Hello.
First of all, I encourage to consider this suggestion, and please, read it all! sorry I know I talk too much sometimes, but this is serious.
this is not a -personal request for me- *I mean I'm not a dev*. It is a suggestion to keep or even to awake the interest of motivated Developers. I know that actually, the progress now is really good, but before we fall with unmotivated developers, as eA was... then, maybe we can add something like I will explain above.
I have allways asked myself about, of where developers find motivation to continue working. I know, some people just enjoy to contribute and to help others for free. But all we know that time is gold, and by soon or later, these devs have forcefully to work with other tasks ... that means a sad goodbye to the project.
I will list the 3 ways the posibilities how devs gets can get something in exchange for all their effort and time by contributing here:
Paid Services, I know there are 1 or 2 developers that by having that extensive experience by contributing for the emulator, they are trusthfull to being hired for paid services. For me, this is great, But, those are not all the devs we have, as also this is more like a personal work for someone.
Paid Downloads.This is really a good idea. For me one of the bests actually to contribute by a low tax for the whole eathena as another half to the contributor... but, the bad part is, that I'm sure no dev has sell something more than 2 times on the download nexus. And for a code/CP extension/script that have a price around $5 - 10$ that is almost nothing.
Make their own paid emu. Yeah all we know the history that eAmod. Well if you ask me... how it is possible that someone that works by the effort from a free source earns, maybe 10 or 100 times much than anyone that codes here? Lets face it, yes this happen and... how devs may feel by being on this fence and working for free all this time? I don't know. What do I know is, that, when all these people realize that this doesnt worths the effort and we start to see more than 1 eAmod, then, this will be the second end of this project
Anyway the history of that emu, is another thing (emu that wouldnt exists if the license FREEDOMS would be respected by line since the beginning).but for now I will focuss about the main fact to add a motivation to actual devs.
First, My suggestion is to implement a [Donate to me] , button that might appear under the avatar or easily recognizable area of each core, db & script aproved developer.
I will post an example of this. Taken from the xda-developers forum. A random thread from someone that released something for my phone that I love with my heart -- http://forum.xda-dev...d.php?t=1604731
I know I could look for better examples than that guy, but there you have an idea. Also that kind of forum is about doing releases, and self projects of people that does mods, etc.
Anyway When you hit the button, it is really simple *but maybe hard to be implemented unless there is a mod or extension for IPB* , you are redirected to the paypal payment to do a donation to that guy. *A small % tax can be added to this funds to the rAthena host*
Honestly, when I see threads like:
1.- http://rathena.org/b...-online-client/
2.- http://rathena.org/b...ine-in-browser/
3.- http://rathena.org/b...ding-system-18/
And I see all those people posting their updates, their changelogs, their releases, and THEY GET NOTHING for all their time... Why??? I'm sure that there are plenty of guys out of there that allways download their releases... I'm sure that if they see a donation link visible on the profile of the most active contributors around the community they will support the contributor.
Second, this suggestion is about the [Thanks Metter]
I believe this one is about a reputation feedback *something like the +1 feedback we have* but only for threads. Not for posts.
This is like a reputation specially for contributors. So it is like a possitive feedback history of one guy, so, by seing a high metter reputation well... this encourage a lot to make a donation, because everyone notices that this guy is serious.
[Edited] I just realized that the automatically thing I posted before, will not work. anyway. Continue reading.
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The good points by implementing this
Contributors will have a reason to not only release something *that is the easy part* the hard part is, a reason to maintance a release or a task here.
There will be surely more applies to developers positions and people more interested to it.
We will focuss and we will ride the interest back again to a work diriged to the community in a good way. There will be more releases, more people interested with working for public.
It can be added a tax to the rAthena itself. For hosting or whatever.
The progress of rAthena will increase a lot. By being maintaned by releases as a high quality just almost like the paid ones. So, private projects as eAmod I listed before, will not be the big deal, so and they will not longer earn an Improper profit just the one that merely deserves. For now It doesnt has competition, of the enourmous power of what a free software is.
In case this suggestion will be applied. I suggest the following hierarchy of admin. team to be approved to have these feature enabled:
Administrators in all the 3 areas. All. They allways work and I believe some of them they have projects for ex. Ind with his new Ceres.
Developers and Script/DB developers. Reasons are obvious.
Community Contributors. [Edited]there are Community contributors that I know that have their open source projects releases on the community. Projects that are active.
Moderators? maybe I'm not sure. but I believe there are a lot (like graphics mods) that work a lot and they work with self realeses for public.
That is all. Please comment about it.
Maybe the feature of the thanks metter is a bit complex. For me it I think for now the donate to me, would be the one we need urgently.
If there is a valid reason that you think that This will not work please, post it. Thank you.