[consulting] Selling Modules (was Is this list dead?)

[Kevin Reynen]

I'll change the subject line, but not the topic.

My $.02 on the initial question is that there are a several examples
of commercial sites using Drupal to make $$ that use custom modules or
custom code that feeds their Drupal tables or have customized Drupal
in some other way.  Of the top of my head...

http://www.nowpublic.com/
http://www.twit.tv/
http://thatotherpaper.com/
http://www.theonion.com
http://www.firebright.com/

With the exception of FireBright (who I'm told have a custom version
control system to move development from dev > beta > production and
rollback as well!), most of these site produce or distribute content
so the custom modules alone wouldn't be enough to replicate their
business.

What does everyone think about going beyond trying to generate
interest in a bounty to develop a module, but actually building a
module with the intention of charging for it? Before you flame me,
please read the rest of my reasoning...

Many of the companies contributing modules to Drupal are making money
simply by not contributing everything they've done to customize those
modules for clients.  They use the crack dealer marketing to make
money from modules, but do it in a way that is less blatant.  There is
no link saying this one's free, but improved version of module X will
cost you $500.

I can think of a dozen modules that I'd pay for, a solid phpBB3
integration being at the top of my list.  I'm sure if someone
developed and promoted a commercial module they'd only make money for
a few weeks or months before someone reversed engineered an open
version of it (ie, ActiveCollab'ing BaseCamp).  IMHO, you'd have to
build one really great, wickedly complicated module to prevent that.
You'd also have to give away a lot of code to overcome the bad
community karma the purist vocal minority will undoubtedly create.
But would it ever be worth it?

There are several modules that enable non-open, commercial software.
How much money did Airtight Interactive make from Drupal users
licensing SimpleViewer when DriesK included it in Flash Gallery?  How
many $25 support calls has Moxiecode received from Drupal users with
issue with TinyMCE?

The rest of this isn't Drupal specific and I know I'm stating some
obvious points about open source development that have already been
made...

- Failing to make money on an project doesn't make the code bad.  It
could simply indicate there isn't a market willing to pay for this or
any of hundred other potential flaws in your business model.  Netscape
Navigator > Firefox anyone?  I don't think there's anything wrong with
trying to make money from development effort and giving it away
if/when there isn't any money to be made.

- One of the advantages of open sourcing the core of a project is the
project may improve other people contribute, but the majority of
feedback on Drupal modules is from end users who never bothered to
read the documentation.  Very few people (if any?) contribute to open
source for completely altruistic reasons, but are instead hoping that
if they give something they'll get something back.  There is nothing
more frustrating than listening to some uninformed twit (or "potential
future developer") bitch about errors in a project that you've offered
them for free.  Getting paid for your work (open source or not), you
lose the right to tell that person what you really think about their
suggestions.  You have to have pretty thick skin and a lot of patience
to see a return (financial or otherwise) on open source development.
Many people have more money than time and would rather pay for
support.  Is it wrong for module developers to offer a paid support
option for modules?

- Large open source projects are only as good as their core
developers.  If your project has a scope that you complete and support
it on your own or you run a business and can afford to pay for
development and support and profit from the value you've added, you
shouldn't you be free to do that?

All of this said, none of this really applies to me since I'm lucky
enough to work for a university that supports my Drupal development
and allows me to release everything I do. But if I wanted to develop a
module and sell it, would I really be the evil incarnate?

For now, I'm just playing devil's advocate.

- Kevin Reynen


On 3/20/07, Mehboob Alam <malam at thinkx.com> wrote:
> OK, this list is not dead.. can we change the topic?
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