Obtaining Grants for Open Source Projects? 57
Michael Chisari asks: "Does anybody have any leads or information about where and how to apply for grants for open source projects? I've been working on an open source social networking software called Appleseed for around two years now. The goal is to be a free, distributed alternative to MySpace or Friendster where users on separate Appleseed websites can fully interact with each other. The project is huge, and while relatively far along, I've had a hard time keeping up while maintaining the full time job necessary to pay the bills. Ideally, I'd like to get funding so that I could focus exclusively on development. I'd prefer a grant from a foundation as opposed to corporate funding. Individual donations are nice but can't always be counted on. I'm not sure where to find organizations which provide grants for free software or social networking."
Distributed P2P Social Networking You Say? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Distributed P2P Social Networking You Say? (Score:1, Informative)
Imeem isn't open source, is it?
Re:Distributed P2P Social Networking You Say? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Distributed P2P Social Networking You Say? (Score:1, Insightful)
How can it be truly distributed if you have to run proprietary software to use it?
This appleseed project seems really cool, especially since it's web-based. It seems to solve the problem of what happened when everybody jumped from Friendster to MySpace. It'll be interesting to see if it catches on.
Re:Distributed P2P Social Networking You Say? (Score:2)
Huh? You should look up the meaning of the word 'distributed' - but I understand you really want to run Appleseed on your talkie toaster and that commercial companies are unlikely to port their software to the platform (unless it's toastmaster 2006)
Sure, imeem is mainly interesting in this context because it's innovative, compared to those monolithic websites like friendster/orkuts/whatever. It's clearly solved a lot of
Re:Distributed P2P Social Networking You Say? (Score:2)
I hope that AOL doesn't create link to it then......
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:FOAF (Score:2)
You can build FOAF data by scraping those sites, or I guess in the case of Imeem you could exploit its distributed nature and pull the data directly from the database on your client, but that'd probably require more work than just writing another website scraper.
Re:FOAF (Score:2)
It's an open standard, and from what I know about it, there wouldn't be much reason not to.
Some further information. (Score:5, Informative)
Most of the past two years have been creating an API. Although I probably could have already found the pieces I needed already built, the advantage was that I had a consistent and custom API to work with. And the API has served me pretty well, for instance, the messaging system was written in around 3 days worth of work. Other sections were similarly rapidly developed, but there's still a lot to be done. The final product will combine photo sharing, journals, messaging, and friends list into one package.
Somebody metioned imeem as another distributed social networking project, but I don't think we're particularly in competition, since imeem isn't open source. The purpose of appleseed is to create a network of websites that all work together, and open source is a big part of making sure that anybody who wants to set up an appleseed node (even if it's just for them and a dozen friends) can do so and still maintain full interaction with everybody in the appleseed network.
This is really a project I'm very excited about, and the possibilities are endless. At some point a module architecture is in the plans, which will add the possibility of IM, P2P/torrent filesharing, social bookmark (ala, del.icio.us), social calendars and more. For me, this is where I want the web to go, and at the same time it seems like it's more of a return back to the early days of the internet, when the focus was on distributed networks which inter-communicated, as opposed to a single, monolithic location where all interaction occurs.
Re:Some further information. (Score:3, Insightful)
I invest about US$20K a year in new projects and businesses, but all of them require a business
Re:Some further information. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Some further information. (Score:2)
I have seen posts from dada21 on how he pays employees etc.
Be aware that almost everybody misunderstood what he meant when he was talking about that the other day. Everybody thought he meant minimum wage plus 80% of minimum wage as a bonus, but what he actually said was minimum wage plus 80% of the PROFIT. In other words, work for Adam Dada, complete a $200K project, and get minimum wage plus 80 percent of $200K!! (I dunno if he has any projects that big, and of course he means net profit, not gross.
Re:Some further information. (Score:2)
Realize that what you're asking for is free money. You're pretty clear about it, I will say, as you are asking about "donations" and not "investment." An investment implies a future return (hence the acronym ROI). Free money is hard to come by. Investments are easier, but require some assurance that the money, plus some other money to go with it, is coming back.
MySpace generates revenue primarily through ad revenues. With around 70 million subscribers, I can
collaborate with academe (Score:3, Insightful)
My suggestion to you would be to find an academic whose research interests intersect with the functionality of your open source project. Find a way to establish a joint project, and then apply for funding. I would also point out that obtaining funding can be a full-time job itself, don't short-shrift that position.
Re:collaborate with academia (Score:1)
Family, Venture Capital, Grants, Family (Score:2)
The best way to raise capital is to find family and friends to invest in you. If your idea is profitable and you are original, you can probably come up with enough cash to take a few months off work to focus on your dream.
The dotcom boom brought a ton of venture capital, but much of this new money was created by the Fed out of thin air -- it was "easy" money, so it was invested unwisely. Since most VC'
Pssst! (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
For an open source project to be successful, it either has to be built once and never touched again (
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
That's very Marxist of you. Every employee that earns a wage is earning a profit themselves for their time spent. Everything we do is about gaining something for the transaction we make with another person. It doesn't have to be financial, profit can be a gain in entertainment, a gain in emotional intercourse, or a gain in a physical product or a store of wealth.
Profit is greed and exploitation.
No, profit is compen
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
Profit comes after "breakeven". It is the amount that is left over after costs have been covered. In theory, profits are achieved by reducing costs or increasing revenues.
For the zealots in the audience, I must point out that seeking profit is not a bad thing. Profits are often used to fund alternative product development. They are used to improve the quality of life of the business owner(s).
None of this helps the original poster to locate funding for his/her project...
Get local informa
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
True. Profits are also a way of gauging if your market is interested in your market or services, and if you are competitive enough to stay in business. For me, if profits dive and I can do nothing to modify my business, I will usually sell to the business that beats me and move on.
Profits are often used to fund alternative product develo
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
You know, I occasionally get the opportunity to preach, and I've actually preached about the evil covetousness that causes people to make up false "crimes" like "gouging." I explain the true economics of the situation, and explain that such "gougers" are doing exactly what they should do in order to follow Biblical commands such as providing for their own (I Timothy 5:8). At least two churches have heard me do this. So far, I have yet to hear any complaints.
This piece of understanding was passed on to
Re:Pssst! (Score:1, Funny)
The bible has been used to justify everything from slavery to war to genocide to capitalism to charity to state communism. And now it's being used to justify price gouging.
Great.
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
Learn economics [google.com].
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
I know quite a bit about economics.
Anarcho-capitalism is an absurdity amongst economists.
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
Thanks for sharing. I love receiving lectures on Scripture from people who don't believe it. (Assuming this is the case here, because you're anonymous and so I can't check your history, and because that is usually a safe bet on Slashdot.)
Jesus also said "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever." (I Timothy 5:8) If you'd actually go read some of the articles I linked to, you'd see why in some circumst
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
Did you provide a mathematically rigorous criterion that can distinguish "price gouging" from "responding to market forces"?
In a time of crisis, price gouging weighs survival towards the economically fit. Which is an inherently un-Christlike thing to do. What if price gouging means that somebody can't afford necessary goods to survive? Price gouging for necessary items during crisis means that the poor die and the wealthy survive. If you feel that this is somehow compatible with Christ's teachings, then
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
I don't think you really have an interest in Christ's teachings.
Then I imagine when you came to that conclusion you were glad to realize we had something in common.
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
Dumbass.
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
Oh how I love being lectured about the Bible by a man named Heretik.
You provide for your own by working, and by not taking from others. (II Thessalonians 3:7-10). When you interfere with people responding to market forces through prices, YOU are actually stealing from both them and from their customers. Maximum prices cause shortages. Always.
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
Price gouging is not "responding to market forces", it's intentionally eliminating the market by leveraging your resources (cash reserves) against the weaker competition. Markets don't magically solve all the problems when there is no market left, now do they?
Monopolies happen, and your idealistic philosophy (lovely as it may sound at first) does not make them go away - even if you manage to
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
Price gouging is not "responding to market forces", it's intentionally eliminating the market by leveraging your resources (cash reserves) against the weaker competition.
Quick question: how many of the links off that Google search that I linked to did you read before responding? Read this one [mises.org] and tell me if Jason McBride managed to eliminate any markets. Can you provide for me a mathematically rigorous definition that distinguishes price gouging from responding to market forces?
Anyway, this thread i
Re:Pssst! (Score:2)
Man you knee-jerk fundamentalists are annoying.
Re:Family, Venture Capital, Grants, Family (Score:1)
Many companies force you to sign an overly restrictive Intellectual Property Agreement, where the company owns all of your thoughts 24/7.
Are you willing to invest your time and money in an idea that your employer might have claims on?
Before I spend alot of time and money on a major purchase like a house, I would at least like to have a "clear title". I want to know that I am the owner. I do not have that "clear title" to my ideas and invention
Thanks for asking this... (Score:1)
Step #1 seems to be getting non-profit org status (probably meaning a 501c3 filing). Step #2 is to start the begging process.
Personally, I'd like to get some $$$ for the Wine project. I want to apply to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Association for Free Software (Score:2)
We're not talking megabucks, but certainly enough to fund certain tasks/milestones.
subject (Score:2)
Some sources of "grants".... (Score:2)
Government Grants.. (Score:2)
Take a look at grants.gov as a good starting place. From there, search. Find a grant that MAY be considered relevant. Bear in mind, you'll need a buisness and commercialization plan as well. It isn't just 'free money'. But do your homework, and you could get upwards of 100k.
Why would someone give you a grant for this? (Score:2)
Being really cool isn't enough.
The other option is how could someone make money with this?
If you really love the idea and enjoy working on it then do it.
You are the grant giver.
It does sound interesting and I could see it as a good grad student project but I don't see how it is worthy of a grant.