[contrib] support for core and plugin developers

squaredeye · 2006-05-18 15:46:08

There has been some interest in supporting developers more around here as a method for attracting work toward an end goal, and I found this app that was mentioned at mashable.com, and thought it might be interesting to think about? Its called chippin

mrdale · 2006-05-18 16:11:56

Great Idea! I’d gladly contribute to development of several plugins that I really need.

Another Idea: How about a forum topic where plugin requests are posted, and linked directly to those who are willing to contribute monetarily. Contributors would detail specific criteria for completion of a given plugin and pledge funds. Others who want that feature badly enough add their contributions and a pot is built.

Then when a developer delivers the plugin that satisfies the criteria, they take the total accrued funds.

I’ve been after a few items for a long time;

version control for articles
a form-based image tag
e-commerce shopping cart (isn’t everyone?)
many more

I rely heavily on others for TXPs development, but I’m willing to contribute. Perhaps other’s who feel the same way could spur more rapid development of TXP capabilities by providing incentives. Thoughts?

squaredeye · 2006-05-18 16:26:17

Mr Dale,
I am in the same boat.

What do you mean when you say “linked directly”?

I’m curious.

Great ideas.

M

mrdale · 2006-05-18 16:44:15

Ma-Smith asks: What do you mean when you say “linked directly”?

There’s been a lot of plugin requests by people like me.
AND there’s been numerous plugin ransoms offered by developers

I’m saying it might be nice to designate a kind of “plugin marketplace” forum and bring those two concepts together. The forum would utilize a kind of organic supply and demand, allowing those plugins with the broadest appeal to buid the largest bounty.

It would provide incentive for developers, and a means of contribution for those of us with no PHP skeels.

Make sense?

Last edited by mrdale (2006-05-18 16:46:33)

Mary · 2006-05-19 02:38:34

I don’t know if another forum would serve well, you may still end up with scattered and repeated requests rather than nicely organized lists?

squaredeye · 2006-05-19 02:46:16

Mary,
I agree. Do you have any recomendations for a better strategy? Perhaps a website dedicated to this project? Seems a bit much, but it could be handled with tags or another system? I dunno, just thinking out loud.

Any thoughts?

wet · 2006-05-19 09:04:22

By voting, maybe?

See AUGI AutoCAD Wishlist for a working example of how a user group communicates with a software vendor. AUGI collects feature requests from its members and weighs those with a voting system.

Autodesk (sometimes) listens.

Last edited by wet (2006-05-19 09:08:57)

hcgtv · 2006-05-19 10:16:38

matthew, signed up for ChipIn, will play around with it.

I’d also like to see a mechanism put into place where we put our money where out mouths are. A sort of poker game, we keep adding to the pot, the winner is the developer holding the right cards.

squaredeye · 2006-05-19 11:05:19

hcgtv,
Interesting idea. A sort of bidding. Could be an interesting way of advancing some of the plugins? I know for me, its worth it to see new functionality come to the surface as many plugins I pay for (gmaps for example – although Rob was very generous there) is something I will use more than once in freelance work.

Wet,
per your idea, here is what the AUGI group uses as guidelines:

Adhere to these guidlines when making posts:

* One post per wish — you can assume we heard you the first time. Also, please search before posting new wishes. If you add to an old thread, that thread becomes new again * One wish per post — break all your wishes into separate posts: don’t lump them all together! * Add polls to each wish — this way we can see how much people want the feature. Make all polls with 5 options, from a gotta-have-it five stars ( ***** ) to don’t-want-it one star ( * ) * Add prefixes and suffixes to the post title — the format for the prefix is the current Revit version number / Enhancement or New feature (e.g. 8.1/E), and for suffixes it’s Open, Granted, or Partially granted. Don’t post a wish for an older version if you haven’t checked to see if it’s been fulfilled in a more recent version! The prefix helps us track when the wish was made and if it’s still relevant. This is a good post title:

Mary or others,
Is there a poll plugin for PunBB that you might suggest? I saw this one but I don’t know for sure that it would be applicable for this project? Or for that matter, that we are up to adding new functionality to the forums like that?

Thoughts,

Matthew

Mary · 2006-05-20 01:47:17

That’s a mod, not a plugin, and an old one at that. 8x

Would voting really be helpful though? – not just because I don’t want the extra work ;) I mean, if someone asks for a plugin and it is really simple, usually someone comes along and just writes it. If it’s more difficult/involved, then moola (ransoms) speaks volumes louder than votes. For one thing, sometimes people will vote enthusastically for a complex plugin, but won’t chip in $5, so they didn’t really want it. It also makes it seem like a democratic process and so some will get false expectations (just because lots of people want a plugin doesn’t necessarily mean it would be created).

What about a sticky thread? I could create a plugin requests thread, and people can make their requests there and I or another moderator could update the top post with new requests, as well as assigning to them “markers” (Open, Claimed, Granted, or Partially granted, etc), links to plugin ransoms, etc.

Destry · 2006-05-20 13:13:49

ma_smith wrote:

…Do you have any recomendations for a better strategy? Perhaps a website dedicated to this project? Seems a bit much, but it could be handled with tags or another system? I dunno, just thinking out loud. Any thoughts?

I’d suggest the Resources Site, since this “plugin support” would be a resource and that site’s title would imply a good fit, but I dunno… What happened to the fabled redesign? There doesn’t seem to be anyone at the helm anymore. We all love and miss alicson, but she hasn’t posted around here in over 7 months. I know people have lives, but if it’s time to pass the baton, don’t cling — _*pass!_* Maybe she’s just waiting for someone to step up and say “I’ll run with it now?”

It would be great to hear from alicson…hear her position on things for that site. That’s all we need.

I’ve mentioned before that the utility of the title “Resources Site” seems a bit loose anymore, and it might be better to refocus that site to just plugins, as that’s really the only missing link in the family of Textpattern sites, and God knows we need a better plugin repository with more metadata and search capabilities. Something like what Mr. Dale is suggesting would fit into that kind of site nicely, as it would be plugin-related.

Textpattern Resources to Textpattern Plugin Resources, anyone?

By the way, if I ever disappear for even 2 months, consider hakjoon the TextBook lead automatically. Each site should probably have such a right (and left) arm.

squaredeye · 2006-05-20 13:25:55

Mary and Destry,

Both interesting ideas.

Mary, I see your point. (Its not like you need to point out that you’re not a slacker :) we all know that much)
What do you think about Destry’s point?

Destry, The only issue I have with that idea is that precident has been set here at the forum for these requests and this is where the majority of dialog happens and needs appear. The resources site seems like the best place for those final plugins to live, but I’m not quite sold on the idea of plugin “needs” living there? I think I like Mary’s idea. Don’t know how much work it would be, or how we would reign in all the repeat plugin ideas, or plugins for things that can be done in TXP already via the core? I do think that something needs to happen along those lines though?

What thinks you alls?

Textpattern CMS

Textpattern CMS support forum

#1 2006-05-18 15:46:08

[contrib] support for core and plugin developers

#2 2006-05-18 16:11:56

Re: [contrib] support for core and plugin developers

#3 2006-05-18 16:26:17

Re: [contrib] support for core and plugin developers

#4 2006-05-18 16:44:15

Re: [contrib] support for core and plugin developers

#5 2006-05-19 02:38:34

Re: [contrib] support for core and plugin developers

#6 2006-05-19 02:46:16

Re: [contrib] support for core and plugin developers

#7 2006-05-19 09:04:22

Re: [contrib] support for core and plugin developers

#8 2006-05-19 10:16:38

Re: [contrib] support for core and plugin developers

#9 2006-05-19 11:05:19

Re: [contrib] support for core and plugin developers

#10 2006-05-20 01:47:17

Re: [contrib] support for core and plugin developers

#11 2006-05-20 13:13:49

Re: [contrib] support for core and plugin developers

#12 2006-05-20 13:25:55

Re: [contrib] support for core and plugin developers

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