[wp-forums] Services forum

[Mark E]

I'll chime in on this subject. 

Cool thing about open source and freeware is that, well, it's free. So 
anybody can use it or possibly modify it to fit a need.

In many cases developing that code takes a LOT of time. So therefore the 
developers have already given a huge amount of energy to whomever uses 
their free code. This, in effect, means that anyone who uses that code 
owes a debt, and how they pay it remains their free will choice. Some 
never pay. Some pay directly. Some pay in other ways.  Moderating support 
forums is an example of indirect payment of said debt. So it writing free 
plugins, and creating free templates. It's a daisy chain or sorts -- in 
my perspective. 

I don't see any problem at all with someone asking for money for support, 
as was mentioned about phpLD. They already gave freely. How much does the 
end user expect for free? Even the devs of WP make money on it. Nothing 
wrong with that. 


On to a "services" forum for WP : I think it's a good idea. Many people 
would like some help but don't know precisely where to turn. As long as 
terms for posting to that forum are made crystal clear up front and any 
ties or biases are made known when posting in that forum, then I don't 
see any problem. For example, on some lists/forums it is the absolutely 
norm to say "so and so product is good" or "I know 3 people who've had 
terrible experiences with XYZ company" while at the same time saying 
right up front "Disclosure: I work for ABC which competes with XYZ" 

Mark