[epo-core] What are we going to -do- with this non-profit we have, anyway?

[Mark Keating]

Matt S Trout wrote:
> Ok, I guess somebody needs to try and outline what we're trying to achieve.
>   
Agreed
> First off, there are a bunch of projects that will want to run under the
> enperl banner. I'm going to ignore those, because they'll happen as we
> make them happen.
> The thing we really want to decide is: what do we do with the money we
> collect?
>
> Providing project hosting stuff isn't something that really needs funding
> right now since SC already has the servers up for it and are happily
> sponsoring it.
>
> Small code bounties appear to be fail - the beer rewards stuff basically
> got completely ignored.
>
> Medium sized bounties might be a good idea.
>
> I'm not sure I see us having the money for proper grants -yet-.
>
> But I can see us being able to do $1k or similar sized things.
>   
Which may make a big difference to a small project, or let them nab a 
student for a summer internship
> I'm wondering if enperl shouldn't focus its money on getting stuff visible
> rather than advancing the project's codebase?
>
> So for example there was some talk about getting a new design for some of
> the perl.org sites - maybe we could Just Pay A Damn Designer for that.
>   
How would this work with the Perl Foundation? Do we do it in conjunction 
with?
> I think documentation bounties would be good but I'm not sure how to make
> them workable - anybody tried this and got suggestions?
>   
That would be a standard commissioning process from my -limited- 
understanding. We just find a willing low-paid (by us) slave and hand 
them the cash on completion of the work. An easy contract marking them 
as author but community as owner (like the many already in existence) 
would be enough for copyright (saves any hasle about people using the 
docs and also allows for the documentation to be used in books by the 
community/organisations if needed). btw if i just misread what you meant 
above I apologise.
> I think also maybe a -small- stipend, UKP50 or so, for useful articles
> that contribute to the cause might be good. My experience is that people
> don't tend to write these for the money anyway (I know several perl.com
> article authors who never actually chased them up to get paid) but I suspect
> it might be worthwile having a small cash chunk anyway.
>   
Hmmmm, I think this has promise as it might push people to put articles 
forward and repays them for effort at least.
> I also think we should consider what can be done to engage with businesses.
> Making us an organisation that companies want to say they've donated to would
> be really nice, and if we have to spend some cash to do it I see no problem
> with that. If nothing else, the "these companies love perl so much they put
> their money where their mouth is" side is well worth while.
>   
That's a matter of marketing and promotion (sometimes the most expensive 
side of things) we can start by pushing at conferences and getting 
people signed up as members and then get a mailing list  from them of 
PR/HR people at their $work that we can first approach (possibly 
snail-mail as spamming that way is often seen as less offensive - or 
even get people to mention it so they can request the pronmotional 
material - I don't really like the idea of randomly spamming people by 
email or snail mail, so a better suggection than mine I think is needed 
here). Maybe we start handing promo material out at conferences, 
possibly even consider promo gift items from a web-shop (hopefully a 
better service than cafepress - i am currently trying to research a 
couple in the UK - getting test items made by one in the thought of 
moving Catalyst away from CafePress).
> So, everybody. Thoughts? (I expect a reply from everybody on this list, and
> -will- be badgering you on IRC if I don't get one :)
>   
I feel badgered beforehand.

-- 
Mark Keating BA (Hons)              |  Writer, Photographer, Cat-Herder
Managing Director                   |  Shadowcat Systems Limited
Director/Secretary                  |  Enlightened Perl Organisation
http://www.shadowcat.co.uk          |  http://www.enlightenedperl.org
http://linkedin.com/in/markkeating  | 'Sufficiently Advanced Technology'