[Pika-dev] Re: Funding Drive

[Tom Lord]

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The funding drive I announced on 29-Jan-2004 was a qualified success.

Funds were raised to cover the most immediate utility bills but timing
worked out such that, as you saw, I was drawn off-line for a bit with
a dial-out line disconnect.

I've tried my best to thank each contributor individually but, here
again, I'd like to thank all of the collectively.

I haven't raised (nearly) enough funds yet to initiate starting a
non-profit organization for arch and other free software research and
development -- I'd like to reaffirm my interest in achieving that
goal.  Meanwhile, the basic month-to-month bills continue to roll in.

I'm not quite out of the current woods and so I'd like to once again
encourage people to help if they can.   The paypal link is:

  
https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=lord%40emf.net&item_name=support+for+arch+and+other+free+software+efforts+by+tom+lord&no_note=1&tax=0&currency_code=USD

If I may repeat myself a bit:

Financially speaking, the arch project operates on a simple principle:
the project publishes excellent and useful free software which you are
free to download, use, modify, and redistribute.  The project keeps
the community in touch with a lively discussion forum.  What I ask in
return is that from time to time, users ask themselves how valuable
the project is to them and, if they are able, to provide the project
with a measure of that value in the form of a cash donation.

I think that's an excellent deal -- an excellent "model", if you will
for how free software research and development can be funded.  No user
is _required_ to pay.  No user is asked to pay more than they can
afford.  No user is denied use of the software or participation in the
project for not paying.  The direct contribution model is efficient
because it "cuts out the middlemen" -- funding directly supports
further R&D.  And the system is especially affordable for users when
compared to "seat fees", "support contracts", and the other systems of
"metered software costs" found in commercial projects.

Contributions from private individuals are (as always) extremely
welcome, however, I'd like to dedicate today's appeal to a different
group -- and with a new goal.  I'm certainly not discouraging personal
contributions: I suspect they're still needed.  They've kept me alive
for quite a while now.  The more the merrier and thank you, thank you,
thank you.  

But it also seems to me that the project is reaching a stage in
development, popularity, and impact, where it becomes appropriate for
me to look beyond personal charity, and beyond the current informal
structure of the project.

Therefore, today's appeal is especially directed at those users whose
interest in arch is related to commercial activity.  There are at
least a small number of companies who are either already using arch
internally, or who are conducting pilot efforts to figure out how to
use arch internally, or who are supporting their employees while those
employees are exploring arch.  There are also beginning to be
contractors who are working with arch as part of their jobs.   It's
this group of users I'd like to especially appeal to today.

I'm asking those of you with a commercial interest in arch, either
individually or via your organization, to make a contribution today.
I suggest that you pick an amount on a self-assessed sliding scale of,
say, $50 to $500.

Because of the current circumstances, that's an /URGENT/ request.
Time is of the essence.  The count-down to "lights off" on this end is
proceeding quite rapidly.  I encourage the use of paypal right now
simply because in most cases, that's the most rapid route for turning
contributions into bill payments.

To the degree that this appeal is successful, I'd like to give
something new back to the community and to the financial supporters of
arch.  In particular, I'd like to expand the funding model I've been
using for arch.  I hope to formalize it legally in the form of a
non-profit, charitable organization.  I hope to extend the model so
that funding flows to other arch engineer's besides just me.  I hope
to apply the model to other software in addition to arch.   

I'll need the community's help to accomplish those goals.  In addition
to just (literally) "keeping the lights on" here at Arch Central, I'll
need to raise a little bit seed money.  I'll need to find officers to
help run the organization and pay the incorporation fees.  And I'll
need to work out with the most active technical contributors to arch
how funding should best flow.  

For now, though, the need is urgent and immediate.  Every little bit
helps.

Paypal link:

  
https://www.paypal.com/xclick/business=lord%40emf.net&item_name=support+for+arch+and+other+free+software+efforts+by+tom+lord&no_note=1&tax=0&currency_code=USD

and Moneybookers info:

  address@hidden for www.moneybookers.com payments.

Thanks and yeehaw,

- -t


"Fast forward a couple of years. Now the truly massive profit margins
 meant that just about any mistake and I mean any mistake, was completely
 masked by the awesome cash flow. Management succumbed to the cash flow
 drug and vainly assumed that it was their hard work, superior strategies
 and dizzying business acumen that was driving the company ever skyward.
 They thought they could do no wrong but they were. 

 They thought that t-shirts, purple furniture, jackets, unique building
 architecture, polo shirts, sabbaticals, watches and great product code
 names were the secret recipe for success." --Chad Carlin

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