communications/intro/

Snowdrift.coop for Hackers and Coders

Your focus

You understand the importance of transparently-developed software that you can run, modify, and share as you wish. Perhaps you’re an end-user of programs like Firefox and LibreOffice. Maybe you’ve compiled your own code before too. Perhaps you do some coding either professionally or as a hobby. You respect Richard Stallman — whether you think he’s perfectly reasonable or too extreme. Whether or not you go all the way yourself in avoiding proprietary software, you want to see more Free/Libre/Open-Source Software in the world, and you’ll do what you can to make it happen, whether that’s by contributing code or donating resources to projects you think are worthwhile.

Your problems

It’s hard to keep momentum in projects when the developers can only work on them in their spare time, and it’s hard to get funding without restricting access. You struggle with the many programs that have so much potential but never seem to smooth out their rough edges.

If you work for a proprietary software company, you wish you could just work on FLOSS all day, but you gotta pay your bills.

Traditional crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo may help raise funds for a first release or a major new feature, but even when that succeeds, the cash infusion only happens on a one-time basis. Running such campaigns takes a lot of time and hassle anyway, and you’d rather just work on coding or documentation with the little time you have. If only we could take all the funding from general users that now goes to proprietary software and move it to FLOSS…

How we can help you

Our pledging system allows supporters of FLOSS projects to multiply the effects of each others’ donations and invite more patrons to join us where they had been hesitant. Because of our matching algorithm, donations will go mainly to those projects most supported by the overall community, thus reducing fragmentation and putting funds where it makes the most difference.

All software projects on Snowdrift.coop are fully FLOSS and projects must account for the use of funds. Funding a project through pledges on our site can help developers make a living salary doing what they love and believe in while ditching intrusive ads, problematic freemium schemes, or the need for corporate sponsorship that may encroach on their values and cause conflicts-of-interest. Supporters and developers get to see their favorite projects grow and prosper, and there’s more quality FLOSS in the world to make everyone’s lives better!

Our reporting standards for our honor system make it easy for you to advertise your ethical stance on things like respecting privacy and so reach supportive patrons who might otherwise not have time to investigate each project’s details.

How you can help us

  • Sign up so that we know you’re interested in the site and indicate that you’d like to hear more from us! Once we’re in active beta, put money in your account and start pledging for projects you like! Pledge to help us as a project!

  • If you’re a programmer, please help us with development! Check out the code and take a look at our list of open tickets! Our IRC channel can direct you to what’s most appropriate for your skill level or interests in programming and web development. We also can mentor less experienced programmers who are eager to learn something new.

  • If you run a FLOSS project that would benefit from funding (or know of such a project that isn’t yet affiliated with us), tell us! If you are associated with an organization that offers grants to FLOSS startups, we’d love to know more about that too!