I have an idea for a model for deriving economic profits from writing free software. It requires dcash (specifically, some money that is cheaply and easily transferrable in small amounts). People submit requests for changes to a "wishlist"/"bug report list". Along with these requests they send dcash. Various mechanisms of market and/or trusted intermediary ensure that, on the whole, the hackers who satisfy the most highly valued wishes get the most money. See Grigg 1997 for one good idea of how such a market could operate. We already have extensive networks of wishlists, bug tracking systems, and the rest of an integrated open, distributed software development system (e.g. Linux, Debian, many others). Given the ability to pay (perhaps credit cards could be made to work here? Low cost credit card transactions? Cybercash?), we could start trying to add this kind of flow of cash to some such systems. Unfortunately, i fear that such attempts may fail and disrupt currently working systems... --Zooko P.S. Hi, y'all. I've switched continents, contexts, CPUs, sensitivities and perhaps more, but i'm fine. Thanks for missing me. p.p.s. as per <a href="http://www.slashdot.org/slashdot.cgi?mode=article&artnum=685"> this slashdot.org article</a>, it is called "Open Software" from now on, not "Free Software". Tell the kids.