Comments on: Regional Membership Board nominations http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/367 Planetary perspectives Mon, 06 May 2013 07:56:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Anorion http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/367/comment-page-1#comment-327039 Anorion Sun, 02 May 2010 01:45:09 +0000 http://www.markshuttleworth.com/?p=367#comment-327039 With all the focus on netbooks (and rightly so!) it would be really nice if all of the wireless features of most popular netbooks worked out of the box in the next release. Bugs have been reported concerning WPA2 support on the eee PC 901 and 1000x series since 8.10, and remain in the brand new LL release. This is a huge showstopper for almost anyone who uses a netbook on a college campus, in an office, or a hospital. With all the focus on netbooks (and rightly so!) it would be really nice if all of the wireless features of most popular netbooks worked out of the box in the next release. Bugs have been reported concerning WPA2 support on the eee PC 901 and 1000x series since 8.10, and remain in the brand new LL release. This is a huge showstopper for almost anyone who uses a netbook on a college campus, in an office, or a hospital.

]]> By: Melvin Carvalho http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/367/comment-page-1#comment-326451 Melvin Carvalho Tue, 27 Apr 2010 09:44:49 +0000 http://www.markshuttleworth.com/?p=367#comment-326451 I really like the use of the karma system in launchpad, as a rewards system, to augment the process you outline. But I think it may be possible to do even better. While karma can never fully capture exactly a contribution, it may be able to play an important role in the economics of open source. I think the 'economics of free' is a fascinating topic, at times contrary, that more often than not, turn established economic norms on their heads. While some may view wealth as what they collect and store, others may see it measured by what they give. A dividend to the planet, if you will. Let's imagine the invisible hand that drives behavior is no longer cash, but instead a contribution and karma system. Following this kind of thought experiment leads to some interesting consequences. At the end of the day our species has evolved and thrived, through the ages, not only due to some great leadership, but also through an overriding instinct for unbridled cooperation. If the notion of doing something for karmic endeavor, can be the oil in the machine of action and reaction, the same paradigm could be applied to specific fields, in particular, open source software. Case in point, I have a great open source project that needs some work, to realize its full potential. I decide that I want to issue 100,000 karma 'units' which will take my project to a new level of usefulness. Karma is now handed out in rough accordance with the project goals. Now let's say that the project becomes one day very successful, due to the pleasure/utility it gives people, and then starts to generate revenue. The karmic thing to do would be for the project to use some of that revenue to put in a bids back into an open market and offer to buy back the karma it issued. In effect, we've done an IPO, and created a secondary market. We've also created an economy where the workers produce something, and the users pay for that work at a later date. So what's my point? I think it is a great idea to reward contributions, in all the ways we do today, but also perhaps with a more global form of launchpad karma. Exchangeable, usable, attributable, and with cross pollination across geographical boundaries, as well as project borders. Perhaps this kind of evolution can motor the age old dynamics of contributions, rewards and acknowledgments to a yet higher level. Perhaps some food for thought ... :) I really like the use of the karma system in launchpad, as a rewards system, to augment the process you outline. But I think it may be possible to do even better. While karma can never fully capture exactly a contribution, it may be able to play an important role in the economics of open source.

I think the ‘economics of free’ is a fascinating topic, at times contrary, that more often than not, turn established economic norms on their heads.

While some may view wealth as what they collect and store, others may see it measured by what they give. A dividend to the planet, if you will.

Let’s imagine the invisible hand that drives behavior is no longer cash, but instead a contribution and karma system. Following this kind of thought experiment leads to some interesting consequences. At the end of the day our species has evolved and thrived, through the ages, not only due to some great leadership, but also through an overriding instinct for unbridled cooperation.

If the notion of doing something for karmic endeavor, can be the oil in the machine of action and reaction, the same paradigm could be applied to specific fields, in particular, open source software.

Case in point, I have a great open source project that needs some work, to realize its full potential. I decide that I want to issue 100,000 karma ‘units’ which will take my project to a new level of usefulness. Karma is now handed out in rough accordance with the project goals. Now let’s say that the project becomes one day very successful, due to the pleasure/utility it gives people, and then starts to generate revenue. The karmic thing to do would be for the project to use some of that revenue to put in a bids back into an open market and offer to buy back the karma it issued. In effect, we’ve done an IPO, and created a secondary market. We’ve also created an economy where the workers produce something, and the users pay for that work at a later date.

So what’s my point? I think it is a great idea to reward contributions, in all the ways we do today, but also perhaps with a more global form of launchpad karma. Exchangeable, usable, attributable, and with cross pollination across geographical boundaries, as well as project borders. Perhaps this kind of evolution can motor the age old dynamics of contributions, rewards and acknowledgments to a yet higher level.

Perhaps some food for thought … :)

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