A recent change was proposed last month to implement an on-by-default KDED (KDE Daemon) module that will gently ask you to donate to KDE as a pop-up on your notification system inside the KDE Plasma desktop, planned for version 6.2.
As per the merge request cited above and this blog post from developer Nate Graham regarding the situation, we can find the following rationale behind this implementation: KDE usually ask through various social media posts, official channels and yearly fundraisers and blog posts which Graham noted you "may get the impression that we’re always begging for cash". However, if you're not a follower of those and just an average KDE (Plasma) user, you might never know that KDE (The Foundation) has these donations requests constantly being asked, or never know it could be in need of funding.
Pictured - The donation request in KDE Plasma, although the button has now been changed to a less pushy "Donate" instead of "Donate Now".
With that in mind and the fact that other organizations already do this on a yearly basis (Thunderbird and Wikimedia for example), KDE decided to implement a KDED module that will ask for donations only once a year in Plasma 6.2+. While it may look intrusive, this is completely configurable for those which are packaging KDE so, it's up to each Linux distribution or users to disable it using the normal means of disabling KDED modules.
Something else to keep in mind is that they want to keep expanding too, they want to offer full-time employment to more people and hire more. On top of that, and quite exciting sounding, is that Graham noted in the blog post they eventually want to "fund the creation of a next-generation KDE OS we can offer directly to institutions looking to switch to Linux, and a hardware certification program to go along with it". Including (jokingly) they want to "take over the world" and get more distributions to use KDE Plasma by default.
Editor's opinion: I think it is fair for KDE to expose that they need funding and asking that from inside the UI would not hurt for a software that delivered so much for free (as in freedom and as in "gratis"). It is not cluttered, and does not seem to break anyone's workflow.
Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Quoting: PyrateSo you were ambivalent about plasma 5, you get the upgrade, a donation box pops up... are you going to donate?Quoting: scaineNate Graham covered that in his post. The moment that you've just installed a desktop isn't the right time to ask for donations - you have no idea if you're sticking with the distro or desktop.
And I just covered that that welcome screen pops up on every new Plasma version... But let's make it more clear; so if a user keeps using Plasma, upgrades to 6.x, they'll get that window again with a mention to donate.
Of course not. As I say, this is well covered in Nate's post. At the point of upgrade? That's not when you ask for funds with any success.
Quoting: scaineQuoting: emphyHowever much the funding is needed, it is an abuse of kde's position on the system it has been installed on.
Why? It's free software, simply asking for funding. That's an "egregious abuse" in your book? If so, your book is stunningly privileged. Free and Libre Open Source Software is an absolute anomaly in our (mostly) capitalist society. Give them some money, and if you have no money to give, then at least don't complain when they beg for funds once a year, in a trivially ignored pop-up.
Asking for money is fine, using a position of power on a system to deliver that message at a time it is likely to break a user's workflow, without their consent, is not.
That has nothing to do with privilege, more with avoiding conflicts of interest and respecting other people's boundaries (both sorely lacking in modern software development).
Edit: replaced "inconvenient"
Last edited by emphy on 2 September 2024 at 4:52 pm UTC
ElectricPrism Sep 2
The project should be conditioning people to give a very small amount like $1.00 using a common service if possible. Then after a few years people will already be in the habit of giving and give more to all FOSS projects.
This is literally the psychology behind tipping and those grocery store checkout sharks that ask you to donate.
No I don't want to donate to your alleged "Non profit" that I have done 0 research on. No I don't want to tip you for a coffee in the drive-through and places that I don't sit down (sorry baristas of this site). I already gave an allocated amount to FOSS projects and things I personally understand, appreciate, and benefit from in turn directly or indirectly.
Quoting: Piejacker875I'd like an "I've already donated" flag that can be set somewhere in a config file
If you've already donated that year it won't ask. Plus you can just disable it.
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