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I think gittip fills an interesting niche. Rather than supporting a particular project, gittip allows me to support a particular developer. By contributing to

by japhyr 14y ago

I think gittip fills an interesting niche. Rather than supporting a particular project, gittip allows me to support a particular developer. By contributing to gittip, I am saying I trust that developer to manage their time appropriately. I don't expect a specific amount of work every week; I expect a professional, long-term commitment to the project.

aaron-lebo 14y ago
Notice that you conflate developer and project as well. You want to support "a particular developer", but you expect commitment to "the project". So is the donation with regards to the developer or a particular project? The developer doesn't get the donation with any regards to whether it is aimed at them or the project. Is the developer free to work on a different project? Does the person who donates even know? It just seems like it can lead to disappointment and frustration. I believe I've seen some developers outright reject no-strings attached donations for this reason. What is expected of them? Should they feel beholden to those who give, and even if they shouldn't does psychology inevitably lead to that? That's why I feel like it has to be hard goals. This is expected for this, and not a donation which has too many unintended consequences. I don't mean to be overly argumentative.
- whit537 14y ago
  The relationship between individuals and projects is a huge open question for Gittip. Here's the current state of my thinking (long thread preceding): https://github.com/whit537/www.gittip.com/issues/27#issuecomment-7350150 https://github.com/whit537/www.gittip.com/issues/27#issuecom... Hard goals to me implies management, and I for one don't want to be a manager. ;^)
- japhyr 14y ago
  I think of it as a mix of supporting a developer, and a project. There is a lot of trust in gittip, and that is a good thing. If I ever grow dissatisfied with the developer I am supporting, I can withdraw my support, with no hard feelings. I get some of these issues. I ran a middle school chess team for about five years. Sometimes I was paid, sometimes it was volunteer. There are different freedoms and pressures in each model. I think there is definitely a place for gittip in the OSS world.
- cliftonmckinney 14y ago
  fwiw I tend to look at it as a "thank you" and a no-strings "keep up the good work." Same way an actual tip works. That's clearly not the way everyone looks at it though. Still, donating to an individual for their contributions, rather than to a project with the implied nudge that comes with a donation like that is, imo, the best approach.

by japhyr 14y ago

aaron-lebo 14y ago

Notice that you conflate developer and project as well. You want to support "a particular developer", but you expect commitment to "the project". So is the donation with regards to the developer or a particular project? The developer doesn't get the donation with any regards to whether it is aimed at them or the project. Is the developer free to work on a different project? Does the person who donates even know? It just seems like it can lead to disappointment and frustration. I believe I've seen some developers outright reject no-strings attached donations for this reason. What is expected of them? Should they feel beholden to those who give, and even if they shouldn't does psychology inevitably lead to that? That's why I feel like it has to be hard goals. This is expected for this, and not a donation which has too many unintended consequences. I don't mean to be overly argumentative.

whit537 14y ago
The relationship between individuals and projects is a huge open question for Gittip. Here's the current state of my thinking (long thread preceding): https://github.com/whit537/www.gittip.com/issues/27#issuecomment-7350150 https://github.com/whit537/www.gittip.com/issues/27#issuecom... Hard goals to me implies management, and I for one don't want to be a manager. ;^)
japhyr 14y ago
I think of it as a mix of supporting a developer, and a project. There is a lot of trust in gittip, and that is a good thing. If I ever grow dissatisfied with the developer I am supporting, I can withdraw my support, with no hard feelings. I get some of these issues. I ran a middle school chess team for about five years. Sometimes I was paid, sometimes it was volunteer. There are different freedoms and pressures in each model. I think there is definitely a place for gittip in the OSS world.
cliftonmckinney 14y ago
fwiw I tend to look at it as a "thank you" and a no-strings "keep up the good work." Same way an actual tip works. That's clearly not the way everyone looks at it though. Still, donating to an individual for their contributions, rather than to a project with the implied nudge that comes with a donation like that is, imo, the best approach.