That's meant to be $250 in the same pot as Michael Haggerty's $500 (with an alternate suggestion for the organization of a developer's community and legal fund, not a competing proposal.) - ben m. :: <a href="http://agaricdesign.com">
http://agaricdesign.com</a> : <a href="http://power2exchange.com">http://power2exchange.com</a> : <a href="http://pwgd.org">http://pwgd.org</a><br><br><div><span class="gmail_quote">On 8/20/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">
Agaric Design</b> <<a href="mailto:pwgdarchive@gmail.com">pwgdarchive@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div>I'm interested but (continued below)</div><div><span class="q"><br><br>On 8/20/06, <b class="gmail_sendername">Michael Haggerty</b> <<a href="mailto:mhaggerty@trellon.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
mhaggerty@trellon.com</a>> wrote:<div><span class="gmail_quote"></span>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">I am not one to name names and think a blacklist could put someone at risk<br>of libel. But I can see the use for a developer's legal fund and would be
<br>the first one to make a contribution. If someone tries to screw with the<br>bill you can go after them and the fund would pay for it up to a certain<br>amount. Maybe this fund could also give out contracts for services, my
<br>company would be happy to distribute them. It makes sense in a way, we all<br>benefit off each other's code, we should all have a way to stand up for each<br>other without encountering legal jeopardy.<br><br>I have $500 USD to start it off and would be happy to get an attorney to
<br>organize the fund if anyone else is interested.<br></blockquote></div><br></span></div><div>I'm interested but I'm far too new to have a vote.<br><br>More than that, I am a big supporter of organized labor, and wish we had a great deal more of it, but I don't think a union or a guild is an appropriate model for developers and consultants.
<br><br>And a fund primarily for legal expenses has the unfortunate incentive of encouraging the legal route. (On the other hand, if it is well-known, it could have a deterrant effect on clients who would otherwise break contracts not expecting to get sued.)
<br><br>If people are interested in co-ordinating, I would encourage the community reputation system -- for both developers and clients -- as the centerpiece. It would be a public web site with full right to respond, and the truth will likely be clear by anyone's third or fourth transaction. (On the other hand, I think consultants and clients would both survive the occasional mutual disagreement, reputation-wise.) It would run, naturally, on (as yet written?) Drupal modules. (I'll be coding something similar for a client, so thoughts on the implementation very welcome!)
<br><br>The organization that runs this site would also be able to distribute funds for legal expenses as Michael Haggerty described.<br><br>And perhaps we could use it as a decision-making body for funding broadly desired modules or enhancements more effectively than the bounty or reverse-bounty system. Essentially, a limited self-government for Drupalers where we could tax ourselves by dues and/or a percentage of all contracts backed by the reputation/legal-backup system. (So, it should be noted, the process would be known by clients up front: both our reputations are on the line.)
<br><br>Anyway, that's one proposal. I've got $250 for anything that promises to be democratic and reasonably useful.<br><br>ben melançon<br><br>member, Agaric Design Collective<br><a href="http://AgaricDesign.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">
http://AgaricDesign.com
</a> - "Open Source Web Development"<br><br>web worker, PowerToExchange<br><a href="http://PowerToExchange.com" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://PowerToExchange.com</a>
- "Of, By, and For Entrepreneurs"<br><br>person, People Who Give a Damn
<br><a href="http://pwgd.org" target="_blank" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)">http://pwgd.org</a> - "building the infrastructure for a network of everyone"<br>
</div></blockquote></div><br>