import/export bounty

Christian Stimming stimming at tuhh.de
Thu Sep 25 05:43:29 EDT 2008


Am Montag, 22. September 2008 19:48 schrieb Ian Smith-Heisters:
> I'm also uncertain how the project likes to handle bounties. I guess
> ideally I'd donate to the project as a whole and the project manager
> could get whomever is most qualified to implement the feature. OTOH, I
> can just pay a developer directly.

Just to answer this question directly as well: I can fully see how it would be 
easiest for an outsider (=you, so far) to donate to "the project" and 
have "the project manager" decide who gets the money. However, in gnucash 
there is no project manager and also nobody with the authority or intention 
to be in a place to make decisions about fund allocation.

This is probably exactly the weak spot of this project over the last years. 
However, the core developers (including me) don't perceive any particular 
problem in that. After all, "our personal itch" has been scratched, so why 
invest additional time, of which we - as everyone - are so short. My 
prediction is that this situation won't change unless someone shows up who 
has a different interest in gnucash: Not only "scratching the personal itch", 
but additionally leading the project into some whatever development. A (maybe 
newly founded) company who would want to make money with gnucash and/or 
services around it would be strong example for such a shift of interest. In 
effect, I claim that gnucash has reached the limit of where the "scratching 
the personal itch" motivation of development actually gets the resulting 
software forward.

Hence, if *you* want to invest money and expect results from it, comparable to 
a "classic" project, you will have to find a "project manager" first, or 
alternatively you will have to put yourself into that position. 
(Incidentally, your resume indicates you might actually be rather qualified 
for picking up such a job yourself.) Without a person who acts like a project 
manager I wouldn't expect any short-term results that meet your explained 
needs.

Regards,

Christian


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