fsf-funding(7)

gcc-7.3.0                                                       1

FSF-FUNDING(7)                 GNU                 FSF-FUNDING(7)

NAME

     fsf-funding - Funding Free Software

DESCRIPTION

  Funding Free Software
     If you want to have more free software a few years from now,
     it makes sense for you to help encourage people to
     contribute funds for its development.  The most effective
     approach known is to encourage commercial redistributors to
     donate.

     Users of free software systems can boost the pace of
     development by encouraging for-a-fee distributors to donate
     part of their selling price to free software
     developers---the Free Software Foundation, and others.

     The way to convince distributors to do this is to demand it
     and expect it from them.  So when you compare distributors,
     judge them partly by how much they give to free software
     development.  Show distributors they must compete to be the
     one who gives the most.

     To make this approach work, you must insist on numbers that
     you can compare, such as, "We will donate ten dollars to the
     Frobnitz project for each disk sold."  Don't be satisfied
     with a vague promise, such as "A portion of the profits are
     donated," since it doesn't give a basis for comparison.

     Even a precise fraction "of the profits from this disk" is
     not very meaningful, since creative accounting and unrelated
     business decisions can greatly alter what fraction of the
     sales price counts as profit.  If the price you pay is $50,
     ten percent of the profit is probably less than a dollar; it
     might be a few cents, or nothing at all.

     Some redistributors do development work themselves.  This is
     useful too; but to keep everyone honest, you need to inquire
     how much they do, and what kind.  Some kinds of development
     make much more long-term difference than others.  For
     example, maintaining a separate version of a program
     contributes very little; maintaining the standard version of
     a program for the whole community contributes much.  Easy
     new ports contribute little, since someone else would surely
     do them; difficult ports such as adding a new CPU to the GNU
     Compiler Collection contribute more; major new features or
     packages contribute the most.

     By establishing the idea that supporting further development
     is "the proper thing to do" when distributing free software
     for a fee, we can assure a steady flow of resources into
     making more free software.

gcc-7.3.0            Last change: 2018-01-25                    1

FSF-FUNDING(7)                 GNU                 FSF-FUNDING(7)

SEE ALSO

     gpl(7), gfdl(7).

COPYRIGHT

     Copyright (c) 1994 Free Software Foundation, Inc.  Verbatim
     copying and redistribution of this section is permitted
     without royalty; alteration is not permitted.

gcc-7.3.0            Last change: 2018-01-25                    2