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Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps

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  Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-11-27 01:04 -0500
    Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> - 2025-11-27 10:16 +0000
      Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-11-27 22:04 -0500
        Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-11-28 06:26 +0000
    Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-11-27 13:10 +0100
      Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps Stéphane CARPENTIER <sc@fiat-linux.fr> - 2025-11-28 20:37 +0000
        Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-11-29 02:05 +0000
          Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps The Natural Philosopher <tnp@invalid.invalid> - 2025-11-29 11:31 +0000
    Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps rbowman <bowman@montana.com> - 2025-11-27 20:21 +0000
    Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps John McCue <jmclnx@SPAMisBADgmail.com> - 2025-11-28 01:11 +0000
      Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps Lawrence D’Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> - 2025-11-28 03:25 +0000
        Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-11-28 13:09 +0100
          Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-11-28 22:50 -0500
            Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps "Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> - 2025-11-29 13:41 +0100
            Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps John-Paul Stewart <jpstewart@personalprojects.net> - 2025-11-29 10:20 -0500
              Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-11-29 22:39 -0500
      Re: Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> - 2025-11-28 00:13 -0500

#77945 — Donations To Linux/Distros/Apps

We often see "Please Donate" messages here ... for
some apps, for IX distros, for Linux-in-General.
And yes, they DO deserve our support.

Problem, esp these days ... it's typically a link
to SOME web page or whatever. Is the link REAL or
something Vlad/Xi/Kim inserted ??? They want a
CC number, perfect op to PILLAGE your account.

I'm going to suggest something a bit more old-school,
a PHYSICAL ADDRESS you can send a CHECK (cheque) to
or some kind of money order or whatever seems to
be secure.

A place, a name. MUCH better.

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#77946

c186282 wrote:

> I'm going to suggest something a bit more old-school,
> a PHYSICAL ADDRESS you can send a CHECK (cheque) to
> or some kind of money order or whatever seems to
> be secure.

You'd likely need to handle the cheques on a per-country basis, and 
maybe end up paying higher fees

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#77980

On 11/27/25 05:16, Andy Burns wrote:
> c186282 wrote:
> 
>> I'm going to suggest something a bit more old-school,
>> a PHYSICAL ADDRESS you can send a CHECK (cheque) to
>> or some kind of money order or whatever seems to
>> be secure.
> 
> You'd likely need to handle the cheques on a per-country basis, and 
> maybe end up paying higher fees

   Better than NO money hmm ?

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#77997

On Thu, 27 Nov 2025 22:04:59 -0500, c186282 wrote:

> On 11/27/25 05:16, Andy Burns wrote:
>> c186282 wrote:
>> 
>>> I'm going to suggest something a bit more old-school,
>>> a PHYSICAL ADDRESS you can send a CHECK (cheque) to or some kind of
>>> money order or whatever seems to be secure.
>> 
>> You'd likely need to handle the cheques on a per-country basis, and
>> maybe end up paying higher fees
> 
>    Better than NO money hmm ?

My usenet provider is in Berlin but they take Paypal. It's my yearly 
reminded of the state of the EU. The 10 Euro/ year fee used to be around 
15 USD, but it's down to $11.50.

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#77954

On 2025-11-27 07:04, c186282 wrote:
> We often see "Please Donate" messages here ... for
> some apps, for IX distros, for Linux-in-General.
> And yes, they DO deserve our support.

<https://www.genbeta.com/desarrollo/crisis-silenciosa-desarrolladores-open-source-infraestructura-digital-internet-depende-voluntarios-quemados>

*The silent crisis of open source developers: the digital infrastructure 
of the internet depends on ‘burned out’ volunteers*

     The paradox of free software is that its success is based on a 
working model that can destroy those who make it possible.
     The challenge now is to build a sustainable ecosystem that treats 
its developers as the valuable resource they are.

Marcos Merino

The software that powers much of the modern world—from mobile apps to 
financial systems and artificial intelligence platforms—rests, in 
countless cases, on the shoulders of volunteer developers who work 
without pay. And many of them are at their limit.

A new report funded by Sentry and authored by researcher Miranda Heath 
provides figures, testimonials, and a diagnosis of a reality that until 
now was nothing more than an open secret in the tech community: 
open-source project developers are exhausted, overwhelmed, and, in many 
cases, ready to quit.

The document is a wake-up call: if these people stop maintaining the 
software that millions of users and thousands of companies use every 
day, part of the digital ecosystem could collapse.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)


<https://opensourcepledge.com/blog/burnout-in-open-source-a-structural-problem-we-can-fix-together/?ref=itsfoss.com>

*Burnout in Open Source: A Structural Problem We Can Fix Together*

Miranda Heath
18 Nov 2025

Imagine this: you build something to address a need that you have. It 
works — and it works well! Realising it might be useful to others, you 
decide to share it as Open Source.

To your surprise, it quickly becomes popular. Your work is valuable to 
others. It feels like a dream!

Then the requests for features and fixes come pouring in. Some feel more 
like demands. You care deeply about what you have made, so you try your 
best to respond.

You do this in your free time, but it starts to feel like a second job. 
Your working days get longer and longer — some nights you barely sleep. 
You know your work is valuable; massive companies are using it under the 
hood! It’s a rare day when anyone stops to say thanks for the hours you 
put in — but for them to offer any sort of financial support? Almost never.

A pull request comes in. Someone earnestly trying to help? Nope — it’s 
clearly something they threw AI at without understanding the code.

It carries on like this for months. The project you made for you, once a 
source of joy, is now a source of stress and anxiety. You feel 
profoundly unseen. Reluctantly, you begin to wonder: is it time to give 
up on the dream?


<https://itsfoss.com/news/open-source-developers-are-exhausted/>


Open Source Developers Are Exhausted, Unpaid, and Ready to Walk Away
The foundation of modern software is cracking under the weight of burnout.

     Sourav Rudra

Your favorite apps run on code maintained by exhausted volunteers. The 
databases powering your company? Built by developers working double 
shifts. Those JavaScript frameworks everyone depends on? Often 
shepherded by a single person, unpaid, drowning in demands.

A new report reveals just how bad things have gotten. Sentry funded this 
research through their Open Source Pledge initiative. Miranda Heath, a 
psychologist and PhD student at The University of Edinburgh, conducted 
the study.



> Problem, esp these days ... it's typically a link
> to SOME web page or whatever. Is the link REAL or
> something Vlad/Xi/Kim inserted ??? They want a
> CC number, perfect op to PILLAGE your account.

In the EU, knowing your account number doesn't open an account for pillage.


> 
> I'm going to suggest something a bit more old-school,
> a PHYSICAL ADDRESS you can send a CHECK (cheque) to
> or some kind of money order or whatever seems to
> be secure.
> 
> A place, a name. MUCH better.


That's what PayPal is good for.


-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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#78024

Le 27-11-2025, Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> a écrit :
>> I'm going to suggest something a bit more old-school,
>> a PHYSICAL ADDRESS you can send a CHECK (cheque) to
>> or some kind of money order or whatever seems to
>> be secure.
>> 
>> A place, a name. MUCH better.
>
> That's what PayPal is good for.

PayPal is like the rest of the banking system in the world: hijacked by
the US government. When a judge declared Netanyahou as a war criminal,
he as been cut out by PayPal like he has been cut out by Visa,
Mastercard and other habitual banking systems. So PayPal is exactly like
the others even if he tells you he's different.

-- 
Si vous avez du temps à perdre :
https://scarpet42.gitlab.io

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#78035

On 28 Nov 2025 20:37:02 GMT, Stéphane CARPENTIER wrote:

> Le 27-11-2025, Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> a écrit :
>>> I'm going to suggest something a bit more old-school,
>>> a PHYSICAL ADDRESS you can send a CHECK (cheque) to or some kind of
>>> money order or whatever seems to be secure.
>>> 
>>> A place, a name. MUCH better.
>>
>> That's what PayPal is good for.
> 
> PayPal is like the rest of the banking system in the world: hijacked by
> the US government. When a judge declared Netanyahou as a war criminal,
> he as been cut out by PayPal like he has been cut out by Visa,
> Mastercard and other habitual banking systems. So PayPal is exactly like
> the others even if he tells you he's different.

I have no problem considering Netanyahu a war criminal. The Christian 
Zionists like Huckleberry might love him but I'm not in their camp.

There are some strange bedfellows in the US. Segments of the left cheer on 
Hamas and hate Netanyahu; segments of the right would like to turn the 
whole area into a radioactive parking lot and let god sort them out.

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#78051

On 29/11/2025 02:05, rbowman wrote:
> On 28 Nov 2025 20:37:02 GMT, Stéphane CARPENTIER wrote:
> 
>> Le 27-11-2025, Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> a écrit :
>>>> I'm going to suggest something a bit more old-school,
>>>> a PHYSICAL ADDRESS you can send a CHECK (cheque) to or some kind of
>>>> money order or whatever seems to be secure.
>>>>
>>>> A place, a name. MUCH better.
>>>
>>> That's what PayPal is good for.
>>
>> PayPal is like the rest of the banking system in the world: hijacked by
>> the US government. When a judge declared Netanyahou as a war criminal,
>> he as been cut out by PayPal like he has been cut out by Visa,
>> Mastercard and other habitual banking systems. So PayPal is exactly like
>> the others even if he tells you he's different.
> 
> I have no problem considering Netanyahu a war criminal. The Christian
> Zionists like Huckleberry might love him but I'm not in their camp.
> 

The problem is that the Hamas narrative is believed over the Israeli one.


Its not what the narratives are., so much as the belief in Hamas rather 
than Israeli narratives highlights a systematic antisemitic bias in 
those who have it.


> There are some strange bedfellows in the US. Segments of the left cheer on
> Hamas and hate Netanyahu; segments of the right would like to turn the
> whole area into a radioactive parking lot and let god sort them out.
> 
Well I am of neither camp. I am a pragmatist. Ultimately Hamas have 
shown themselves to be incapable of running Palestine for the good of 
its citizens, but Israel does very well at that. Plenty of 'Arabs' live 
happily in Israel.  Israel should annex it and run it. Israel never flew 
airliners into the twin towers.

Likewise those who believe the Russian narrative. The only way peace 
will return to Europe is if Russia is completely defeated and its ruling 
elite eliminated. Giving it Ukraine simply hands it a very advanced 
technical resource base and encourages it to go for the rest of Europe.

King Donald may be happy with that, but no one on Europe will be. So he 
is pissing in the wind. He doesn't get to decide European outcomes, 
especially now he has decided not to financially aid Ukraine in any way 
or allow USA designed weapons to operate  there.

He has no cards left


-- 
"The great thing about Glasgow is that if there's a nuclear attack it'll 
look exactly the same afterwards."

Billy Connolly

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#77974

On Thu, 27 Nov 2025 01:04:23 -0500, c186282 wrote:

> Problem, esp these days ... it's typically a link to SOME web page or
> whatever. Is the link REAL or something Vlad/Xi/Kim inserted ??? They
> want a CC number, perfect op to PILLAGE your account.

Like any link that involves money I don't take it at face value and 
approach it independently. For example I have an email from the internet 
archive with a button linked to 

https://archive.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?
u=38bd6154386f64fcd92204a25&id=e63e325a46&e=f57124f0a6

No, thanks. I'll start with looking Internet Archive in the browser, which 
leads to  https://archive.org/.

There is a Donate button leading to a separate page that looks legitimate. 
If you're still paranoid 

Mail your donation to:
Internet Archive
C/O Philanthropy Department
300 Funston Avenue
San Francisco, CA  94118-2116

However there is a note that they cannot accept anything other than USD.

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#77979

c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> wrote:
<snip> 

> I'm going to suggest something a bit more old-school,
> a PHYSICAL ADDRESS you can send a CHECK (cheque) to
> or some kind of money order or whatever seems to
> be secure.
> 
> A place, a name. MUCH better.

Slackware (US) and OpenBSD (Canada) will accept checks.
But I do not know if they can cash checks in a currency
not associated with their Country.

-- 
[t]csh(1) - "An elegant shell, for a more... civilized age."
                        - Paraphrasing Star Wars

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#77983

On Fri, 28 Nov 2025 01:11:43 -0000 (UTC), John McCue wrote:

> Slackware (US) and OpenBSD (Canada) will accept checks. But I do not
> know if they can cash checks in a currency not associated with their
> Country.

I dimly recall receiving such a foreign-currency cheque many decades ago.

The bank said they could clear it (less some suitable fees, of
course), but it would take a few days. I was happy with that.

Might have been a bank cheque, not a personal cheque.

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#78013

On 2025-11-28 04:25, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:
> On Fri, 28 Nov 2025 01:11:43 -0000 (UTC), John McCue wrote:
> 
>> Slackware (US) and OpenBSD (Canada) will accept checks. But I do not
>> know if they can cash checks in a currency not associated with their
>> Country.
> 
> I dimly recall receiving such a foreign-currency cheque many decades ago.
> 
> The bank said they could clear it (less some suitable fees, of
> course), but it would take a few days. I was happy with that.
> 
> Might have been a bank cheque, not a personal cheque.

Way before the euro, 1976, my father and me travelled to the UK. The 
amount of money in bills we were allowed to take out of the country was 
limited by law. My father took a bank cheque to cash in London or 
Birmingham, and it was not easy. I think that we had to find the office 
of our Spanish bank in London, the Santander (BSCH now).

In retrospect, I wonder why not use a credit card, but we did not have 
any. I do not know why.

On other trips, we used traveller cheques, those were new but easy to use.

-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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#78040

On 11/28/25 07:09, Carlos E.R. wrote:
> On 2025-11-28 04:25, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:
>> On Fri, 28 Nov 2025 01:11:43 -0000 (UTC), John McCue wrote:
>>
>>> Slackware (US) and OpenBSD (Canada) will accept checks. But I do not
>>> know if they can cash checks in a currency not associated with their
>>> Country.
>>
>> I dimly recall receiving such a foreign-currency cheque many decades ago.
>>
>> The bank said they could clear it (less some suitable fees, of
>> course), but it would take a few days. I was happy with that.
>>
>> Might have been a bank cheque, not a personal cheque.
> 
> Way before the euro, 1976, my father and me travelled to the UK. The 
> amount of money in bills we were allowed to take out of the country was 
> limited by law. My father took a bank cheque to cash in London or 
> Birmingham, and it was not easy. I think that we had to find the office 
> of our Spanish bank in London, the Santander (BSCH now).
> 
> In retrospect, I wonder why not use a credit card, but we did not have 
> any. I do not know why.
> 
> On other trips, we used traveller cheques, those were new but easy to use.

   Credit Cards go back a ways ... but weren't as plugged-in
   as we know them now until much later, late 70s perhaps.
   I recall commercials for American Express ... the card
   everyone would take anywhere.

   Now it's the card almost nobody takes  :-)

   Travelers Checks *were* pretty good and easy. You
   can still buy them ... though not so sure they'll
   be so widely accepted these days. More secure than
   CCs and esp direct bank xfers via phones.

   ANYWAY, it today's Vlad-infested environment, I do
   NOT provide CC numbers, much less bank routing
   numbers, to anything but a VERY narrow handful of
   well-known corps - ones I can *sue* if they
   mishandle the money. If I can't buy it on Amazon
   then I probably won't buy it. Damage me and I'll
   damage you back. Fair.

   Paranoid ... or REAL ?

   Hell, gimme a name and physical address
   for Linux-X ... then I'll send a platinum
   coin or something  :-)

   Hmmm ... How about a "FundLinux.net" ... click
   a box as to which distros/projects you want to
   fund ? Still gotta be able to SUE them if they
   leave all the numbers in Vlad's easy reach ...

   Oh, USA esp, time to change EVERYONEs ID
   and account numbers. Do it every five years
   or so - maybe more often as AI-assisted
   attacks are escalating.

   Oh, odd note, in Florida gold coins are now
   considered proper legal currency again. Alas
   a biz would need an expensive x-ray florescence
   device to be SURE they weren't being scammed.

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#78056

On 2025-11-29 04:50, c186282 wrote:
> On 11/28/25 07:09, Carlos E.R. wrote:
>> On 2025-11-28 04:25, Lawrence D’Oliveiro wrote:
>>> On Fri, 28 Nov 2025 01:11:43 -0000 (UTC), John McCue wrote:
>>>
>>>> Slackware (US) and OpenBSD (Canada) will accept checks. But I do not
>>>> know if they can cash checks in a currency not associated with their
>>>> Country.
>>>
>>> I dimly recall receiving such a foreign-currency cheque many decades 
>>> ago.
>>>
>>> The bank said they could clear it (less some suitable fees, of
>>> course), but it would take a few days. I was happy with that.
>>>
>>> Might have been a bank cheque, not a personal cheque.
>>
>> Way before the euro, 1976, my father and me travelled to the UK. The 
>> amount of money in bills we were allowed to take out of the country 
>> was limited by law. My father took a bank cheque to cash in London or 
>> Birmingham, and it was not easy. I think that we had to find the 
>> office of our Spanish bank in London, the Santander (BSCH now).
>>
>> In retrospect, I wonder why not use a credit card, but we did not have 
>> any. I do not know why.
>>
>> On other trips, we used traveller cheques, those were new but easy to 
>> use.
> 
>    Credit Cards go back a ways ... but weren't as plugged-in
>    as we know them now until much later, late 70s perhaps.
>    I recall commercials for American Express ... the card
>    everyone would take anywhere.
> 
>    Now it's the card almost nobody takes  :-)
> 
>    Travelers Checks *were* pretty good and easy. You
>    can still buy them ... though not so sure they'll
>    be so widely accepted these days. More secure than
>    CCs and esp direct bank xfers via phones.
> 
>    ANYWAY, it today's Vlad-infested environment, I do
>    NOT provide CC numbers, much less bank routing
>    numbers, to anything but a VERY narrow handful of
>    well-known corps - ones I can *sue* if they
>    mishandle the money. If I can't buy it on Amazon
>    then I probably won't buy it. Damage me and I'll
>    damage you back. Fair.

There are people that say that is not a problem in Europe. I have my 
doubts, but no solid proof either way.

I do know places that publish their account number in the web, for 
decades. For instance, my nntp provider.


> 
>    Paranoid ... or REAL ?
> 
>    Hell, gimme a name and physical address
>    for Linux-X ... then I'll send a platinum
>    coin or something  :-)
> 
>    Hmmm ... How about a "FundLinux.net" ... click
>    a box as to which distros/projects you want to
>    fund ? Still gotta be able to SUE them if they
>    leave all the numbers in Vlad's easy reach ...
> 
>    Oh, USA esp, time to change EVERYONEs ID
>    and account numbers. Do it every five years
>    or so - maybe more often as AI-assisted
>    attacks are escalating.
> 
>    Oh, odd note, in Florida gold coins are now
>    considered proper legal currency again. Alas
>    a biz would need an expensive x-ray florescence
>    device to be SURE they weren't being scammed.
> 


-- 
Cheers, Carlos.
ES🇪🇸, EU🇪🇺;

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#78066

On 2025-11-28 10:50 p.m., c186282 wrote:
> 
>   Hell, gimme a name and physical address
>   for Linux-X ... then I'll send a platinum
>   coin or something  :-)
> 
>   Hmmm ... How about a "FundLinux.net" ... click
>   a box as to which distros/projects you want to
>   fund ? 
https://www.spi-inc.org/

Software in the Public Interest funds at least 45 open source projects.
Distros include Arch, Debian, and Gentoo.  Other projects include
FFmpeg, LibreOffice, OpenSSL, and PostgreSQL.  (And those are just the
highlights!)

You can donate to SPI in general or designate your funds for a specific
project from their list.

They have a physical address in New York City to which you can mail
donations or you can pay on-line in a number of different ways.  Your
choice.

It seems like SPI already does what you're suggesting.

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#78081

On 11/29/25 10:20, John-Paul Stewart wrote:
> On 2025-11-28 10:50 p.m., c186282 wrote:
>>
>>    Hell, gimme a name and physical address
>>    for Linux-X ... then I'll send a platinum
>>    coin or something  :-)
>>
>>    Hmmm ... How about a "FundLinux.net" ... click
>>    a box as to which distros/projects you want to
>>    fund ?
> https://www.spi-inc.org/
> 
> Software in the Public Interest funds at least 45 open source projects.
> Distros include Arch, Debian, and Gentoo.  Other projects include
> FFmpeg, LibreOffice, OpenSSL, and PostgreSQL.  (And those are just the
> highlights!)
> 
> You can donate to SPI in general or designate your funds for a specific
> project from their list.
> 
> They have a physical address in New York City to which you can mail
> donations or you can pay on-line in a number of different ways.  Your
> choice.
> 
> It seems like SPI already does what you're suggesting.

   If true I'll look into them. Don't mind donating
   to Linux & projects - would LIKE to - but don't
   trust mystery web sites (or things like PayPal
   and friends).

   Long back, maybe when Musk was still in PayPal, I
   started to set up an account. Halfway through I
   changed my mind and canceled out - nothing saved.
   Yet, a few days later, I was getting mails saying
   there were problems, weird charges, on my non-
   existent PP account - please contact and provide
   full acct number/creds !!!

   THAT'S how closely the evil people were watching
   even years ago. Likely 'insiders'.

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#77989

On 11/27/25 20:11, John McCue wrote:
> c186282 <c186282@nnada.net> wrote:
> <snip>
> 
>> I'm going to suggest something a bit more old-school,
>> a PHYSICAL ADDRESS you can send a CHECK (cheque) to
>> or some kind of money order or whatever seems to
>> be secure.
>>
>> A place, a name. MUCH better.
> 
> Slackware (US) and OpenBSD (Canada) will accept checks.
> But I do not know if they can cash checks in a currency
> not associated with their Country.

   Slack is fine ... but not my cup of tea.

   OBSD is pretty good, but I don't have any
   Canadian bank accounts.

   There ARE other instruments however ... some
   of which may work more easily across borders.

   In any event, just spreading yer CC numbers all
   over the place is now TOO dangerous.

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