Donations for free software through Software Center

Specification (someone with permission should make this the specification URL): https://wiki.ubuntu.com/SoftwareDonations

Work items:
[mpt] (USC) Define UI for donations in app description page: DONE
(USC) Define metadata format (for supported donation apps) and how the data is provided: TODO
[mvo] (USC) Add button to SC app description page for supported apps: POSTPONED
[mvo] (USC) Display donations metadata on description page for supported apps: POSTPONED
[mvo] (USC) Initiate donations workflow when "Donate" button clicked: POSTPONED
[mvo] (USC) Add menu item to manage donations: POSTPONED
[mvo] (USC) Open dialog to manage donations when "manage" menu item clicked: POSTPONED
[mvo] (USC) Display "donated to" in app description page if user has donated to app (will change "Donate" button?): POSTPONED
(server) Web contact form for app owners to apply for donations: TODO
(server) Registration of apps/recipients in web UI (admin only?): TODO
(server) API call to return apps which can receive donations: TODO
(server) API call to donate to an app: TODO
(server) API call to get donation metadata for app: TODO
(server) First visit workflow: TODO
(server) Define models for donations: TODO
[mpt] (server) Define "(create or) top-up 'pot'" workflow: POSTPONED
(server) "Top-up 'pot'" workflow: TODO
[mpt] (server) Define "confirm donation" workflow: POSTPONED
(server) "Confirm donation" workflow: TODO
(server) List previous donations (management dialog): TODO
[mpt] (server) Define "Cancel donation" (if not yet paid) workflow: POSTPONED
(server) "Cancel donation" (if not yet paid) workflow: TODO
(server) Finance report generation: TODO
(server) Cron script to process unused donations: TODO
(dev) Create config branch: TODO
(dev) Buildout/fabric dev setup: TODO
(dev) Packaging prep for deployment: TODO
(dev) Set up translations infrastructure: TODO
(dev) Deploy staging app: TODO
(dev) Deploy production app: TODO
(dev) Add ISD scaffolding (South / oops / logging / web theme): TODO
[allison] (biz) Confirm with Google that they're OK with us using GSOC approval: TODO
(biz) Finance process to pay recipients: TODO
(biz) Define finance report criteria (data, frequency): TODO
[slgeorge] (biz) Decide what happens with unspent donations: TODO
[slgeorge] (biz) Check with legal about any liabilities: TODO
[slgeorge] (biz) Organise any contracts we need people to sign: TODO
(biz) Define process for registering apps: TODO

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[Copied from Gobby document: packageselection-desktop-n-donations-for-free-software-through-software-center]

Agenda
 - Intent
  * accept payments through software center for free software in the Ubuntu stack, and have those payments make their way to the developer
 - Proposed model
   * token model: prove you can modify package/code/whatever before receiving $$$
     - Use package homepage from package file, and inspect that home page for token?
     - Has other problems (this is open source software, after all)
 - Implementation elements
 - Issues
   * Donation/Software registration

 * the word "donate" sometimes implies "charity", but these are not charities
   - or are they? (Gnome Foundation, etc.)
 * could donate to server application, etc... via the web or a cli
 what about when an app doesn't have a clear person to donate to?
  option 1: don't donate
  option 2: take $ for all apps and donate to a single place
  option 3: do a general donation
  Developer Portal could help define who is the person
  - If we restrict our initial implementation to packages with very clear answers and existing 501c3 foundations, then someone would soon make a 501c3 foundation to handle "the rest" -- so we may not need to worry about individual donations to individuals

Sourceforge lets the maintainer specify a single person, as well as a portion to other projects (eg upstream library)/general foundation

rickspencer3 feels strongly that we should only accept donations for projects with clearly defined "end points"

we could add a "I would like to donate" button

we would need to figure out how to change the ability to pay on the server side? would there be meta-data external? a token in a package?

Possibilty to make Donation per feature ?
 a specific feature inside a specific package/app needs X money, people donate that sum and the one which implement it got the money.
People tend to donate more if they know the thing will happen !
  * donate for a potential future feature ?
Many people say that they will pay for the one who will make Games working in Linux (Add a Gallium StateTraker, etc..), but now there is no model assuring that when they will pay they will receive something.

All this needs a model to handle people requesting specific features, other people dividing that feature into sub-parts with how much time it needs to be implemented, other people validating the process and then the new state of the feature.

  This is traditionally called "Bounties". Probably a different discussion
 So it should put in the future pipeline.

How do you prove that you own assets related to the projects?
 * we could check the defined homepad and see if there is key there?

Provide fundraiser-like (justgiving.com) donation messages.

Unresolved questions
 * how to have people register as project owners to receive funds
 * how to respond to and resolve disputes
 * how to pay $ out to the parties
 *