Since the idea of package maintainers doesn't always seem to work. looking at the number of outstanding critical bugs, I suggest we create a bugs exchange, where bugs are turned into hours = money.A simple example. One of my services relies on logger, and the option to set permissions. Unfortunately this function is broken, This has nothing to do with the package, but is most likely a typing error somewhere. I am more than happy to pay someone to find the error and fix it, but the current bugtracker refers to people that seem to be overwhelmed with paid customer work.
To complicate matters the problem is not the logger module or maintiner but the weerd intricacies of the permission system that fuck up the package for about 1 year, so who is to solve the problem? I think we need to create a framework to prevent this kind of confusion and set up a kind of internal job exchange. I am sure a simlpe mail or chat exchange could problems like this. I get a feeling that by simply refering issues via bugtracker without (financial) incentive is not the way forward.
I am sure many community members with hacking skills will have the creativity to solve relatively simple problems like this. Why don't we set up a claim system for unsolved bugs, and add a paypal biling feature so hackers can claim their hours at their set rate for fixing problems. I would be happy to see an option to contact a hacker, if the bug I am facing blocks my progress. The current maintainer status somehow fails to do the trick.
It might also be an interesting challenge for ICT students to subscribe to a global bux fix initiative, and make some bucks on the side by billing their hours through paypal.
Just some newbie thoughts
Ben
PS.
It may be this kind of service needs a moderator to keep track of priorities, in that case I volonteer to run the show !
All we need to do is to set up the project manager module to coordinate these kind of jobs, I volonteer to lead the pack.
