[Slightly OT] Ransomware as a Model for Rev Toolmaking?

[Dan Shafer]

Intriguing twist and amplification of the proposal, Brian. I think  
it's important to keep the thing really simple and I"m not sure  
whether the complexity your approach adds would push the idea over  
the effectiveness cliff. But I like the way you think and process stuff!

dan

On Jul 18, 2005, at 11:55 PM, Brian Yennie wrote:

> Dan,
>
> I think it's an interesting concept, as 3rd party products are just  
> starting to gain some steam in the Rev community.
> For the sake of discussion, what about something like this:
>
> > Form a group "development account" where those of us interested  
> in 3rd party products can make a deposit. You are free to withdraw  
> the money later, within reason since someone would have to manage  
> the fund.
>
> > Allow two things to happen:
>     1) A developer can "pitch" a product to the group.
>     2) The group can publish bounties for desirable products
>
> > Use dollars as votes. So say, if I have $100 in the fund, I could  
> commit $50 to one project and $50 to another.
>
> > Once a developer "accepts" a project, the votes (= dollars) are  
> locked in until either they a) complete the project or b) fail to  
> meet the timelines and/or requirements.
>
> > When a project is completed, the developer MUST offer credit on  
> the product to their pledge(s), but is free to sell the product to  
> others at full price.
>
> EXAMPLE:
>
> Developer X wants to create a web browser object for Revolution  
> (we're pretending altBrowser doesn't already exist for sake of an  
> example).
>
> Developer X writes the functional specifications and presents them  
> to the group. 5 members pledge $150 each, and 5 more pledge $50 for  
> a total of $1000. Developer X is now guaranteed to be paid at least  
> $1000 for completing the project.
>
> Developer X completes the project and is paid $1000 out of the  
> fund. The new browser object goes on sale for $100. The 5 members  
> who pledged $150 all get a free copy. The remaining 5 each get a  
> $50 credit. Developer X sells 25 more copies for $100 each and ends  
> up with a total payday of $3500.
>
> Everyone wins in that both the developer and the buyers have their  
> risk mitigated- the developer has guaranteed sales, and no one  
> buyer has to fund the whole project.
>
> Now, making "promises" to buy seems similar, but it seems to me  
> this would only work if there really were a real, physical account  
> with a visible balance of money sitting in it. I guarantee if 3rd  
> party developers could hit a web page displaying the available  
> group funds, submit a proposal, and watch the pledges roll in, they  
> would step up a lot more quickly!
>
> FWIW, my 2 cents on an interesting topic!
>
> - Brian
>
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