edo subtle subtitle

Donations

Donation methods

Why donating?

I write libre software. Libre is an adjective that defines software (although it is not limited to it) released under a certain kind of permissive "libre" license. That kind of licenses permits the user to use such software for any purpose, see and change its source code in any way, and redistribute both the software itself as well as modified versions.

Because of the very nature of libre software, it is not possible to sell such software for money. By showing a software's source code, anyone can build their own executable copy and use it. Sometimes one does not even need to build a copy and can execute software right away, scripts are an example. Throughout the years, some people tried to find tricky ways to sell libre software for money, but every time the method would either not work properly, violate the principles of libre software, or both.

If libre software cannot be sold, what is the point in developing it? In my case, I have several reasons to do so:

  1. I want my software to be available for everyone, without charges or restrictions of any kind.
  2. I want the users to have a proof that my software does not spy, damage, or restrict them, or violate their rights in any way.
  3. Building software and testing it all by yourself can be overwhelming. But if you are lucky enough to find a few people willing to put a little effort into your work, it gets easier and you can notice the difference.

However, it often happens that a libre software developer loses interest in their project. It usually happens during the initial phase, when the product is ready but nobody uses it yet. A developer may often wonder whether that project they spent so much time on will ever reach someone or its only user is going to be the developer themselves.

Sometimes, users appear and the developer is happy. The joy brought by the sight of internet strangers using the product the developer spent so much time on keeps the development going. However, the time spent is often taken off from other activities, some of which probably grant the developer an income (or they will, such in the case of school or university). Some developers dream of making an income out of their own projects, but they intend to do so while keeping their software libre. So far, donations seem to be the most reasonable way to make their dream come true.