gEDA-user: Methods to improve gEDA tools (was: fritzing)

[Stuart Brorson <sdb@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi --

I ordinarily don't talk about money in public since it can
open sensitive issues.  However, I'll make an exception this time.
I hope that by doing so, I can inspire others to do what I have done.

I just sent off a second check to the Linux fund for US$200 to support
the PCB upgrade project.  I sent one late last year, so that brings my
total donation to $400 so far.

Now I invite others who are interested in supporting the PCB usability
enhancement project to do the same.  If you want to help the  gEDA
Project out, but feel that you can't contribute code, then make a
monetary donation to compensate those who can!

http://www.linuxfund.org/projects/pcb/

A few hundred dollars may be more than some people consider
donating, but in the grand scheme of things, it's really not much
compared to the value you can get out of the gEDA tool chain,
particularly compared to the cost of tools having similar
capabilities.

Also, look at it this way: a $200 donation is only three or four
months of cable TV; how much real value do you get out of all those
channels of junk?  Isn't gEDA/PCB much more valuable, both in terms of
the amount of time you spend with it, and also (if you use it
professionally) because it is a tool you use to make your living?  If
you agree, please donate!

Now I'll add a new wrinkle to my comment:  During this ongoing thread,
somebody said:

>> Of course gEDA for Windows would mean more users. But would those
>> additional user contribute something to the project?

and Joerg responded:
> Oh yes. Without feedback from lots of folks who do engineering and CAD
> for decades you cannot create a good CAD tool.

I think this point has been made several times before, but I'll turn
it into a challenge.  Sure, offering occasional comments like "gEDA
needs better slotting before I can use it" is a kind of contribution.
However, it's at best of marginal use, since the gEDA developers are
also professional engineers and are already aware of the tool's
shortcomings.

A better contribution to the gEDA Project would be to help provide
incentive for development work to happen.  So I'll make Joerg a
challenge:

   Joerg, if you donate to the Linux Fund's gEDA/PCB project,
   I'll *match* your donation up to $200.  For example, that means
   that if you donate $100, I'll send in another check for $100 to
   match yours, up to a limit of $200 from you.

My goal is to remind folks that there are many ways to get their
feature requests implemented, including:

*  Implement the feature request yourself, and send in a patch.  This
    is the best and most reliable way to ensure your desired feature
    makes it into the project.
*  Pay a developer -- either one of the gEDA developers, or one you
    find yourself -- to implement your desired feature.  This method is
    also effective.  The Linux Fund project is one instantiation of
    this method.
*  Beg, whine, and cajole the developers to implement your feature for
    free.  This method is not guaranteed at all.

Cheers,

Stuart


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