OP Title Plugin to raise money to enhance plugins changed for simplicity to enable official Discourse plugin to enable signatures that they may be used for fundraising links by Authors and other contributors.
Given this need I’d like to ask what could be done to help plugin authors do to maintain plugins like this?
For instance, can a plugin be made to attach to topics that utilize stripe and allow people to collect a few bucks at a time to enhance their work?
The flag feature has only a few inquiries on updates, but an author could propose V2 if xx level of donations are raised, that plugin could be activated/attached to threads based on interest/feedback.
I guess the best way is for the indie developers to have a system and plan in place to support paid development, Tooling is already available to achieve this. For example, Pavilion has built an elaborate subscriptions system for discourse plugins. This is currently being used in custom wizard plugin subscriptions.
Similar integrations could be done by others to leverage the subscription ecosystem where users could subscribe for a small monthly fee to support the development and maintenance efforts for 3rd party plugins.
Ps: I am a part of Pavilion but opinions are my own.
lol, thanks for the disclosure, subscriptions are good no doubt, but I think one-off donations should not be ruled out, I see a lot of struggling people here that won’t want to add to their monthly bills but might toss out five bucks here/there and that could add up.
Off topic now, but perhaps there should be something similar than WordPress environment has. But Discourse may be still too marginal, and that’s why pricing is more or less at B2B-level. I understand totally that a dev needs it incomes and there is bills to pay. But the fact is it at same time limits possibilities. But if a dev makes enough revenue then system works.
The subscription system is flexible wrt that. The devs could offer donation option by offering one-time purchase options for some amount. I personally believe we’ll need a lot of such people for it to actually make a meaningful incentive for a developer.
No doubt, but many hands make light work, setting this up now could accelerate things later, mapping out the route for future success, this place is a success based on its using willing talent, but talent is limited, so now lets add some $$ to help fuel the existing talent pool.
I use other open source software that pales in comparison due to its limited thinking on opening up opportunities to others, its held back, which affects just that, being held back.
I picture right next to or in place of the vote box a donate box
Or the dev could just link (like ko-fi.com) to let people donate in the plugin topic itself. There is a merit to your request but I’m afraid this won’t be a priority item.
I guess it has not changed in a really long time. Marketplace is usually self-regulated and devs participating there usually arrange for their own payment system and customer support.
It really depends on how this button is rendered. I am not a developer but I have not seen any user-configurable buttons across the discourse UX so far, maybe it is a technical limitation or maybe it has not been tried yet. I am not sure of it and do not have a strong opinion for a button vs link. Given the state of internet today, I’ve grown accustomed to sometimes also clicking on the small font links placed below the big CTA buttons because that’s what gets the job done.
I’m trying to hear what people are trying to say, which is why I posted this, I was hearing the need for money
The solution may already exist and perhaps should be put forward as enabling an offical plugin here
With signatures people could put a “support my plugins” link at the bottom to easily be seen by users, that could go to the page of their choice, perhaps listing all of their plugins, if they chose to set it up that way, create a menu, users could donate xx amount to x plugin
IMO Discourse should utilize the landing pages idea and host a page for each author, ask that the author kick back a percentage to Discourse, this would enhance existing work , keep things centered around building the brand and help pave a path forward for more features as authors would not have solicit marketplace listings.
An easy way to maybe do what your proposing really doesn’t need a direct Plugin. Consider the Install Theme component button.
Independents, DeV groups etc… could simply post a PayPal/Patreon/Etransfer link etc… as a Donate link. Use the note section of a payment option to input the Plugin/theme or general contributions.
As @merefield said. Sponsoring code changes, new features. The financials help keep the code maintained as it is a fair bit of work to keep up on changes in core that may cause breakage and big fixes
A fairly famous quote
“Open-source is free like air. Not free like beer”
Benefit of adding a feature to this plugin is that if merged as a pr it becomes maintained easier than a fork.
So in this case would maybe make the request that you could use the default or use a custom named prompt with a new library of flats that the admin uploads and names
As there are a few ppl interested in the idea one could post in Marketplace and when a DeC responses in a pm with price. Send a pm to a group of folks wanting to contribute
If the DeV is okay with it(check with them) you maybe able to simply invite the others to the pm. If this approach is okayed. Then the group can say each send their part of the price.
This fits with your topic in part about a donate to plugin & theme/components
Just another step added to keep it from happening, fundraising needs to be made easy, a contribute link on these pages, enabling signatures seems ideal, it’s already an official plugin after all, who knows, money could trickle in and make it worth updating.
If signatures are such a bother then at least enable them for authors or other contributor groups so they could utilize it to earn money to contribute to the common good.
And a signature with tip link would be easy for people to kick you an appreciation tip
You made it moot by moving it, the inability to get votes diminishes the voice of the people who may wish to be heard, I know Jeff hates signatures, but has Jeff heard all the reasons where they may be helpful?
I didn’t push a broad brush allow, rather a narrow stroke to allow for a practical purpose, to support those who support Discourse, so I ask you please move it back, let those who will speak up to speak up, this is more of the arbitrary decision making I’d like you to be considerate of, it is a community remember.
Again, another step, people need things to be easy, easily seen, easily done, lets make getting money into the workers hands as easy as possible.
