Re: Paying for a feature/bug fix?

On Sunday 14 September 2008 7:18:19 pm Liam McDermott wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'd like to give some money to support Quanta, but rather than donating,
> is it possible to pay someone to implement a feature?
>
> In short, I'd like this feature implemented, please:
> https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=156135
>
> Am quite happy to wait until the KDE4 version of Quanta is at a stage
> where it's convenient to add this, but would like a vague idea of what
> stage it is most likely to happen (alpha, beta, RC, etc.) I know better
> than to ask for a timeline of course!
>
> So, how much will it cost?
>
> Kind Regards,
> Liam McDermott.

Hi,
It's not possible to answer this question right now. First off Niko is doing 
some coding on Quanta. Andras has been hoping to get time since he started 
contracting with KDAB but he is presently also being tapped to give 
instruction in Qt training seminars. Yes, he's that good and that in demand. 
I am wrapped up in my own little project... Briefly it goes like this. I have 
been doing okay with my business but I'm falling behind on demand and missing 
opportunity. If I do things right I'd be able to have more time and also to 
sponsor developers for Quanta and Kommander. 

My problem? I am working with seasonal windows in farming and marketing that I 
can't ignore. On top of scaling infrastructure and personel resources I also 
have to do major code updates on the web site, finish my internal database, 
finish two internal applications, get everything on barcodes, install a Kolab 
server, hack some code on Blackberry desktop integration and tweak some 
custom field data forms, integrate bluetooth devices for field sales and set 
up a CD/USB data combo that I can give to new sales people to get them 
running the Linux system I work from. Of course if I did the development I 
could allow for other OSs using KDE4. While I'm doing all this I'm writing 
all now marketing materials and doing several very prestigious jobs I can 
take pix of. (Anybody who wants pix email off list.)

Andras and I have been talking about planning our release schedule for KDE4 
since aKademy... Actually that's not true. We had one conversation and he 
hasn't had Skype on and we just finally exchanged emails. In both our cases 
we are going through transitional circumstances that increase demand on us. 
In a few months we will be better able to handle things. I hope to begin 
working on a plan by next month, but I'm not going to commit to having it in 
place. I will be putting Skype on my Blackberry so Andras and I can can talk 
wherever I am and communication on this project remains a top priority for 
me.

As to the specifics of what you're talking about... The parser has been 
rewritten for KDE4. However what you're talking about is code interfacing and 
assimilating text. It's a reasonable request, but really we would be talking 
a form of importing probably to handle this. I'm not looking at the code so I 
hope I'm not talking stupid. For now please hold till you are more 
comfortable and please bring this up again in a month. My worst case scenario 
is that we focus on development in January. If that is the case Andras and I 
will meet for a week or two somewhere in the world and have a hacking 
session. Oh... Niko is welcome too. ;-)


-- 
Eric Laffoon
Project Lead - kdewebdev module