Linux Foundation courts individual members (Linux-Watch) [LWN.net]

Linux Foundation courts individual members (Linux-Watch)

Posted Sep 23, 2008 2:10 UTC (Tue) by k8to (subscriber, #15413)
Parent article: Linux Foundation courts individual members (Linux-Watch)

Ever since the linux fund went adrift, I've been wondering how I can meaningfully monetarily contribute to Linux (if at all). Any comments on how useful they are? Obviously paying a few key hackers is useful.

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Linux Foundation courts individual members (Linux-Watch)

Posted Sep 23, 2008 10:24 UTC (Tue) by eru (subscriber, #2753) [Link]

I've been wondering how I can meaningfully monetarily contribute to Linux (if at all).

Support a distribution company that employs some key hackers? Eg. you could buy their for-pay version, or support network (or whatever the company in question calls its moneymaker), even though you might not really need to.

taxes

Posted Sep 23, 2008 10:30 UTC (Tue) by coriordan (guest, #7544) [Link]

Keep in mind that donations are *much* more efficient than purchases. With purchases, a cut goes on taxes, another for the packing and trasport or web commerce company, the marketing, etc. With donations (to the right organisations, see comment below), you can be more efficient and for some people you can get tax deductions from your government or matching-contributions from your employer.

Contribute where you think it matters

Posted Sep 23, 2008 10:27 UTC (Tue) by coriordan (guest, #7544) [Link]

Thousands of programmers are already paid to work on GNU/Linux, and the corporate holders of Linux Foundation can fund more programmers at a whim.

To make a worthwhile difference, I suggest contributing to an organisation that is doing the work we can't leave to the corporates.

I donated to FSF and FSFE before I started working for FSFE. Working for them, of course I can be accused of being biased, but I do think that FSFE is doing great work and is worth supporting (<plug>joining the annual membership program FSFE's Fellowship is a good way</plug>)

The corporates will not get rid of the software patent problem, and the corporates will not defend the public's general right to participate in development and distribution of software. FSFE does this at the European and global level (UN, WIPO, WTO, WSIS, WGIG).

Contribute where you think it matters

Posted Sep 23, 2008 14:03 UTC (Tue) by dns (subscriber, #4239) [Link]

Contributing to essential efforts that are underfunded
is a worthwhile optimization, and the FSF and FSFE are a good choice.

But there is a "closer to home" choice: LWN.

I speculate that we would not be taking for granted today that set
of paradigms that go together to form Unix if it hadn't been that
one of the original Bell Labs group happened to have unusually good
writing skills and, equally important, the willingness to use them
extensively: Brian Kernighan.

Jon continues in the Kernighan tradition. Have others noticed how
often LWN articles are referenced now, sometimes even as a substitute for
writing their own documentation by respected (but writing-challenged?)
kernel-hackers!?

Jon's continuing efforts are an "essential service" to the Linux
community that you can support by arranging for more paid
subscriptions -- the only way he will allow.

Contribute where you think it matters

Posted Sep 23, 2008 14:16 UTC (Tue) by davi (guest, #18853) [Link]

What about contributing directly to developers?

Donation pledges

An example

It's not dead yet!

Posted Sep 23, 2008 23:44 UTC (Tue) by PO8 (guest, #41661) [Link]

I'm happily using my Linux Fund credit card. The organization was revived, by some local folks AFAIK, and is happily spreading funding to Linux developers. http://www.linuxfund.org/