Sponsoring modules, plugins, snippets development

I have been thinking one nice thing we could set up as webdesigners doing business with MODx is sponsoring modules, plugins or snippet developpement : when a client ask for a non-existing feature, try to convince them of the advantages of sponsoring them and release them with a GPL license.

For those, like me, who don’t have php skills to actually develop these modules, plugins, snippets, consult with MODx modules, plugins, snippets coders here on the forums to have an estimate about do-abilty and development cost.

Once I have this at hand, I can ask the client if he is willing to pay x € or $ to have such or such feature implemented. If he agrees to it, either I’ll have the client pay me and then I pay the developper without taking any margin (I’ll even go as far as covering exchange rates if necessary), or else the client pays the developper directly.

My goal is to have everyone benefit in the process :
- webdesigner with no coding skills : we can offer tailored solutions to our clients, and/or get market we otherwise would loose
- coders : business opportunities, making some money for the hard work put in dev
- community : benefit from added features but on the other hand help debug, improve the modules, plugins snippets.

This is a very rough idea, and I’d like to have your input to rough out the edges :
- as webesigners
- as developpers

What do you think ?

Very good idea! Everybody win!

I have been thinking about the same thing. Why not work together as a team to provide a service to the commnity and make a little bit of money and have fun doing it?

Aother though is how about feature request on the current extension or addon or modify version of the current extensions?

Thanks

Great idea! I love it!

I will be able to finally stop to try to write not working snippets and ask to real coders

Good idea. Likewise I can’t write PHP, or anything else for that matter so I think its only fair if we want custom priority snippets / plugins made we contribute toward them.

I’d suggest that a cost put on the development of a snippet, then people can contribute to it as required to make it reach the target figure for development.

Otherwise one simple project might receive lots compared to a more complex project receiving very little, which wouldn’t be a fair model, nor IMHO successful in the long term.

Great idea! But I have no comment about it, consideing myself as a coder, instead of a designer.

Sounds like a great idea. Nice thinking David!

Quote from: chanh at Mar 07, 2006, 07:50 PM

Very good idea! Everybody win!
I have been thinking about the same thing. Why not work together as a team to provide a service to the commnity and make a little bit of money and have fun doing it?

Yeah, exactly !

There are more and more coders and designers (Wendy’s second tier) on the forums, somewhat of a "skill pool" around MODx.

Maybe set up two forums to have business oppportunities published could be nice : one for companies looking for a MODx-skilled webdesigner or agency, and one for designers looking for developpers to build modules, plugins or snippets.

Of course, this would have to be thought out to integrate nicely with the opensource community here, e.g have any business done here give back something to the community : thus the sponsoring of GPLed modules, plugins and snippet.

One thing I did not think about but which comes to mind : maybe a share of every modules/plugins/snippets developped could be donated to the MODx Team, let’s say 10%. It would only seem fair that the guy who build the community, the core and API get a little out of each development.

What do you think ?

Quote from: chanh

Another though is how about feature request on the current extension or addon or modify version of the current extensions?

That’s a great idea , didn’t think about that !

Quote from: Briggsy at Mar 07, 2006, 09:09 PM

I’d suggest that a cost put on the development of a snippet, then people can contribute to it as required to make it reach the target figure for development. Otherwise one simple project might receive lots compared to a more complex project receiving very little, which wouldn’t be a fair model, nor IMHO successful in the long term.

This could be sort of a "bounty" model, am I wrong ?
You’re talking user sponsored modules/plugins/snippets here ?
Yeah that would be great too

My first suggestion was about clients sponsored modules/plugins/snippets : those can be paid in full by the company, foundation or whatever which is asking for it. In return, we advocate for GPL licence in terms of bug testing, added features, maybe even add a "corporate sponsor" page... etc.

Quote from: Djamoer at Mar 08, 2006, 01:18 AM

Great idea! But I have no comment about it, consideing myself as a coder, instead of a designer.

Well, Wendy, as a coder this could mean business for you Recently someone asked for a snippet that notified of new webusers, don’t have the link handy but you helped build a little snippet that does just that. It so happens that I currently have a prospect who’d like his webusers to have an email notification system and be able to :
- select a frequency : daily, weekly, two-weeks, monthly...
- select the items to include : modifications to existing pages, new pages, new file uploaded... etc

This system would also check permissions and only send items that the users is allowed to see.
Just an example.

Quote from: Mark at Mar 08, 2006, 02:25 AM

Sounds like a great idea. Nice thinking David!

Thanks Mark !

And thanks all for the ideas, this is great to have the debate rolling !
Keep them coming !

I also want to add that we should consider possible two model:

. cooperate work: Where people contribute their skill whether it is marketing, getting new work, designer, document wirter, code, etc. The payment will go into a fund where it will be split up in percentage to all contributors which should also include the MODx project itself

. partnership or solo work: where one individual would get a request and would look for someone that might want to partner on a particular project to get it done. They will be the sole benefitciary of the payment. The percentage will be determined between the partners.

What do you think?

Thanks

Interesting that the subject of commercial level projects rears its head again.

I am all for ending up with a commercial / revenue avenue, indeed for Modx to continue its progress as a excellent CMS I feel its essential. Many (if not most) of the MODx developers are doing commercial level projects and many are freelance web designers /coders.

But is there not a risk of creating something that ends up difficult to manage and if its commercial level what happens if the key programmer moves on. Personally I think there would have to be a proper commercial business model that covers everthing, one that would also provide customers and the MODx developers installing solutions to these clients with confidence that the software can be supported.

I also feel that there should be two sites, those that start with Modx could progress to commercial level forum if that appropriate and within the commercial level forum is where you would build your approved MODx agencies. Once thought I had previously was to have a level of commercial development that is implemented into Modx via a keycode, the keycode is owned by Modx and is purchased to be able to run some of the more advanced commercial add-ons that themselves have a cost. This would ensure revenue for MODx and for the developer who wrote the software. And the developer would still be free to fix its own price (think Dreamwever exchange as the keycode and products like project seven menus as the commercial level application). Approved developers could pay a nominalamount to subscribe to such a service.

The commercial level program could list approved agents throughout the world, (Freelance developers, designers, coders etc with their hourly rates / skills) have an area where clients could submit tenders, include a commercial site showcase, commercial templates and much more. I also see a future opportunity in working with other MODx developers as multi-national partners (multi-site / multi-lingual) and it would be really cool to be able to direct customers to a commercial web site separate to the MODx one where they can currently read everything on Forums etc which gives some customers mixed feelings.

With a proper commercial structure and revenue rewards I think you would see skilled people putting a bit more time and effort into producing high quality and more complex developments

With a proper commercial structure and revenue rewards I think you would see skilled people putting a bit more time and effort into producing high quality and more complex developments

I worry that this may detract from the core values of open source software and how it would impact on the development community as a whole. Open source/GNU is very different from commercially driven projects, primarily because money isn’t the driver; the integretiy of the project is. Not to be confused of course with projects that claim to be "open source" but you have to pay for the code, and that code can’t be then redistributed . . . for example phpLive.

In my experience, developers and designers contriubute to an open source project to help support and grow it and to see it succeed, which lends itself to greater flexibility and creative output. An open source contributer will be putting in their time and effort (usually) for the good of the project, not for the pay check.

That is not to say that contributers shouldn’t be rewarded for their efforts financially. I just don’t think a commercial model should be applied to an open source GNU project, which is rather like fitting a square peg into a round hole (in my opinion). Donations, sponsorships, and other methods of financing whether private or commercial, seem to offer the best route to ensuring a project is both successful in both its end objective and financially.

Just my 2c’s