Re: gEDA-user: Random thoughts on the future interface of PCB

[Stephen Ecob <silicon.on.inspiration@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Dec 9, 2010 at 7:06 PM, Peter Brett <peter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> 1. Would any of the existing maintainers be able to devote more time
>> to gEDA if they had financial support to do so ?
>
> In my case: yes. :-/
>
>          Peter

OK, so that's a 'yes' for question 1!

Now for question 2 - money.
A few weeks back I was seriously considering paying $5K for Altium.
In the end I decided against it (closed source p*sses me off too
much), but it did make me realise that I could justify spending that
kind of money on pcb software.  Now if we're thinking in terms of a
$200K per year developer then $5K will achieve next to nothing - but
let's think of alternatives. I can't remember the details, but I
vaguely recall that a second Google Summer of code with funding of
~$15K would have allowed Anthony to finish the toporouter.
http://www.linuxfund.org/projects/pcb/ tells me that $3330 allowed DJ
to improve PCB's file import system.  So we don't necessarily have to
think in $100K's for achieving real results.  Now many of us aren't in
a position to spend money on PCB software - but what if two other
members of our community were also able to afford $5K ?  Perhaps three
of us could chip in to fund a GSOC equivalent.  If that allowed a
result like finishing the toporouter (say), I could well judge that to
be money well spent.  If 7 other people came forward and it was $2K
each I'd find it a no brainer.  But I realise I'm really ignorant of
my own community - am I the only one who would consider funding PCB
development by others ?  Are there 7 who could afford $2K ?  Are there
20 who could afford $750 ?


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