These "funding" schemes keep popping up in different contexts. Journalism attracted a bunch of these schemes 5 to 10 years ago. Consider what Mike Krahulik said

These "funding" schemes keep popping up in different contexts. Journalism attracted a bunch of these schemes 5 to 10 years ago. Consider what Mike Krahulik said about Kachingle: "you can't just start collecting money for me without some kind of deal." http://webcomictweets.com/detail/tweet/138771362931163136 http://webcomictweets.com/detail/tweet/138771362931163136 Kachingle was an extreme case, gathering "donations" for sites like Wikipedia, Google News, and also small sites like Mike Krahulik's. Using this approach on Github is just a new variation on an old scam. As someone else said in that same thread: "that is the weirdest creepiest business model ever."