Grassroots brainstorming

[hatman]

Dreamwidth rocks. If you're here, you know that. And you've probably got your own unique ideas about why.

The problem with building something new and awesome is that it attracts the attention of the sort of jealous trolls who feel threatened by shiny things and are instinctively compelled to try to smash them. Dreamwidth has twice had to change payment processors because trolls attacked, processors are superstitious and cowardly, and Dreamwidth's founders care too much about their principles and defending the rights of their userbase to cave to that sort of pressure.

Unfortunately, as noted in this week's news post and, more specifically, this post in dw_biz, this has forced Dreamwidth to dip more deeply into its financial reserves. It's also caused site growth to stumble.

Now, the new payment system will be implemented soon. And the one-year anniversary of Open Beta launch (April 30) is nigh.

There will probably be some kind of official sale. But I'm thinking a grassroots movement is in order, as well.

1. There's been mention in the comments of the dw_biz post of creating Dreamwidth swag - shirts, hats, stickers, etc. denise responded to the idea:

I'd love to do this, absolutely. The questions outstanding are:

1). What services should we use? I want one that will have decent quality product, reasonable prices, and ethical sources (no sweatshop labor, etc), where they will print-on-demand and handle all the shipping on their own so we don't have to. (We do not have anyplace at DW HQ to store hundreds of tshirts, and we don't have the required up-front capital outlay free right now to do our own fulfillment and/or pre-ordering.)

2). What designs should we offer, and who'll design them?

If you could take point on researching #1, that would be awesome. (If you can't, I can find someone to, or ask in the news post next week.)

Suggestions, anyone? I've had a good experience with Zazzle, but I don't know their ethical record & policies. (And isn't it awesome that Dreamwidth management has made that a priority, even in the midst of a financial crunch?)

More importantly - art? I'd like to see an "Art of Dreamwidth" movement spring up. Some kind of contest, perhaps? (Something like, say, dreamwidth_idol?)

2. I'd also like to see something like a paid account-athon. A grassroots movement to encourage people to buy paid accounts - for themselves, their favorite communities, their friends, random users (there are two options for that in the shop), paidaccountfairy, etc. Perhaps somehow tied in with Three Weeks For Dreamwidth or something like it?

3. I'd like to have some kind of contest here, with the prizes being paid time. Suggestions? For Open Beta, I did a new account fairy contest, but it didn't gather too much participation. Anyone have a better idea?

4. What else can we do?

I don't want it to be charity. Dreamwidth is a business. But it's also a community.

On the one hand, our community has been attacked. It comes to us as good citizens to band together to help clean up the rubble.

More importantly, however, Dreamwidth rocks. It's in our interest to help build the site, to get it to grow and prosper, to make the community bigger and better and stronger. To make it a profitable venture so we can keep it going. And hey, it's Open Beta anniversary. We should celebrate!

So what have you got? What can we, the community, do (unofficially) to get things moving? To celebrate, to drum up activity, to get people excited, to bring in new people, to give people a good reason to spend some money?

ETA: Updates here, though it's mostly trying to bring more visibility to some stuff from the comments from this post.

Would still like input into what kind of contest to run in this comm. Random post to the comm gets paid time? Sponsor free accounts that participate in Three Weeks For Dreamwidth? Or maybe spiff up the layout around here, with the contributions voted best getting paid time? Other thoughts? Suggestions? Should I run a poll?

Comments

[yvi]

I am thinking of soliciting my Dreamwidth development time. The idea is vague and it's limited as I can't do all open bugs and also as I am in a bit of a health crisis right now, but if people want something in particular implemented that wouldn't take me more than a week, I could offer doing that.

It's vague, and if anyone wants to weigh in on the idea, please do so. Maybe there are even more people who are into Dreamwidth development who would be okay with being 'rented' by a user for that user supporting Dreamwidth.

[cesy]

I like this idea, if we can find enough developers who are willing.

[yvi]

I know that there are totally bugs I would tackle if someone asked me to.

I think it could be done in a few ways:

a) users post comments saying which bug they would like to see squashed and with an offer for how much they would donate for it. Interested developers can then pick up the bugs they can/want to do.

b) developer posts, saying which bugs (wither vague categories or an actual list) they are willing/able to do and how many of those they could probably do. Users can then bid and the developers picks the amount of highest bids they can do (so if the highest is for a big project, only that will get done,; if the highest three are for smaller, they get picked, etc.)

???

[cesy]

I think it would be good to do both of those - developers will vary in whether they already know what they want to do, or if they'd be willing or able to try other things if users want them enough.

[hatman]

That could be cool. A way to help guide the site's direction. Get the stuff you want rolled out faster (or at all). Would it be inappropriate to bring up the question in dw_dev?

[yvi]

I know I wouldn't have picked up the tag merge bug if cesy hadn't pointed me at it :)

Would it be inappropriate to bring up the question in dw_dev?

I'll shout for mark in IRC :)

And of course, he is just out.

[hatman]

Ah well, it can wait a bit.

But... you can give a reason for editing your comment now? Spiffy! When did that roll out? (And why I can't I edit my comment above? Are comm admin settings overriding that ability or am I missing the button for it? ETA: NM, I can edit this one. Weird.)

[yvi]

afuna implemented it... hmmm... maybe in January?

Comments that have already been replied to can't be edited.

[hatman]

Ah, makes sense. :)

[yvi]

I posted a poll in my journal: http://yvi.dreamwidth.org/118058.html

[cesy]

I'd like to see if between us we can sponsor lots of random users and communities, and possibly even give paid time to all free users who participate in Three Weeks for Dreamwidth.

[hatman]

I'd love that. And that's a great tie-in idea.

[cesy]

Can we also tag this entry as three weeks for dreamwidth, please, so it shows up in the latest feed?

[hatman]

Ooo, good thought. Done. Thanks! :)

[sharpest_asp]

I'm limited in funds, but I'm going to hold a contest in one of my comms to spur both content on DW and contribute a little more toward the funds. I've seen contests like this on LJ all the time, and maybe a few comm administrators might be like me... can afford a little bit to spend, but not much.

[hatman]

Sounds good to me. Let me know, and FWIW, I'll boost the signal.

[sharpest_asp]

Well it's at musing_way with details in this post. Not sure how much boosting will help, considering it's an RP comm, but the thought is appreciated.

[foxfirefey]

I think I could make network graphs for anybody who buys a month or more of paid time for somebody else--I'm just not sure how to verify that. Or maybe just make it for anybody with a paid account.

[yvi]

Well, there could be screenshots of the payment site, but I know what you mean.

[foxfirefey]

Actually, I think I may want to aim more towards anybody who's made X number of post/comments in communities. Oh communities, I am going to nurture the everloving stuffing out of you.