintain it anymore and that you are either looking for a successor, or encouraging the community to fork it.
Post reply on HN