Bounty

I have abandoned this module. If anyone wishes to take over maintenance or use the name 'bounty' for a new project, then contact me.

This module facilitates 'collaborative funding'.

Previously we had experimented with using ChipIn. The main problem with ChipIn is that the only way potential contributors can show their commitment to a fund is by paying up front. They are wary of paying into a fund that does not yet have any other payments, as the total fund amount may never be reached - and so there is no traction.

Bounty works differently: participants make a pledge to pay a certain amount of the bounty. Once the bounty has been fully pledged, they are billed for 50%. Once we have completed the bounty task, participants are billed for the balance.

Bounty process description

Bounties are conducted entirely in United States Dollars (USD). Payments are made via PayPal.

At any time, bounty participants can adjust their pledge or make a payment. Any reduction of a pledge will be recorded on the bounty as 'abandoned'. It is not possible for a pledge to be reduced to less than what the participant has paid.

Bounty administrators can adjust the task description and the total value of the bounty at any time.

Discussion occurs via comments on the bounty's page.

All information relating to a bounty is available for public inspection. All pledges and payments are listed and there is a bar graph at the top of each bounty showing pledging / payment progress.

All bounty activity (changes to the bounty value or state, pledges made / adjusted and payments made) is logged and can be viewed under each bounty's 'Activity log' tab.

Anyone can subscribe to bounty notifications. They will be emailed all comments, changes to the bounty task description and bounty activity.

Bounty states

Each bounty progresses through five states during its lifetime:

1. pledging - Participants may pledge how much of the bounty they would like to fund.
2. obtaining deposit - The bounty has been fully pledged. Participants are billed every day for 50% of their pledge until they either pay it or reduce their pledge sufficiently.
3. activated - The deposit has been obtained. Work on completing the task begins.
4. obtaining balance - The task has been completed. Participants are billed every day for their pledge balance.
5. completed - All pledges have been fully paid.

The rules

• We will ensure there is consensus among bounty participants before adjusting a bounty task specification.
• We will ensure there is consensus among bounty participants that the task has been completed before placing a bounty in the 'obtaining balance' state.
• When determining consensus, a greater pledge means greater authority.
• We reserve the right to remove participants from a bounty by cancelling their pledges and refunding their payments.

Dependencies

• CCK
• Extended PayPal framework
• Simple PayPal framework
• Notifications and Notifications lite
• Token
• Messaging