maximumpc.com aug 2019 MAXIMUMPC 17
Alex Campbell
OPEN SOURCE
©github.com
It’s Now Easier to
Buy a Dev a Beer
GitHub SponSorS has made it easy to support the
developers of open source who host code on GitHub.
The program aims to make it easier for people to
contribute dollars, if they aren’t able to contribute
code. The big question is, who will be willing put up
cash for work that they’ve enjoyed for free?
This new program will be a
test to see how generous users
of open source really are.As the saying goes, free software is free as in
speech, not beer. Beer is not free. Neither is rent,
nor electricity. Yet these three things—beer, rent,
and electrons—are just some things an aspiring
developer might have to consider when giving up
hours to build things for the benefit of strangers.
If you’re not someone who busies themselves
writing code or documentation for fun, it can be
hard to figure out how to contribute to open-source
projects. You may really love an application or need
a piece of code, but there is often little most people
can contribute easily. Not everyone can write code.
Not everyone knows enough about how a software
package works to contribute documentation.
Just like the Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors
Without Borders), not everyone can be (or wants
to be) a doctor or nurse. But many people can
contribute a little spare cash, even if it’s just once.
Previously, people who wrote software would
have a hopeful PayPal button on their blog, in hopes
that someone could show their appreciation for the
hours logged at a keyboard. Being compensated
for time and effort spent on developing something
you give away for free is hardly an easy thing to do.
Many open-source projects are designed and
built by people who may not receive a shiny nickel
for their work. Bloggers and content creators
embraced platforms such as Patreon to fund theirability to continue creating art and
content. GitHub Sponsors looks
and feels quite similar, though
students, hobbyists, or budding
small business owners who write
code are the prime beneficiaries.
A developer who wants to be
sponsored by the community is
able to create a GitHub Sponsors
profile outlining donation levels,
and offer small thank-you gifts.
I like this move, though I am
forced to wonder just how effective
it might be. The new program does
have some immediate benefits.
First off, developers wanting
to solicit donations in order to
support their ability to continue
creating software won’t have to
build a third-party platform or
ask people donate to their PayPal
account. That said, many people
see “free software” as free (as
in beer). While low or no-cost
software is a perk, the idea of
free and open-source software
is that at some point, the users of
the software contribute in some
way to the improvement of the
software. Sometimes, that means
filing a bug report. Sometimes, it
means translating an interface to
another language. Sometimes, it
means putting a couple bucks in
the hat to help keep the lights on.
From my own limited experience,offering up a few dollars to help out
a project has been the exception
rather than the rule. For myself, I
can count on one hand how many
times I’ve made direct donations. I
hope greasing the skids to making
a donation will make it more likely
for people to do so. In a way, this
new program will be a test to
see how generous users of open
source really are.
For now, GitHub Sponsors is
rolling out slowly, and if you are a
developer, you can get on a waiting
list to put out the digital tip jar. If
you want to help out a developer
by buying them a beer (or coffee),
the feature is available now. As
of writing, GitHub is making sure
100 percent of donations goes to
developers. (Well, user accounts
who you can donate to—they don’t
have to be a “developer.”) GitHub is
also matching all donations up to a
maximum of $5,000 per recipient
for the first year. Like those NPR
challenge grants, your five bucks
can be 10 for the first 12 months.Alex Campbell is a Linux geek
who enjoys learning about
computer security.If a user is in the Sponsors
program, a “Sponsor” button will
appear below the “Follow” button.