[scribus-dev] I think it's time

[ale rimoldi]

hi


> Actually past the time, when Scribus should have established some
> sort of legal entity which could create a formal
> business/profit/nonprofit entity.
> 
> I believe we are failing to capitalize on the breadth and depth of 
> Scribus's use. This isn't a matter of requiring anyone to pay for a 
> license to use Scribus, but offering a way for people to show 
> appreciation for the fact that something like Scribus exists.
> 
> It turns out to be a negative interaction when someone says, "I can't
> or don't have time to contribute to the project with some sort of
> skills, but I would like to help Scribus in some way, can I make a
> donation?", and we have no answer for them.
> 
> I think it also reflects on Scribus as being a loose collection of 
> people who work on it, work at it, but have no overriding sense of
> where Scribus is going.

on the one side, seeing how scribus is currently evolving i keep my
opinion that there is no real use for setting up a way of collecting
money.
(i don't think that the reasons for my thoughts really matter... most of
all, because there is a big "but" just below...)

BUT

i also think that if we -- by chanche -- should be able to collect a non
negligible amount of money, at some time somebody will probably find out
a way to use it!

so, all in all, i believe that the idea is worth to be followed!
(even if i believe that scribus is more in need of new contributors
than of money...)

i have only three remarks:

- we may have to take care that the money does not harm the project more
  than it helps (there can be nasty consequences when money is
  around)

- we should make sure that as soon as we need the money we can use it
  for our goals without needing to much effort and time for
  geting it out of an external foundation (the experience with gnome
  managing the LGM money wasn't only positive...)

- for what i'm seeing, our biggest market is europe: so we should take
  care that (also) europeans can be tax-exempted and that the costs for
  their money transfers are as low as possible.


> If there is no way to set up some nonprofit entity, then set up a
> simple corporation, in a country where taxes and filings of various
> documents are minimal. A European nonprofit status is of no help to
> someone in the US wanting to have a tax-exempt donation, but doesn't
> mean that they would not consider donating anyway.

setting up an association in switzerland is very easy.

it shouldn't either be that difficult to set up a non profit
organisation.

but i don't know who can get a tax-exemption when donating to a swiss
non profit.


but i've already told all of this to most of you in the past...

ciao
a.l.e