https://liberapay.com/ is a great platform for what you propose, Luke should make an account.

On Sat, Dec 30, 2017 at 3:01 AM, ronwirring@safe-mail.net wrote:

-------- Original Message -------- From: Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton lkcl@lkcl.net Apparently from: arm-netbook-bounces@lists.phcomp.co.uk To: Linux on small ARM machines arm-netbook@lists.phcomp.co.uk Subject: [Arm-netbook] EOMA68 / Libre RISC-V team financing Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2017 09:59:04 +0000

On the current pc card situation I have some remarks. Primarily directed at other pc card supporters. I got the pc card after making some assessments. Did I believe it was a scam, no. Did I believe the pc card had a chance of getting made, yes. Did I believe the pc card enterprise could shipwreck, yes. If so I decided lkcl would not hear a word for it from me. Of course I only made such decision because to me the pc card's price is negligible. If beneficial to lkcl, he can erase me from the shipping list and no refund. I ask others to do the same. I think lkcl has done more than one can expect. He likely has gathered experiences and knowledge about libre hardware, he can use moving forward. If lkcl can contribute to the riscv development, he rather should do that, than potter on an arm cpu, none of us like. What I want to avoid is, that lkcl on economic reasons gets discouraged and jammed.

I know the following is not achievable. I say it anyway. One option is, lkcl sets a monthly required amount of money for the next 6 months. I am prepared to pay lkcl 5usd a month. But only if I know lkcl gets the required sum every month. 5Usd is cheap, I know. If you want to pay more do it.

To me this matter is another prove of libre software people not being streamlined. Libre software people are up against companies like intel and amd. Libre software people cannot expect to achieve results if the matter is not better organized. Among libre software people there should be a system of fellowships enabling persons to work on free software. No it does not have to be lkcl. But such system should be created. How should it be founded?

...

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[ron, thank you for writing this, it's very insightful and thoughtful]

On Sat, Dec 30, 2017 at 10:01 AM, ronwirring@safe-mail.net wrote:

If beneficial to lkcl, he can erase me from the shipping list and no refund. I ask others to do the same.

that's really appreciated, that you would consider making what is in effect a donation or sponsorship. my primary concern here, is, that the computers that i am making *remain in circulation and in use*. so this is actually really rather important (enough so that i'll probably make a special update about it, now that i think about it).

if anyone is backing the project with the intention of seeing it succeed but *not* actually intending to find someone who will *actually* use the computer, please do contact crowdsupply - orders@crowdsupply.com - with your order number (cc me) and say "hello i would like to turn my pledge into a donation, for luke to find someone to donate or sell the computer to, thank you".

I think lkcl has done more than one can expect. He likely has gathered experiences and knowledge about libre hardware, he can use moving forward.

... and anyone else can as well: that's primarily why i pushed through joshua's initial reticence at the length of each update that i write. i learned from openmoko, and from openpandora, and many others: i in turn am simply doing the same thing.

If lkcl can contribute to the riscv development, he rather should do that, than potter on an arm cpu, none of us like. What I want to avoid is, that lkcl on economic reasons gets discouraged and jammed.

appreciated.

I know the following is not achievable. I say it anyway. One option is, lkcl sets a monthly required amount of money for the next 6 months. I am prepared to pay lkcl 5usd a month. But only if I know lkcl gets the required sum every month. 5Usd is cheap, I know. If you want to pay more do it.

everything helps. it's the fundamental basis of crowd-funding.

To me this matter is another prove of libre software people not being streamlined. Libre software people are up against companies like intel and amd. Libre software people cannot expect to achieve results if the matter is not better organized.

well, what's really nice is that intel, amd and ARM are now up against the Indian Government. my unexpected role seems to be to keep madhu's feet on the ground as he's like.. a high-torque Muscle Car Motor... without a gearbox to put all that power into "rubber-on-the-road" :)

Among libre software people there should be a system of fellowships enabling persons to work on free software. No it does not have to be lkcl.

... and it shouldn't. i have enough to do.

But such system should be created. How should it be founded?

there do exist several. it does seem though that certain well-known and well-respected people whose contribution has been consistent and long-term *within their community* can receive funding - if they ask for it - pretty much immediately. the value they're offering is clear. i'm thinking in particular of joey hess. joey raised i think it was USD $100,000 in a DAY or something mad for an idea he had to create a distributed automated home directory mounting system based around git, so that people in the free software community could not just back up files off-site but also if they went to conferences or wherever they could *borrow* a random piece of equipment when they arrived and gain *direct* access to their home directory.

here he is:

https://joeyh.name/blog/entry/DIY_crowdfunding_and_bitcoin/

so interestingly he started on kickstarter (where his project immediately became a "staff pick"), then did a second campaign using his own infrastructure... because he's technically competent to handle that, and because he is extremely well-known and well-liked. and has consistently demonstrated an ability to *communicate* effectively with people across the world.

this is what crowdsupply helped *me* with, enormously: they provided me with a platform where i could easily *communicate*. i had to do non-stop 6 hour marathons *every damn day* on different forums (70 in total over the course of the campaign - i kept a list so i could myself keep track), *and* still spend time to write updates (every 2-3 days), without which there wouldn't be anything *to* actually talk about on those various forums.

so... if anything... the lesson is that it's not so much the medium or method as it is the ability (and the tools behind you) to communicate effectively.

l.