elementary OS future revenue

[TDT]

Ok, first of all I must say that I'm copying the title of a Reddit post on the same topic, because I couldn't think of any other meaningful title.

 

Maybe some of you are up to date with this subject, but if you're not, here's the thing: the guys behind elementary OS are exploring possible ways to make some money out of their work. This has generated a lot of arguments over the internet, with people who are bashing the team for adding a "pay what you want" button on the download page and people who think they SHOULD benefit from their work.

 

Now, on several posts on G+ and Reddit, there are suggestions for some kind of "business model" for eOS. Daniel Fore even made a poll about this:

Which would you be more willing to:

* Participate in a crowd funding campaign that raises a realistic sum like $50-90k AND
* Actually put money into purchasing and sustaining the product after initial funding.

1. A compact, $500-600 elementary desktop (similar to the mint box in concept but sexier and with elementary OS).

2. An app store with only apps designed for elementary OS where developers can have paid apps (Think Vocal is now $1).?

 

Other suggestions include a Kickstarter campaign, donation bar, monthly fee for dedicated support, etc. This is a Reddit post on this topic.

Personally, I'm with the people that think they SHOULD get something for their hard work, and I don't envy their position right now. It's clear that this is not just another Linux distro that comes and goes in a few months, they're here to stay and make history, and while this is great for us, for them it means more developers needed and more work. Work takes time, and to allocate time for this project it would mean to focus exclusively on it - so they need money.

 

What does the Neowin community think on this topic? What would you recommend, or what would you do if you were in a similar situation?

[adam7288]

All of the above...nothing wrong at all with financial motivation to encourage the progress of a project - whether it be software or any other endeavors which benefit humanity. 

 

Some software projects are lucky enough to have inspired the passions of a good many hobbyists as not to require such funding, but that does not mean it applies to all software!

 

By the way - not free != for profit. They have to be able to afford the next meal and fulfill basic human needs while they dedicate their hours of labor crafting code and design for your enjoyment!

[macoman]

What they can do is provide some kind of subscription model... Let's say the basic subscription provide one year of dedicated support and free upgrades. The next subscription can be with more years of dedicated support. If they can make some kind of store that they can sell their own stuff... That will be great too.

[xxxxxx.xxxxxx]

Linux distibutions, the majority are free and opensource project that rely on donations and volunteers.

If you decide that you wish to make a Linux distribution, you have to understand that you are entering a world that has no 'real' business model and as such making any profit will in fact be difficult.

With that in mind, adding a pay what you want button and allowing users to throw a little cash towards the devs is fine. But actually trying to create a profit out of a free project wont happen easily if at all.

Lets face it, if people don't want to pay they arent short of choices. People will just change their distro and eventually they will loose the following they have created.

 

But thats just my two cents.

[TDT]

Linux distibutions, the majority are free and opensource project that rely on donations and volunteers.

If you decide that you wish to make a Linux distribution, you have to understand that you are entering a world that has no 'real' business model and as such making any profit will in fact be difficult.

With that in mind, adding a pay what you want button and allowing users to throw a little cash towards the devs is fine. But actually trying to create a profit out of a free project wont happen easily if at all.

Lets face it, if people don't want to pay they arent short of choices. People will just change their distro and eventually they will loose the following they have created.

 

But thats just my two cents.

I agree, but keep in mind that 90% of the Linux distros out there are similar to each other and crappy. Only a handful have a big user base, like Ubuntu, Mint, eOS, Arch, etc. And keep in mind that the biggest stake in this is to provide alternatives to users of Windows or OSX, and that is not easy. Elementary is one of the few distros out there that can really make people switch. It's not just another theme slapped on Ubuntu, there's a lot of work in this.

I don't think they are concerned about profit right now, I believe they need $ for developers, bounties, etc. Right now, there are too few people working on it, that's why the release cycle is so slow.