The question of what happens to the surplus is really irrelevant, and this is one specific project. The idea is interesting. If this were to happen on different software projects, I think we might find more of a hesitancy on the part of developers to implement certain large pieces of work, but perhaps more importantly, resentment between those who charge and those who don’t.
Alternatively it could be argued that creating Kickstarter projects to fund development will ultimately lead to more important work being prioritised because people can afford to take a break from their day jobs to work on those features important enough to others that people will fund the work. Is this model sustainable? What do you think? Is this the beginning of the end of working for free on open source projects? Let me know in your comments…
