[QGIS-Developer] Theoretical discussion: A QGIS paid plugin marketplace? (was: sponsored plugin)

[Adam Steer]

Hi Nyall, everyone

I think two things. First, knock yourselves out - everyone deserves reward
for their work, and I know better than many about the hard work -> void
ratio,

Second, think deeply about what the ask is. Asking to be paid to make a
plugin is effectively 'I was given a vast infrastructure for nothing, and I
expect to be paid exactly for any tiny part I add to it'.

Where should we stop in a pay-per-use system? Should committee members and
board members and other community supporters expect payment for the system
maintenance they do? In the end, that road leads to being another ... money
focussed geospatial system. I personally don't have the resources for that,
and therefore will be locked out of a pay-per-thing QGIS.

At FOSS4G 2019 I stood in front of a global audience and said 'at GIS
conferences people come and sell you stuff. At science conferences people
try to get things from you for free, at FOSS4G people as "what can we give
you?"'. I haven't made it to a FOSS4G since then, maybe those words are no
longer true. I hope not.

Summary: It's your community, do what you want. I understand wanting to get
paid for work, I also deeply feel being a small shop who ends up working
for free. Just think hard about what got us to here and how - and then
where the road of expecting a fee for everything ends, and where it sits in
terms of the FOSS4G mission around software and technology inclusivity. For
me, that road ends with being locked out of geospatial things - so I would
not use a paid plugin marketplace.

Thanks for listening,

Adam

--
Dr Adam Steer - currently searching for new clients / a new role
me: https://iamadamsteer.com
work: https://spatialised.net
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