IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

Open source is not about you (2018)

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Clear, upfront expectations are essential
Maintainers repeatedly stress that a CONTRIBUTING.md or similar document can prevent the frustration seen in the gist.

“If I found myself in a situation like that today, I would write a CONTRIBUTING.md file in the project root that describes my expectations …” – haberman
“I would simply point them to CONTRIBUTING.md and close off the discussion.” – haberman

2. Users are not automatically entitled to features or support
The discussion centers on the tension between “entitled” users and the rights of maintainers to set limits.

“As a user of a project, I DO have a voice… but unless I am actively contributing… then my voice has a different weight.” – rlnorthcutt
“Acting like a jerk isn’t a blueprint for how to be a good maintainer, it’s how to be a jerk.” – joshlemer

3. Open‑source is a gift economy, not a free‑for‑all model
Participants note that while the code is free, the effort to maintain, document, and support it is not.

“People think that open source is free, when in reality it is cheaper (generally) but not free.” – arnoVW
“The rise in COSS is a positive sign… we need to ensure that good projects have a way to sustain themselves.” – rlnorthcutt

🚀 Project Ideas

Generating project ideas…

ContribDoc

Summary

  • A web app that auto‑generates a CONTRIBUTING.md, issue templates, and a “Community Contract” for any GitHub repo.
  • Solves the pain of unclear expectations and the frustration of maintainers and users over misaligned assumptions.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Open source maintainers on GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket
Core Feature Guided wizard that produces a CONTRIBUTING.md, issue/PR templates, and a customizable community contract, with best‑practice snippets
Tech Stack Next.js + TypeScript, Node.js backend, PostgreSQL, GitHub API, OpenAI API for template suggestions
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue‑ready: $9.99/month per repo (tiered for teams)

Notes

  • Maintainers in the thread complained about “no clear expectations” and “issues closed without explanation.” ContribDoc gives them a ready‑made, dispassionate contract.
  • Users quote “I just want to know what the maintainer expects” – this tool answers that instantly.
  • Sparks discussion on how to standardize community contracts across OSS projects.

OSS Compliance Hub

Summary

  • SaaS that automates license scanning, dependency audits, and generates compliance reports for corporate clients.
  • Addresses maintainers’ struggle with “compliance forms” and corporate demands for security and licensing assurance.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience OSS maintainers, security teams, compliance officers in enterprises
Core Feature Continuous integration pipeline that scans code, generates SPDX, checks for vulnerable dependencies, and produces a downloadable compliance package
Tech Stack Docker, Go, GraphQL API, PostgreSQL, GitHub Actions integration, Snyk API
Difficulty High
Monetization Revenue‑ready: $49/month per repo, enterprise plans with custom SLAs

Notes

  • Commenters mention “MinIO not being maintained” and “compliance industry shoe‑horns OSS.” This platform gives maintainers a ready‑made compliance package to satisfy corporate clients.
  • Provides a practical utility for companies that want to use OSS without the legal headache.
  • Likely to generate discussion on the cost of maintaining compliance in OSS.

OSS Support Marketplace

Notes

  • A platform that connects OSS maintainers with paid support providers, offering escrow, SLAs, and a rating system.
  • Solves the frustration of users wanting support and maintainers wanting to monetize their expertise.

Summary

  • Marketplace for paid support, consulting, and maintenance contracts for open source projects.
  • Enables maintainers to earn revenue while giving users reliable, documented support.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience OSS maintainers, freelance developers, consulting firms, enterprise users
Core Feature Project listing, escrow‑protected contracts, SLA templates, rating & review system, integrated chat & ticketing
Tech Stack Ruby on Rails, Stripe API, PostgreSQL, React frontend, WebSocket for real‑time chat
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue‑ready: 5% transaction fee + optional subscription for premium features

Notes

  • Users in the discussion talk about “paying for support” and “consulting services.” This marketplace formalizes that relationship.
  • Maintainers can set clear expectations and pricing; users get a vetted support provider.
  • Sparks debate on the viability of monetizing OSS support and the role of escrow in protecting both parties.

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