1@ignore
2@c Set file name and title for man page.
3@setfilename fsf-funding
4@settitle Funding Free Software
5@c man begin SEEALSO
6gpl(7), gfdl(7).
7@c man end
8@end ignore
9@node Funding
10@c man begin DESCRIPTION
11@unnumbered Funding Free Software
12
13If you want to have more free software a few years from now, it makes
14sense for you to help encourage people to contribute funds for its
15development.  The most effective approach known is to encourage
16commercial redistributors to donate.
17
18Users of free software systems can boost the pace of development by
19encouraging for-a-fee distributors to donate part of their selling price
20to free software developers---the Free Software Foundation, and others.
21
22The way to convince distributors to do this is to demand it and expect
23it from them.  So when you compare distributors, judge them partly by
24how much they give to free software development.  Show distributors
25they must compete to be the one who gives the most.
26
27To make this approach work, you must insist on numbers that you can
28compare, such as, ``We will donate ten dollars to the Frobnitz project
29for each disk sold.''  Don't be satisfied with a vague promise, such as
30``A portion of the profits are donated,'' since it doesn't give a basis
31for comparison.
32
33Even a precise fraction ``of the profits from this disk'' is not very
34meaningful, since creative accounting and unrelated business decisions
35can greatly alter what fraction of the sales price counts as profit.
36If the price you pay is $50, ten percent of the profit is probably
37less than a dollar; it might be a few cents, or nothing at all.
38
39Some redistributors do development work themselves.  This is useful too;
40but to keep everyone honest, you need to inquire how much they do, and
41what kind.  Some kinds of development make much more long-term
42difference than others.  For example, maintaining a separate version of
43a program contributes very little; maintaining the standard version of a
44program for the whole community contributes much.  Easy new ports
45contribute little, since someone else would surely do them; difficult
46ports such as adding a new CPU to the GNU Compiler Collection contribute more;
47major new features or packages contribute the most.
48
49By establishing the idea that supporting further development is ``the
50proper thing to do'' when distributing free software for a fee, we can
51assure a steady flow of resources into making more free software.
52@c man end
53
54@display
55@c man begin COPYRIGHT
56Copyright @copyright{} 1994 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
57Verbatim copying and redistribution of this section is permitted
58without royalty; alteration is not permitted.
59@c man end
60@end display
61