Donations from your add-ons?

[0xym0r0n]

Out of curiosity (votes are private) but you don't have to vote.

This year how much money did you get in donations for your resource contributions?
Did you expect more or less?

Personally, I've received zero but my most downloaded resource suggests donating to charity instead of myself. My other resources need work, but I know some guys here who have dished out high quality add-ons at the awesome price of NOTHING.

Or if you've donated to other developers how much have you donated this year?
Personally I've donated around $40 so far. I plan to donate more. I really want to donate to every developer that has provided me with a free resource.

 

[Luis]

Personally i have donated for the support received in some Addons, not the addon itself. Surely more donations are on the road in the future.

Vote emitted.

 

[0xym0r0n]

Support is a big factor for me too

 

[Chris D]

Actually, very little for me.

Those donations I have received I have been incredibly grateful for, and I always thank each person donating personally (providing I know who it is).

But overall, having a donate button on the add-on is a waste of time.

One thing I did consider is variable price add-ons. The delivery/order system I use, FetchApp, has the option to have a variable price rather than a fixed price.

This would mean I could make add-ons like Registration Timer available on a donation basis.

Not sure I like the idea, but it's an option.

 

[borbole]

I have never received a donation for my mods here at xenforo. Personally I think of asking for donations as kind of begging, no offense meant to those that ask for donation. That is how I see it. Better to put a price tag on the mod and be done with it imho.

But back on topic, from what I have seen, people very rarely donate. They like to get things though but not to give

 

[0xym0r0n]

I have never received a donation for my mods here at xenforo. Personally I think of asking for donations as kind of begging, no offense meant to those that ask for donation. That is how I see it. Better to put a price tag on the mod and be done with it imho.

But back on topic, from what I have seen, people very rarely donate. They like to get things though but not to give

I don't necessarily think it's begging. Some people want to openly contribute, but sometimes it'd be nice for some pocket change or monetary appreciation. Why stop them from thanking you for your work? Lol the option is out there for people to do and takes up a small portion of the resource page.

I think it's alright to have, but I was talking with a developer one day and he stopped bothering with donation options because he has never got a single donation lol. SO what's the point? All his add-ons were developed for his own site, and he thought it'd be nice to share with community.

 

[Luke F]

I think the amount I've made from donations is at least 20-30x lower than what I've made from premium sales

Free addons are simply not profitable

 

[borbole]

I don't necessarily think it's begging. Some people want to openly contribute, but sometimes it'd be nice for some pocket change or monetary appreciation. Why stop them from thanking you for your work? Lol the option is out there for people to do and takes up a small portion of the resource page.

I think it's alright to have, but I was talking with a developer one day and he stopped bothering with donation options because he has never got a single donation lol. SO what's the point? All his add-ons were developed for his own site, and he thought it'd be nice to share with community.

No one is stopping anyone from thanking but the thing is that most people are not the donating type to put it mildly.
Forget about donations, people are too lazy to say even a thank you, let alone other stuff

I had placed a donation link as well last year at vb.org and I got only one or two donation, but not for the mods btw. I started even a topic there about the donation and I was amazed at how little to nothing people donated. Like I said, this is a take only and not give mentality we live in unfortunately.

 

[0xym0r0n]

Like I said, this is a take only and not give mentality we live in unfortunately.

Yes, that's very true.
I like to think of "Likes" as "thanks" when it comes to the resources here lol or even commenting on the thread. A lot of "thank you posts" would certainly clog a thread intended for the actual discussion of the resource though.

Can't win!

 

[borbole]

Yes, that's very true.
I like to think of "Likes" as "thanks" when it comes to the resources here lol or even commenting on the thread. A lot of "thank you posts" would certainly clog a thread intended for the actual discussion of the resource though.

Can't win!

I wish more users would think like that. If you notice for example most popular resources, they are liked very few times and almost all the posts in them are about can you add this feature or that feature or for when users run into issues. It is like they think that the coders leave to do their bidding only. They take that for granted, as if it is owed to them. The same goes in their support threads.

I will give you an example, take the blueprint4love user here, anytime one replies to her support topics she will not only hit the like button but will thank you as well. That is what I call how the example user should behave.

 

[tenants]

It's rare, but you get donations every now and then (Probably 1 in 30 downloads results in a donation). There are often more donations around the time you update plugins... I guess it also depends on the size of the resource and the usefulness to the user, or if they need additional features

If it hasn't been updated in a while, I find you rarely (if ever) get donations...

 

[craigiri]

I think I've donated for at least 4 add-ons which were free....

It helps if the post or email or something clearly asks.....

But I somewhat agree with putting a price on it and be done with it IF you need and want the money. Fact is, decent add-ons are adding value to or saving money for the user - so you deserve a cut.

 

[cclaerhout]

Let's cut the crap, the huge majority of people don't donate neither for free addons, nor for free support. No need to complain then addons become premium.

On the other side the problem here is the XenForo development has been sustained due to the trial problem, some functions such as Chris Registration Timer or Chris auto installer should have been officially developed, but they didn't. People need them and consider those as something normal. But developing and supporting take a huge time... and "thanks/likes" (when they are there... because most of the time it's "I want this..., I want that..., I would prefer if...") don't give something to eat at the end of the month.

Most of people prefer to buy a stupid game on their Mobile Store (that they will delete 4 days later) than to support a developer even with small contributions.

And there's a sentence I love to read on threads: "I will donate if you consider to do that".
-Make my day boy, don't "donate" me-

Happy Christmas !

 

[Morgain]

I don't like donate. It feels pressuring and uncertain at the same time - I don't know how much is right. Well I do but I don't know if the recipient agrees.
Also I think as I download or start following tweak path - must donate - then I just FORGET. Once I've got it working there's nothing to remind me.

I really like the addons that have a Lite free version and a Paid. That's comfy and clear and I have to pay BEFORE if I want it.
When I was very poor in the days of other software, I loved that even if the Lite was very limited. It meant I could be part of it all.

 

[Divinum Fiat]

Awe, Borbole, you are so kind and I do agree that a "like" is the same thing as saying "thanks." Gratitude goes a long ways! And so do donations. I have tried to run my forum on a donation basis and I have attempted to create a non profit in the past based on donations. It simply doesn't work. At least not enough to sustain the expenses. People don't understand that there needs to be an energy exchange, which would communicate the natural Give-Re-Give cycle, instead people are into the "Gimme - What's In It For Me" cycle. Personally I think all mods should start at $5 at least. Why should we get things for free when someone put their expertise in it?

 

[Morgain]

With respect Blue I don't think failing to donate is all about Gimme.
If someone asks for donation they are saying "I'd really like it if you paid something but it's no big deal if you don't."
If someone says it costs $5 / $10/ $30/ $50 they are saying "I want you to PAY."

Given the first message "I'd really like it if you paid something but it's no big deal if you don't" I am left to act out of my own needs and judgement. So my son's university fees. the gas bill, my medicines, food, necessary travel .. loom large in my mind.
It is fatally easy to think "I'll see if it works OK on my site and if it does I'll donate a bit later." (later, forgets, life is busy)
OR "Oh dear I'm really short this week. Well I'm sure other people donate enough and anyway the guy is saying it's not important."

Yes there are Gimme people. But also, donations just don't work.

 

[Jon W]

Donations/contributions don't always have to be monetary. If someone responds in one of my add-on threads with an answer to another user's question, identifies a bug, provides a solution to a bug, or something similar then these are all contributions. Even someone posting to say how much they appreciate a free add-on can give a much needed boost if things aren't going quite to plan that day (or any other day).

Yes, I need to eat and pay my bills (just like everyone else), but that's why I make it very clear on my add-ons that anyone who has the ability to pay (i.e., commercial sites) has no right to use my add-ons for free.

 

[RobinHood]

It would be kind of interesting to hear people's thoughts as to if this has changed at all over the past 2 years.

Now that XF is moving forward full steam ahead, the trial is over, and a new new member of staff has been hired.

I'd particularly like to hear what @Chris D thinks after reading his post, considering he was one of the top few add on publishers over the last 24 months. Many of which free, but also some very successful paid ones, one of which (and hopefully more to come) has now been integrated into the core product by hiring him.

 

[Chris D]

Actually, very little for me.

Those donations I have received I have been incredibly grateful for, and I always thank each person donating personally (providing I know who it is).

But overall, having a donate button on the add-on is a waste of time.

One thing I did consider is variable price add-ons. The delivery/order system I use, FetchApp, has the option to have a variable price rather than a fixed price.

This would mean I could make add-ons like Registration Timer available on a donation basis.

Not sure I like the idea, but it's an option.

Same as this really.

 

[RobinHood]

Oh

So you still feel putting a donate button on free add ons today is waste of time even now that you've created such a large pool of freely available quality apps 2 years later, and there's a much larger number of licences in use now than when you first posted?