Miro's Creative Fundraising: Adopt a Line of Incredibly Cute Code
by Kristin Shoemaker - Apr. 29, 2009Comments (6)- Related Blog Posts
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I blame the souls at Ars Technica just as much as the diabolical (though creative) minds at Miro for the ear-drum shattering, make-your-teeth-ache squeal I just unleashed upon the world. Miro's new fundraising campaign -- where for $4 a month, one can adopt a line of code -- has got to be one of the most innovative, creative, and inviting fundraising efforts an open source software project could ever dream up.
While I still take stock in the notion that perhaps open source projects could benefit from spinning their requests for monetary contributions as investments rather than donations, the Miro team has hit on (figuratively, anyway) real gold with this effort. Adopting a line of code (as if it were a whale, or, even, say, a penguin) and giving a little to the adoptee in return -- a blog widget, an adoption certificate, and a picture of your fostered line -- has a low impact on the project's resources, can garner some great returns, and is just fun.
I'm betting it'll turn out to be effective in other ways, as well.
The Miro internet TV player is completely open source, and licensed under the GPL. The content it delivers is free of charge, and the organization backing it (the Participatory Culture Foundation) is a registered non-profit. Developers and contributors are always welcome to donate their time and effort in any capacity they are able.
It's a safe bet that many using Miro aren't programmers, and a good number probably don't designate any of their spare pennies to Miro development efforts. Perhaps they meant to, or maybe it's never really crossed their minds. The adoption campaign puts giving on the radar. The cute anthropomorphic (well, anthropomorphic if people looked like gumdrops with smiles) little code illustrations are appealing, and (dare I say it) would be neat to adopt in honor of some blessed event in a fellow open source enthusiast's life. It's a great fundraising move, but it's just as impressive in the public relations department. It gives the project more of a presence, a face, and a real personality.
And that's all well and good -- but wait, as they say, there's more. Over time, as the project is improved and enhanced -- and the adoption sponsorship continues -- the adoptee gets to watch the little line of code grow, adapt, and evolve. There's a tangible example that the little line of code is, in its own way, a living thing working in conjunction with the little lines of code others are watching over. It's a small, easily comprehensible way to watch the project move forward, and see how one small part fits in the grand scheme of things to deliver a complete package.
We know conceptually that this is how it works, and how it's supposed to work, but to see it illustrated in this manner will drive the point home and make it easier to internalize all the more. This would undoubtedly be appealing to those who like Miro, but don't necessarily "get" the idea behind open source.
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