Re: [board-discuss] Enable TDF to contribute more code to LibreOffice with in-house developers to address our donors specific needs

Hi all,

I'd just like to comment on the exchange below, from my perspective:


Le 10/02/2022 à 15:27, Italo Vignoli a écrit :


> Then there is a number of donors who ask to stop the recurring 
> donation. Some of them provide a reason, which in some cases is that 
> he wanted to donate once and not on a recurring basis, in some cases 
> lack of money, and in some other because they don't use the software 
> anymore (no bug or other technical reason provided).
>
> A small number of donors block donations because the software doesn't 
> fit their needs or is too difficult to use (again, without providing 
> any technical reason or a bug).
>
> You should always consider the fact that only a very small number of 
> users is capable of spotting bugs, as for them the software always 
> works as intended. It took me several years to get a marginal 
> understanding of bugs, and I have been working in technology 
> environments since 1982. The majority of users is technically dumb, 
> including people who are supposed to be competent, and this is just a 
> fact.
>
> > Also, in case it is a concrete problem that stops them donating any
> > longer, please do you have an opportunity to file bugzilla tickets for
> > such cases?

> Since 2013, not a single user has related stopping donations with 
> bugs, while some donors have related their donation to solving bugs.

Were I a recurring business donor, I would do this, in the event I 
wanted to stop donating and a particular bug or bugs were preventing me 
from using LibreOffice in my business. Mind you, to be honest, even 
then, I personally wouldn't have much expectation of the situation changing.

One of the reasons I'm not a recurring donor is because I have to ask 
myself why, as the manager of a small business, I would do that (I do 
use the "paid" versions from the Apple Store commercial entity though).

Do I feel the need for some kind of ROI ? I would argue that, yes, I do. 
After all, if I am prepared to pay a subscription to a business such as 
Microsoft for its online product offering, or take out a Google 
Workspace subscription, then for the amount I pay out for the small 
number of users in the business, I would argue that contributing a 
similar monthly amount to the LibreOffice project entitles me to 
something other than a free download for my OS of choice.

This is where the rationale of the well-wishing world of an OSS software 
foundation and its relation to small business users and potential donors 
hits the rails of reality hard.

Of course, I could give out of the kindness of my heart, and have done 
in the very distant past - but in business, and especially small 
business, my outgoings are not ruled by my heart, they are ruled by my 
bottom line.

I would then argue that if I perceived that any donation I might make 
might actually go toward fixing one of the bugs that affects me, I could 
see a stronger business case for repeat donations. Obviously, if a bug I 
reported 10 years ago is still laying around untouched, I might come to 
the realisation that no one is ever going to fix it and stop donating as 
a result.

Currently, I do not see that. It certainly isn't the case with the 
commercial entity, whose own business criteria and priorities are 
clearly not the same as mine. Fair enough, as a business we all have to 
make money, but then an inevitable decision will be taken to stop using 
the commercial entity's offering, and possibly, even probably, stop 
using LibreOffice altogether.

I also know we've had the discussion about bug bounties before and gone 
round and round - without result.

I wish there was some alternative that would appeal to people in a 
situation like the one I find myself in. Currently, none of the ways of 
financially contributing are appealing, save as a charitable benefactor 
with no expectations whatsoever. As an individual person, I might well 
do that - as a business with other more pressing demands on my pocket, 
not so much.

I'm not even sure that there is a solution to the above.


Alex









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