Marketplace for Module Development and Improvement– pooling resources of developers

I'm glad Darren Oh has got a solid proposal for this group. I would suggest that the most needed aspect of a Drupal marketplace would be a way for individual Drupal users and Drupal shops – especially smaller shops – to pool resources to fund specific module development.

User dahacouk called for more structure and a funding model to make the quality of contributed modules the best they can be.

To quote from my endorsement and proposal:

I applaud Walt's work in promoting projects needed financing and projects needing developers, and I see this idea as a way to build on it.

1. Letting people put money up for specific needs will give people who have that fabled itch to scratch – but without the time or Drupal experience to do it themselves – actually do something by putting money behind their words, "I want this feature / bug fix / functionality / module".
2. The Drupal Association could hold the money (and use interest off it to pay overhead) until the financed improvement is made
3. In the vast majority of cases the money would go to a developer or developers at the independent approval of the people who put up the money initially. (It would have to go to people who signed up to work on the request, to avoid someone redirecting the cash to a cousin at the last second.) Some appointed board (or democratic sample) could make a quick decision (including to have Drupal Association keep the money, or have the dispting parties split the difference) in the minority of cases where disagreements arise.
4. If not enough money is raised or work isn't done for some other reason, the Drupal Association can offer to refund it at a certain point-- but most people will re-assign it to another project, rather than cashing out.
5. This should be integrated into Drupal.org as much as possible, as in the issue queue and projects' pages. Two Summer of Code projects will be working in this area, Project quality metrics system and Extend Case Tracker Module, so now is a good opportunity to work in this area.
6. The same system can be used to support needed core changes, of course, although in this case its more likely to take the form of Dries or someone else with a bit of core developer cred pointing to an issue, saying this needs support, and letting us freeloaders give back. Also, people could make general donations at any time which some Drupal Association appointed group (or maybe someday a broad democratic vote) could direct.

It looks like this would have to start independently and prove itself before being integrated with Drupal.org or the Drupal Association. I'm part of a nonprofit (pending 510c3 application) which could probably provide fiscal sponsorship for such a venture. I think it's important that it be under nonprofit rather than for-profit aegis.

Agaric would love to hear feedback and especially interest.

~ ben, member, Agaric Design Collective