openSUSE:Contributor gifts

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Ideas for gifts/rewards for openSUSE contributors

See also the AI at https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=682098 and the old discussion at http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-marketing/2011-04/msg00118.html

This text is the summary of many ideas from several persons. Lots of the ideas are from the old thread, but I also added some new ideas.

things you can touch (more or less)

The gift should be something special/exclusive, not the "usual" stuff we hand out to visitors at conferences or stuff you can order via shop.o.o. I'd say the symbolic value is more important than the price - no gold bar with geeko embossing needed ;-)

  • special T-Shirt (like iContribute for 11.1)
  • openSUSE contributor coffee mug
  • openSUSE contributor pin
  • memory stick (optional: with bootable openSUSE)
  • something special for every release (flashlight, geeko-shaped paperclips, ...)
    • that also means we need a new idea for every release
  • distinguished award to put on shelf/wall to show others what/something to put on
  • (we can always add some promo DVDs to the package ;-)
  • (boxed version of openSUSE doesn't really make sense nowadays IMHO)
  • add a "thank you" letter
  • special price (or even for free) for a SLE* license (a restriction to "updates only, without support" if you do it for free would be OK)
  • openSUSE pajamas
  • openSUSE wristbands
  • openSUSE glasses
  • openSUSE playing cards
  • Gift Certificates
  • Exclusive discounts for travel to a someday-to-be-purchased openSUSE island in the South Pacific.
  • openSUSE business cards (with the recipient name). Not very expensive, rewarding and useful for promoting openSUSE.
  • Also personal "member card" (Mr XXX is an approved openSUSE contributor"...
  • as goodies, don't forget stickers and caps! (caps seems to be very appreciated).
  • key fob / holder
  • lanyard
  • tips / cheat sheet poster
  • pre-printed origami chameleon (printed with dashed lines where to fold)

Shipment

  • keep shipment costs in mind (shipping a coffee mug is more expensive than for a memory stick)
    • Remember items have to be exportable, which may contribute to the expense (media for example has an added expense)
  • we might want to consider regional shipping. e.g. asking volunteers to receive a large bulk and then re-ship them (with reimbursement from us). That will reduce some costs in some regions.
  • that includes potentially manufacturing those items in that region too

things money can't buy

  • get your favorite bug fixed / feature implemented
    • I'm aware this needs some restriction, like "should be doable in 2 hours"
    • allow to sum up the development hours from several contributors to get bigger things done?
    • contributor reward day/week similar to hackweek?
    • if it is too much for the available developers: voting?
  • access to labs session at the conference (one or two sessions per contributor)
  • exclusive dinner at openSUSE Conference (given who visits the conference, that would probably mean "exclusive for all conference visitors" ;-)
  • a bug proxy with a camera ;-) If someone finds a funny or awkward bug, he can assign it to the proxy person, which then goes to the developer (who introduced the bug) personally, presents the bugreport to him and takes a photo of his face ;-)) (ok, don't take this too serious...)
  • Awards at openSUSE conference for contributions in a few categories (KDE does Akademy awards: Winners from last year choose winners from next year; would only need 'starting up' for us)
    • not everybody might love that sort of "paperwork" to choose next year's winners

Ideas from AJ's mail

(well, the remaining part - I moved some things to the first section.)

Some ideas:

  • target 300 people
  • Self-nominating kind of deal, e.g. to print a poster

Public "thank you":

  • Add lists of translators for this language to slideshow
  • Add list of packagers to Release Notes
  • How about a file on the ftp tree called just that - Contributors Listing all by name? One would have to have an opt-out for those that don't want to be named.

Our suggestions:

  • Send something only to recognize (active) members? For example, the openSUSE 11.4 poster with a letter. Sending a letter avoids problems with customs.
  • A welcome present to new contributors (members?) instead of a regular effort. Just send every new openSUSE member a T-Shirt!
  • Special price for openSUSE shop, e.g. for T-Shirts or mugs - basically a voucher.

who should receive a gift?

  • Having to fill/maintain this list manually is nearly impossible.
  • automated statistics are possible for bugreports, submit requests and mailinglists, but for example not for marketing work or helping in IRC
  • openSUSE members?
    • filter out inactive members?
    • require everybody who wants to receive the gift to login in connect.o.o to verify the postal address - already this is a filter for inactive members
    • targeting only members might be the only doable way (and whoever cries "I also want a gift" can apply for membership)
  • GSoC students and mentors
  • adding / proposing somebody for the list should be possible ("$person helped a lot with $subject"), but membership is clearly the better way
  • need to ensure that address information is secured; only the shipper should have access

types of contribution (from AJ's mail)

Where does contribution happen in openSUSE?

  • bug reports
  • fixing bugs
  • packaging
  • development
  • system administration
  • user help in forums/mailing lists/IRC
  • marketing
  • translation
  • ...