Why do we ask for donations so often? Because it’s important! As KDE becomes more successful and an increasing number of people use our software, our costs grow as well: Web and server hostin…
  • LostXOR@fedia.io
    1603·
    2 months ago

    Seems like a reasonable donation prompt; it’s infrequent, unobtrusive, and can be easily dismissed and disabled. Some people are so sensitive to the idea of any sort of soliciting that they forget projects do need money to function.

    • Leaflet@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      291·
      2 months ago

      Yup. I like their just in December approach too. I have a problem with distrohopping so I’m often re-setting up my system. Every time I do, Thunderbird pops up donation prompts both in the app and in my browser. I get why they do it, but it’s annoying when that happens. KDE’s approach avoids this pitfall.

  • dinckel@lemmy.world
    1374·
    2 months ago

    A lot of people here have such a bizarre stance.

    People have put work into this, for free. And the moment they ask for support, you immediately bring the pitchforks out, over a singular pop-up you can permanently disable? That’s just plain disrespectful, at the very least

    • Adderbox76@lemmy.caEnglish
      441·
      2 months ago

      Unfortunately, there has always been the issue that a not-insignificant percentage of users of FOSS software believe the FREE part means “free as in beer” and take umbrage when asked to contribute.

      I’ve long been a proponent (and I know I’m in a minority) that has advocated for a shift in the marketing of FOSS applications from “donation based” to “value based”. Meaning that the expectation is that if you enjoy the software, you pay an amount that you believe is commensurate to your use. This is voluntarily of course…if you can’t pay, than please use it and enjoy it. But those who can pay, should pay…at least a little bit, to offset the costs for those who can’t.

      It’s more or less that the wording of FOSS apps needs to change so that you are expected to contribute if you can.

      Just my opinion. Like I said, I know I’m in the minority. Just not a fan of the percentage of users that has always existed that (falsely) think that asking for money for your project is somehow anathema to the Open Source ideal and whine whenever they’re asked to contribute.

      • lud@lemm.ee
        10·
        2 months ago

        Also what the hell is up with everyone saying “free as beer”?

        Beer isn’t free!

        • Adderbox76@lemmy.caEnglish
          20·
          2 months ago

          The full saying is “Free as in Speech, not Free as in Beer”

          Basically the “Free” in free means that it’s free to do with as you please, modify, etc… But not free as in “here’s a free product…like getting a free beer”

          • Richard@lemmy.worldEnglish
            4·
            2 months ago

            That’s also confusing and it is not the full saying. The full saying is “free as in free speech, not free beer”.

            From the FSF website:

            Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. Think of “free” as in “free speech”, not as in “free beer”. Free software is a matter of the users’ freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software.

        • D_Air1@lemmy.ml
          4·
          2 months ago

          While I absolutely agree with what you are trying to say and donate to kde myself already. The issue with a lot of comments like yours is that the examples you use are almost always commercial software that already only see’s limited use. I get value out of non commerical use applications such as dolphin, kate, konsole, and kdeconnect. Finding examples of popular paid versions of those applications would go a long way in my opinion because it would be something that more people can relate to.

          The problem I see with the examples you are giving are the same problems I see when someone uses those examples as reasons why they can’t switch to linux in the first place. And that is the fact that while those programs are popular. They aren’t used by the vast majority of people who don’t have a work related need to use them. Half the people that claim it as an excuse probably don’t actually use those programs as well.

          Your examples such as Cyberduc, Elmedia, and BBBedit are your stronger examples. Again just my opinion.

      • njordomir@lemmy.world
        1·
        2 months ago

        I like that terminology. I use some very high quality, high visibility FOSS software and sometimes feel bad that I more frequently donate to smaller projects that bring me value by filling a specific want or need that no one else is working on.

    • nef@slrpnk.netEnglish
      141·
      2 months ago

      I’m not against the idea, but I do think it’s a bit unfair. There are dozens of projects KDE relies on that never even get the chance to ask for donations this way, simply because they don’t need a GUI.

      I believe KDE should at least offer to share the donations with other projects, projects that would otherwise have no voice. Something like the old Humble Bundle donation method would work really well, and let users to choose how their money is allocated.

      • D_Air1@lemmy.ml
        9·
        2 months ago

        While I understand where you are coming from. That goes for a lot of projects in general. Not to mention that KDE is literally an example of the thing you are talking about. KDE has an entire ecosystem of libraries that anyone can use called kde frameworks with many examples of these libraries being used on various projects large and small outside of KDE. They don’t see a dime from this either. I recall a conference on TechHut’s youtube channel spotting KDE’s frameworks in the wild being used by companies at the event.

        • Richard@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          2 months ago

          And KHTML! Basically, KDE work is the foundation of the browser engines behind Chromium and Safari.

    • TurboWafflz@lemmy.world
      4·
      2 months ago

      The one change I would make would be adding a “never” button to the notification so you don’t have to disable it in the settings if you don’t want it

      Or actually “Don’t show again” would probably be better phrasing

    • kbal@fedia.io
      823·
      2 months ago

      From experience with Windows “freeware” some of us have seen what happens when such pop-up notices become commonplace. It is not pretty.

      • 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works
        202·
        2 months ago

        This isnt freeware.

        “Free” in free software is free like free speech, not free as in beer.

        This is one of the places where english fails. Libre vs gratis

        • kbal@fedia.io
          412·
          2 months ago

          Sorry, I was assuming everyone knew that. Should’ve said “nagware” instead.

      • superkret@feddit.org
        165·
        2 months ago

        If you don’t like it, don’t use it.
        Then you also don’t cause any more cost to the KDE project.

        • kbal@fedia.io
          715·
          2 months ago

          The claim that more users increases costs for the KDE project in any meaningful way is another thing that might be disputed. The examples given do not seem convincing.

      • kbal@fedia.io
        75·
        2 months ago

        So the reason it makes me uneasy is that at the same time as I do want KDE to succeed, I do not want this tactic of begging for money in annoying little on-screen pop-ups to succeed. If it does, then perhaps it might spread to other free software projects. If all of the hundreds of them that go into a linux distribution start feeling free to make their demands it will be a real mess. As some old philosopher said: To judge the morality of an action, consider what would happen if everyone did it.

        I remain an Xfce user. They also accept donations.

      • orsetto@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        325·
        2 months ago

        Not an ad. No one is trying to sell you anything.

        (If you get the notification) you’re already using their product.

        • conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works
          740·
          2 months ago

          Yes, it is an ad. Any call to action is an ad.

          And its mere presence will ensure I don’t give them any more money. The core concept of inserting any ad in an OS is not behavior I am willing to reward.

          • 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works
            194·
            2 months ago

            This is not an OS behaviour. KDE is a desktop environment.

            If it bothers you so much, remove the DE and use the command line, full time

          • Cris16228@lemmy.today
            184·
            2 months ago

            So, asking you to VOLUNTARILY donate IF YOU WANT to with a pop-up you can simply ignore and/or disable is advertising? I don’t understand… I mean, they give you a product for free, full of good features and updated regularly, and the moment they ask you to donate, again, IF YOU WANT to, it’s considered advertising…

            You’re so sad, dude.

            • conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works
              422·
              2 months ago

              Yes. It is literally impossible for an organization asking for money not to be an ad.

              And yes, showing me a single ad once means I never give them money again. I am not OK with ads.

          • orsetto@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            94·
            2 months ago

            Ads try to sell you something, there is no “call to action”. Here, there is nothing to sell, so by definition it’s not an ad.

            They are just asking you if you’d like to help them in providing you the product you’re already using.

            • conciselyverbose@sh.itjust.works
              317·
              2 months ago

              You pretty clearly don’t know what a call to action is, or an ad is, because “please give money” is very obviously a call to action, and many ads make no effort whatsoever to sell any product.

  • Elsie@lemmy.ml
    49·
    2 months ago

    As long as the “No Thanks” button is a one and done go-away button, I think this is a decent idea!

    • starshipwinepineapple@programming.dev
      34·
      2 months ago

      It’s once per year, easily dismissed, and can be permanently disabled. Seems entirely reasonable for a piece of free software that someone would use everyday

  • MyNameIsRichard@lemmy.ml
    431·
    2 months ago

    I do suspect a small but vocal crowd of people will spread doom and gloom about it on social media anyway, of course.

    I see they’re here already

  • lemmydividebyzero@reddthat.comEnglish
    38·
    2 months ago

    No problem… Once a year is fine. It’s a non-profit based in Germany…

    Thunderbird shows it once at every startup…

    • communism@lemmy.ml
      10·
      2 months ago

      Thunderbird shows it for a at every startup

      Honestly didn’t realise till you pointed that out. I’m so used to seeing it that it doesn’t register to me what it’s saying anymore. Probably for the best that KDE only does it once a year; if it were daily I’m sure it wouldn’t even register to people that it’s asking for donations.

  • megabat@lemm.ee
    24·
    2 months ago

    Sorry, I’ve already donated all the Plasma I can safely donate! /s jic :)

  • hornedfiend@sopuli.xyz
    19·
    2 months ago

    I didn’t get that notification yet,but when I do,l’ll be sure as shit to donate as large amount as I can afford.

    Edit: I know I can and have donated already,but just to highlight the idea

  • k_rol@lemmy.ca
    213·
    2 months ago

    I personally think once a year is not enough. Every 6 months might be better. Also people already spend a lot during December that they might not prioritize donating to KDE.

    For those complaining… Well I don’t know what to say to them. Such a big complex software which is 100% free should be allowed to remind us that they need money.

    Don’t forget they said it’s running as a daemon specifically so you can easily disable it if it triggers you so much.

    • kbal@fedia.io
      22·
      2 months ago

      it’s running as a daemon specifically so you can easily disable it

      It occurs to me that even if I were a KDE user, I probably wouldn’t see it. I’m not a DE developer, so I’d be getting the packages through Debian, and the people who package things for Debian tend to remove such prominent features that for the users are all cost and no benefit.

      I suspect that none of the people who are “complaining” are doing so because it’s some kind of personal inconvenience that they’d find intolerable. The only thing it does to make my day worse is to slightly cheapen the reputation of the KDE project, and by extension — since it is such a popular and highly visible project — that of free software in general.

  • antihumanitarian@lemmy.worldEnglish
    171·
    2 months ago

    FOSS in general needs better means of financial support. While the software is free and libre, developer time is not, and ultimately they gotta eat and pay bills. I hope they get positive results and don’t catch much unnecessary flak.

  • SavvyWolf@pawb.socialEnglish
    194·
    2 months ago

    I mean, at least I’m not paying $200* for the privilege of being advertised to… I’d like an option to disable it permanently in the popup but it seems mostly reasonable?

    ^* This is the first price I got for a Windows licence when I searched for it. I know you can probably get them cheaper, but that’s the price they’re advertising, so eh.^

      • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
        21·
        2 months ago

        Why?

        People spend countless hours building the software you use for free. Now they need to buy actual hardware yo build and test that software and what? They have to pay with their own money besides all that time they spent already so that you can continue to use this for free?

        You’re not forced to pay anything, they’re asking for small donations

  • penquin@lemm.ee
    11·
    2 months ago

    Have you visited Wikipedia lately? I’ll gladly donate to KDE when I see this next time.

  • Mactan@lemmy.ml
    111·
    2 months ago

    cool and good. thunderbird is also very good about this and more projects should present their donation stuff just as tastefully