Re: [gentoo-dev] OT Who runs Gentoo was -> RFC: Userkit.eclass

[William L. Thomson Jr.]

On Sunday, December 4, 2016 7:22:51 AM EST Robin H. Johnson wrote:
> On Sat, Dec 03, 2016 at 06:30:29PM -0500, William L. Thomson Jr. wrote:
> > > ----------------
> > > Net Total: $50,924.19
> > > ----------------
> >
> > So from 09-16 avg of ~$4.6k per year over 11 years.
>
> 10 years of participation, 9 of which we got paid for. So ~$5.7k/year.
> If we got paid for 2013: ~$5.4k/year over 10 years.

I still think it is relatively low.

> > With that really being earned by people doing GSoC. Not the same as if
> > Google donated a lump sum of money to further development per say the
> > Councils plans. Only 1 hardware donation.
>
> That's the payment to the organization for mentoring and managing the
> students, separate from what the students doing GSoC earned.
>
> If the student's work was of use to Gentoo, then it's ALSO $5000-$5500
> per student that we've had in man-hours. I do use that disclaimer,
> because I know the integration rate for Gentoo students much lower than
> it should be.

My only point was without someone doing work. Google does not give Gentoo the 
money. It is not like a normal person or business donating to or sponsoring 
Gentoo. That is their specialized program. I have to think they have their own 
interest in it as well.

I would almost say the donation from both the person in time and google is 
from the person not Google. Also including the mentor or what ever that is 
called. Those 2 people put in their time, to make sure that money is paid to 
the student and organization.

> The cost to GNi was much closer to $1k/month, mostly in potential lost
> revenue if the hardware COULD be used for income (it was already a sunk
> cost, and didn't have other users). For our present major hosting
> sponsors, I believe we're more in line with $250-$400/month, but again
> mostly older hardware that isn't of much other salable use.

That would ruffly put GNi ~$12k a year. How many hosting sponsors?
Even on the low side $250 x 12 = $3k, $400 is $4800. I doubt any have the 
revenue of Google. Or shipping products like ChromeOS or OnHub router using 
Gentoo build system.

I just do not see GSoC in the same light as others and over all from Google is 
pretty minimal IMHO. Relative to their benefit, revenue derived from such, and 
over all revenue of the company.

They could provide cloud resources and other that would likely not cost them 
much in overhead.

> > Just as an example. FreeBSD is seeking $1.25 Million in a fundraiser with
> > $882k thus far.
> > https://www.freebsdfoundation.org/
>
> $1.25M is their annual fund-raising target for this year and last. Not a
> specific fund-raiser, but their annual target.
> For 2016 Q1-Q3, on the $1.25M, they report $293k in contributions.
> For 2015, on a $1.25M target, they reported $657k in contributions.
> For 2014, on a $1M target, they reported $2.4M in contributions.

Still far beyond Gentoo.

> > They seem to average in the hundreds of thousands every year in
> > contributions https://www.freebsdfoundation.org/about/financials/
>
> They're also got a good few years on us (as do Apache).

Yes for sure, but Gentoo has set itself back needlessly. Things that should 
have been done haven't. Much less other things that could have happened. 
Funding for events per se, Gentoo Conference....

> > Always looked at FreeBSD when I was a Gentoo Trustee. Great foundation!
> > Passed the 5 year probation period with IRS, and other stuff.
>
> The Apache Foundation was very beneficial to look at I found, because
> they kept superb public records, but also were not hampered by some of
> our restrictions about depending on non-open software (they & the perl
> foundation BOTH use QuickBooks on Windows for their accounting).
>
> https://www.apache.org/foundation/records/
>
> I draw your attention to their last 990 filing:
> https://www.apache.org/foundation/records/990-2014.pdf
> - $1.2M in annual income
> - $858k spend on infrastructure,
>   of which >$400k was marked directly as IT spending.
> - $1.8M in net assets

See they are spending the money. That is something I proposed long ago. To pay 
some hosting sponsors, rather than rely on free hosting sponsors. Which at the 
time were given ad space on g.o. That has since changed, but still goes back 
to if you do not have a plan to spend and use the money to further. Not likely 
to get it.

Sure not all reach their fund raising goals, but at least making such efforts. 
No clue what would happen if Gentoo set out to raise funds. But without plans 
to use, not sure what Gentoo would do with any raised money or donations.

-- 
William L. Thomson Jr.