I think the fellowship idea is a damn good one. I also think it is a steep price for a single individual to pay. Can't there be a lower fee for FOSS hackers to pay to get access to all these goodies?
I agree with that, especially for countries where most people aren't as rich as in Western Europe (the 10 new EU countries for example). It might be a good idea to give a minimum and preferred amount of money to pay, and then let the fellow decide how much (s)he wants to pay (the minimum or some amount more than that).
The fellowship program is a nice way to create a community with dedicated people and also get some money, but you have the risk of excluding the poor if the price is too steep. And I think that's something we don't want.
Jeroen Dekkers
|| On Fri, 4 Mar 2005 18:16:55 +0100 || Jeremiah Foster jeremiah.foster@gmail.com wrote:
jf> I also think it is a steep price for a single individual to pay.
Given that 10 EUR per month translates to ~1 pizza or a few beers in most countries, it does not seem a very steep price, to be honest.
I would happily forgo a night out drinking for the FSFE fellowship. But I think 60 € is significantly more than an evening of drinking, even in high-tax Sweden. 60 € is more than 500:- SEK, this is not trivial. I can't help but notice that you broke it down into a monthly payment to make it seem manageable.
The fact is that this represents a barrier to entry and legitimacy for young developers. We want young people in our camp and we should make it as easy as possible for someone to join our cause.
If you individually think that you cannot pay this, then there is the reduced rate -- and we will simply assume that you will be honest about whether or not you can pay the full price or not
I think this is generous. Personally I feel that "enterprises" ought to pay through the nose, they exploit free software and ignore their responsibility to the community. To be a fellow of the FSFE they ought to pay significantly more than 100 €. I think 1000 € is more appropriate.
It was a lot of work to set up and still is.
I imagine it is a lot of work, if there is anything I can do to help please contact me.
But we also felt it was the right thing to do. So I am very happy to see that you agree -- thanks!
I do agree, strongly. I think the FSFE is a hard working and valuable organization with many important initiatives. I hope to contribute as well, and hope that my views are received in the spirit of debate in which they were intended and not as someone who merely wants to criticize.
Best Regards,
Jeremiah