Ubuntu donation/subscription

[pdoma]

now if i can help a project with code/money, sure it will help the project, but if i cannot then just by using it i am motivating the developer to continue doing what he/she does best since people like me are actually using it out of our own choice.

Contributing doesn't necessarily mean you have to do the actual hardcore coding, there are many ways you can contribute to the project. In a way we are all contributing right now by being active in the support forums.

A freeloader would be a person who downloads and uses the OS but in no way contributes to the project either by coding, support, bug reporting or help promote the OS.

[Vince4Amy]

A freeloader would be a person who downloads and uses the OS but in no way contributes to the project either by coding, support, bug reporting or help promote the OS.

If that's what you're going to label people like who use the OS without doing any of the above I would encourage them to switch back to Windows. Just using the OS is contributing as it as improving the user base.

[saulgoode]

Which ones do you donate to, Saul? Perhaps they should get some publicity here too.

Personally I feel that Ubuntu's earnt some of my cash. I didn't donate but I bought some merchandise instead.

My point was with regard to the poll's assumption that the only reason for not donating directly to Ubuntu would be an objection to "paying for Linux in any way". If you wish to donate to Canonical, I have no objection; I have similarly supported Slackware because I have benefited from Patrick's efforts and wish to see them continued.

Nonetheless, distributions are just one aspect of the Free Software initiative; to me the more important facet is the individual projects and the creation of a public software commons for shared development.

[pdoma]

If that's what you're going to label people like who use the OS without doing any of the above I would encourage them to switch back to Windows. Just using the OS is contributing as it as improving the user base.

If Linus Torvalds had the same attitude as you do we all would be using Windows. Could you explain to me what good comes from a wide user base alone?

[Mehall]

If Linus Torvalds had the same attitude as you do we all would be using Windows. Could you explain to me what good comes from a wide user base alone?

No it's different from Linux.

By making the Linux OSes more used, it encourages vendors/hardware companies to support Linux.

More users means more demand for OEM Linux and for nVidia/ATI/Ralink/everyone else to make their drivers better in Linux.

[pdoma]

I'm sorry I didn't get that, what's different from Linux?

Don't know about you but I don't use any proprietary drivers on any of my Linux boxes.

[Mehall]

I'm sorry I didn't get that, what's different from Linux?

Don't know about you but I don't use any proprietary drivers on any of my Linux boxes.

woops, that was supposed to be "No, it's different in linux"


If I didn't use proprietary drivers, I would have 640x480 resolution and couldn't use my WiFi card.

And if the hardware manufacturers contributed more, more commercial apps would be made for Linux, making more companies involved, meaning more things that Linux is missing would get covered quickly.

[olejorgen]

As I no longer use Ubuntu and not even KDE/Gnome I would not donate to Canonical. I do donate regulary to other projects though. I've made a thread with donation links.

[blueshiftoverwatch]

I might "donate" to them if it meant getting a cool tshirt or something in return. But I probably wouldn't because Canonical is a commercial company that is run and financed by a guy who's made more money than I'll probably ever make in my entire life. There are projects and organizations out there that don't have access to that kind of money that are in my opinion more in need of donations, such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Also, if I really wanted one I could get a Ubuntu shirt or other article of clothing on Ubuntu's store site. So I probably should have voted no instead of maybe.

If Canonical was after donations one thing they could do to get more people to donate would be to work out something with Ubuntu Forums to where if you donated a certain amount to them you'd get a little badge or something under your name that would show up whenever you post.

[Cerin]

Has anything been done about this? It's a great idea. Various NPR stations provide an option to make a recurring monthly donation. When I started thinking about how I use Ubuntu *way* more than I use NPR, and since I've donated to NPR, I'd really like to setup a small monthly donation. I saw http://www.ubuntu.com/community/get-involved/donate but that uses Paypal (blarg) and is one-time-only.