| Most companies, even though they highly depend on open source packages, don't invest a single dime in them. Why? Because companies operate by the ROI principle - return on investment. If they invest in something, they need to see the return in the near or distant future. The problem with the current state of open source support is that it is not nearly as targeted as it should be. Currently, companies donate some amount of money to a repository owner and blindly trust that he/she will do the job and continue maintaining that open source package. This approach is flawed in many ways. Open source is not just about the creator of the package but rather about the community around it - the contributors. But the actual community gains nothing from these company donations. Because of this, I believe that a platform focused on distributing company funds among open source contributors could improve open source quality and consequently enhance their enterprise solutions as well. The basic concept is that a company dedicates 10k€ (or any other amount) for open source. Developers within that company have the ability to distribute these funds among open source issues they would benefit the most from. This way, company management does not need to waste time deciding where to allocate the money, and they can actually expect a return on their investment. With this in mind, I am developing https://openpledge.io, a platform for supporting open source through issue-based donations. Currently platform is in development and will launch for closed beta in a few weeks.
Any critics and suggestions are more than welcome! |