


fsf-funding(7)                 GNU                 fsf-funding(7)


NAME
       fsf-funding - Funding Free Software

DESCRIPTION
       Funding Free Software

       If you want to have more free software a few years from
       now, it makes sense for you to help encourage people to
       contribute funds for its development.  The most effective
       approach known is to encourage commercial redistributors
       to donate.

       Users of free software systems can boost the pace of
       development by encouraging for-a-fee distributors to
       donate part of their selling price to free software
       developers---the Free Software Foundation, and others.

       The way to convince distributors to do this is to demand
       it and expect it from them.  So when you compare
       distributors, judge them partly by how much they give to
       free software development.  Show distributors they must
       compete to be the one who gives the most.

       To make this approach work, you must insist on numbers
       that you can compare, such as, ``We will donate ten
       dollars to the Frobnitz project for each disk sold.''
       Don't be satisfied with a vague promise, such as ``A
       portion of the profits are donated,'' since it doesn't
       give a basis for comparison.

       Even a precise fraction ``of the profits from this disk''
       is not very meaningful, since creative accounting and
       unrelated business decisions can greatly alter what
       fraction of the sales price counts as profit.  If the
       price you pay is $50, ten percent of the profit is
       probably less than a dollar; it might be a few cents, or
       nothing at all.

       Some redistributors do development work themselves.  This
       is useful too; but to keep everyone honest, you need to
       inquire how much they do, and what kind.  Some kinds of
       development make much more long-term difference than
       others.  For example, maintaining a separate version of a
       program contributes very little; maintaining the standard
       version of a program for the whole community contributes
       much.  Easy new ports contribute little, since someone
       else would surely do them; difficult ports such as adding
       a new CPU to the GNU Compiler Collection contribute more;
       major new features or packages contribute the most.

       By establishing the idea that supporting further
       development is ``the proper thing to do'' when
       distributing free software for a fee, we can assure a
       steady flow of resources into making more free software.



2004-05-31                  gcc-3.3.4                           1





fsf-funding(7)                 GNU                 fsf-funding(7)


SEE ALSO
       gpl(7), gfdl(7).

COPYRIGHT
       Copyright (c) 1994 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
       Verbatim copying and redistribution of this section is
       permitted without royalty; alteration is not permitted.


















































2004-05-31                  gcc-3.3.4                           2


