Re: [FFmpeg-devel] [RFC] financial sustainability Plan A (SPI)

[Thilo Borgmann via ffmpeg-devel <ffmpeg-devel@ffmpeg.org>]

Hi,

Am 27.10.23 um 12:43 schrieb Rémi Denis-Courmont:
> 
> 
> Le 26 octobre 2023 18:45:23 GMT+03:00, Michael Niedermayer <michael@niedermayer.cc> a écrit :
>> This is financial sustainability Plan A (SPI)
>> ATM SPI has like 150k $, we do not activly seek donations, we do not currently
>> use SPI money to fund any development. SPI money is ultimately controlled by
>> the FFmpeg community and everything is transparent and public.
> 
>> 1. We should fund some FFmpeg development with SPI-FFmpeg money
> 
> Why should it be via SPI? What's the benefit of that hypothetical future additional funding going via SPI, as opposed to:

obviously transparency and community control. None of which is given by the 
options you list.

> - via FFlabs or any other reputable OSS multimedia consulting company,
> - a consortium of large companies, or
> - directly to a salaried or freelance developer.

Also, it is not that these shall cease to be done. Using SPI money is one more 
option.


> It seems the sole benefit is that SPI can solicit donations. So then you are putting the cart before the horses. Secure that extra funding first.
> 
>> To help 2. we should favor flashy, cool development that can bring in more
>> donations
> 
> That's the part that you'd need to clarify first. What relevant flashy cool development will attract those donations? Why should they be funded by donations rather than more traditional business transactions?

Hen & egg. Fortunately, as Michael suggests, we have a starting budget already 
and 5-10 K seem totally worth exploring this possibility for us.


>> * If you have some flashy FFmpeg project you want to work on with a cost of
>>   between 5-15k $ then propose it on the mailing list, make yourself ready for
>>   some paperwork complexities and some public debate as thats the first time we
>>   try this, there will be extra issues likely.
> 
> I don't think that code bounties count toward OSS "sustainability". It's condoning the so-called jig economy, which is the opposite, IMO.

Code bounties sustain a/the developer(s) working on it and that way they stay 
active with the project. Of course there are more reliable ways but that does 
not void bounties. Also, even if Michael just proposed code bounties - nothing 
stops us from sponsoring non-code-bounties to sustain FFmpeg. For SPI, their 
limitations are our limitations and they are not limited to code bounties.

-Thilo
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