UB Ports funding

tchan

I can be happy to pay every month for the OS if it's necessary, but then this OS will be only for "rich people" or people living in rich country. It will also avoid newcomer to try it.

Even if I'm more than happy with UT, if it's not free how will we explain to user that "x" app isn't available and "y" app is buggy?

This thread and https://forums.ubports.com/topic/7368/community-ubports-its-future/6 just remind me that I have to give more often when I can!

flohack

@lakotaubp The foundation cannot charge services, but a service company could do. Note that you would not pay for the software itself but for infrastructure primarily and our small cloud of services like push server, system-image & OTA etc.

So for such a case someone would found a company and then take over that charging.

You could still run Ubuntu Touch on your device but for example only update it manually.

flohack

@tchan We can make it clear if we detail for WHAT you are paying: Apps in the open store will always be free, for example. uAdBlock is a bit of a special thing here. You would need to be able to run it with your own blocklists, that you can host yourself.

But if UBports shall maintain and update those lists, you would have to pay for that. Not impossible, and still allows users to use most apps, buggy or not,.

Remember that 90% of apps is not even under the control of the foundation. Not even the openstore itself (its their own community and not affiliated with us).

Lakotaubp

@flohack Thanks for the quick clarification. Leading to the next question, has much real research or work on this been started in the past or is it just a potential idea.

flohack

@lakotaubp Its a potential idea, since it creates a lot of side questions, for example how to provision that service subscription on the device? We do not have the needed parts to allow an account log in from the phone and activate certain stuff.

Its a business model someone could come up with. But its not foreseen pretty much now

dizzy

@farmer Yes, its usually to much trouble with payments for stuff like this. But, I just found that you can donate in their store. Its just like any purchase. Payment with card and an automatic invoice per mail. Try it!

Farmer

@dizzy I will. Thank you.

cliffcoggin

Interesting responses so far. I'll not comment on them yet except to note that only one person has actually answered my question.

dizzy

@cliffcoggin I would go on using it!

A Former User

@cliffcoggin
survival important question... Thank you
this will separate the wheat from the chaff...
fight for your rights..
fights are won with money ...

(I don't like it either, but unfortunately it's like that ...)

stanwood

Remember that any paid service comes with a guarantee of results.
It is nothing more or less than a sales contract between a service provider and an end user.

We would have to meet many requirements from users who will pay for our services, set up a customer service, expose ourselves to legal proceedings in case of non satisfaction, criticism on social networks, etc...

Do we really need to get out of free software?

Personally, even if a royalty equal to only 50% of my annual donations to the foundation were required, I would be forced to leave the project since it would no longer correspond to my computer ethics and values.

But as I mentioned above, I am open to other types of revenues (business, hardware sales, value-added services, merchandising, etc.) and as @Flohack said, it's a new business model that has to be deeply analyzed.

A Former User

This post is deleted!

A Former User

@stanwood "'Free software' is about freedom, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of 'free' in terms of 'free speech', not 'free beer'." (richard stallman)

"i know it's not the best example in the momet ... but it's a fundamental one..."

flohack

@john-silver Also, the problem is that writing FOSS software is something that "kinda can happen in my free time, under my control" whereas already now UBports Foundation has to run server infrastructure 24/7 that is rented.

Some part of that are sponsored, but in the end if we grow it will always be necessary to communicate: Good services need money, you wont get them for free like the software sources can be.

If everyone agrees that we can kill the infra and everyone can build UT on their own machines then it will become really free ^^

A Former User

@flohack
I think it's a misunderstanding,
I say yes, there is nothing free...

free software does not have to be "kostenlos"...

Alter

One way to maybe get more donations:
Promoting an option of recurring (monthly) donations prominently on the site and forum. Recurring donations only need one action from the supporter and from then on generate steady incoming cash flow (as long as not actively cancelled by the donor).
The site already has a Donate page, but it could be mentioned more prominently. Perhaps with a total monthly goal and status bar? I think it would help if there is some explanation why donations are needed, what kind of things are funded with the money. The recent thread about our adblocker app is an example of what things cost to keep running, and response also shows that not everyone is aware. Maybe also specific projects could be highlighted for people to donate to, just like was done with Waydroid where funding was succesful.

dizzy

@Alter
I think that a total monthly goal and status bar would be great! Also your suggestion that specific projects could be highlighted for people to donate to.

Alter

@dizzy : Thanks!
I don't have the power to make this happen though. Someone involved with forum, site, funding could do it. Don't know who to speak to in this case.
Hope they read this and, if they think it's a good idea too, pick it up to turn it into reality!

aarontheissueguy

@alter Agreed! Why not take the Wikipedia approach and put a fat banner up that only disappears when the goal is reached. Sometimes you need to annoy people a bit to get them donating.

AppLee

Sorry in advance for the long answer

First of all and to answer the question : I'm willing to pay for Ubuntu Touch

Now to address the deeper issue at play here, I see various topics and feelings associated with them.
First of all, I don't like the feeling I have that the community is passive and "asking" the foundation.

It should be clear what the foundation do and can do. For example, hosting, notification system, updates, etc.
I agree with @Alter displaying the financial need of the foundation is an incentive so we know when to donate and how much and what it is used for.
Maybe showing off the sub-communities of UBports like Open-Store, Waydroid and some key apps like Teleports, uNav or Pure Maps, uAdBlock, UT Tweak Tool, ... (to only name a few)

My idea is to take the opportunity to make a change to the UBports Q&A format.

Invite various actors of the community to pitch in and show other aspect of the UBports community than the foundation.
Show the financial aspect and thanks the sponsors and explain the target once a year.
"Drive" the community by setting the focus on various topics (where the UBports foundation show was saying we cannot do much because our resources are full, the UBports community show could say there is this interesting topic that needs our attention, this will require this kind or resources, who's up to it?)

I appreciate Dalton's work and I think the visible part (the show) of his work should be his legacy and as such could be a reminder that we (the community) should be caring for each other and sharing the weight so together we can achieve a better Ubuntu Touch.
The UBports foundation is a central component of this community and will hold an important seat at the table but the UBports Show can be widen to the community so we feel more involve and less acting like customers.

Also a note on what mentionned @Flohack in another thread.
The "voice" of the show could be a native English speaker for ease of communication, but they do not have to hold all the burden.
Other people can write scripts, a bit similar to what Matteo does for the highlighted apps, so it is not so much of what Alphred, Dalton, Florian or Marius (in alphabetical order and for the recurrent hosts) did during the last couple of weeks, but really a what happens within the community and what should be its future.

Thanks for reading and if you like this idea maybe we can start to draft something in a dedicated thread.

My philosophy is that I have to make something positive from a tragedy.
So let's make Dalton proud of us and of what came from the ashes of his burn out.