Some really great programming ideas come up in the Halfbakery. I was wondering if you could have a Programming Bakery where all the members paid a fee in order to submit ideas and vote. The recipient of the funds are a couple of "real" experienced programmers who work on the top rated program until they are done, and move on to the next one. Obviously highly complex software would require larger teams and might not be feasible, but it might be a way to generate open-source software AND pay someone for their work. Sort of a programming cooperative.
-- trekbody, May 13 2005

There's the strong possibility that the majority would only come to read, and not vote.
-- david_scothern, May 13 2005


I wouldn`t pay.
-- goatfaceKilla, May 13 2005


Nice. Won't work for the reason that [goatface] gives, but it is a nice idea. Maybe a better business model would be to allow voting for free and distribute the software as shareware. I don't think shareware makes much money, but it must make some and programs would have the benefit of being promoted by the website while in the development stage.
-- wagster, May 13 2005


I imagine some would come to read, but if it was cheap enough, it might be a way to get the more thrifty (cough- cheap) of us to put a few bucks towards open-source development. Definitely won't work for everyone, but might work for enough people to give it a spin. Actually, the less people donating, the more powerful individual voters would be.
-- trekbody, May 14 2005


I like sourceforge, I just think the idea of pooling resources might be more effective.
-- trekbody, May 17 2005


in my experience, if you come up with a good enough idea, someone will already have coded it. Otherwise mention it it here, and we can shoot it down.
-- neilp, May 18 2005



random, halfbakery