SoftwareDonations

Ubuntu should provide a service with a standard interface for users to donate to the developers of Ubuntu applications.

Release Note

This section should include a paragraph describing the end-user impact of this change. It is meant to be included in the release notes of the first release in which it is implemented. (Not all of these will actually be included in the release notes, at the release manager's discretion; but writing them is a useful exercise.)

It is mandatory.

Rationale

Ubuntu Software Center lets commercial software vendors get fixed-price revenue for their software. But projects that offer Ubuntu applications for free shouldn’t be at a disadvantage. It should be possible for people to donate to them as well. In the long run, this may make open-source application development more viable.

Invoking the donations interface

The primary interface for donating to a project should be from within the project’s application itself, because this is the place where you’re most likely to be when you’re motivated to donate. For example, an application may have a “Donate…” item in its “Help” menu.

Secondarily, for all applications registered with Ubuntu’s donation service, Ubuntu Software Center’s software item screen should have a “Donate…” link next to the “Web Site” link.

Implementation: How will USC know which applications are registered and which are not? Will it be possible for PPA packages to fake registration?

Donating

If you are not authenticated for Ubuntu Single Sign-On, the donation service should first open a standard SSO dialog to sign in or sign up, with the prompt text being “To donate to software through Ubuntu, you need to sign in.”.

Once you are authenticated, the donation process itself should be presented in a non-modal, standalone window.


CategorySpec

SoftwareDonations (last edited 2011-01-13 00:20:00 by 63)