- projects may change their goals (at all, not sure whether we’ll set constraints)
As I said in the meeting, I don’t think this is necessary for the first version and I don’t think we need to address multiple or changing goals right now. However, I do think it’s a good long-term goal, and it seems like the conversation is going in that direction anyway, so I’ll pitch in.
I think a notification to patrons is equally important regardless of direction, so I disagree with the last bullet. Otherwise, I agree with the principle behind the bullets, especially as clarified in @wolftune’s most recent reply. However, I disagree with much of the phrasing.
Idea that I don't like due to no goals from projects
Patrons make a pledge like: “When the project’s (pledged) income reaches $X, I am willing to donate $Y.”
To calculate what an individual actually pays, do these calculations:
- I pledge to donate $10 when the project reaches $20k pledged
- By linear interpolation, this means I’ve pledged $5 at $10k.
- You pledge to donate $10 when the project reaches $10k pledged
- By maximum, this means your pledge is still $10 at $20k.
- With just the two of us pledged, my current donation level is $10 * ( $15 / $10 000 )
You can basically think of this as, each patron sets their own goal for the projects. A more complicated version would be: allow patrons to set multiple different goals per project:
I do think some version of this could work (and indeed, the multiple levels thoughts that I’ve repeatedly alluded to are one form of this, where patrons cannot pick arbitrary targets for themselves).
Why share that idea at all? Because it’s the fewest-restrictions (not simplest!) version of how multiple or changing goals can interact:
- Project sets a goal, $X. I pledge $Y towards that goal.
- Project lowers goal to $X/2
- I agree, my pledge MUST automatically “adjust” down to $Y/2
- Project raises their goal back to $X
- I don’t want to rule out the possibility that my goal could automatically “adjust” back up to $Y.
I’m putting “adjust” in quotes because you don’t need to change anything about my pledge. It would be adjusting (raising) my pledge if it were changed to “I’ll give $Y when the project reaches $X/2”. But you could also just look at it as keeping my pledge the same, and just adding a cap based on If I pledged to give $Y at $X, and the project wants to cap my actual donation at half that, so be it, but this doesn’t need to change my pledge.
I can distill down the remaining parts of the bullets that I agree with to these (last is unchanged):
- We should never raise a patron’s “pledge rate” without their consent (or allow a project to do so).
- Ideally, we would also not lower their rate without consent, either.
- Any goal change will be announced to patrons with a prompt for them to consider adjusting their pledges/rate in light of the change
They don’t have a public goods focus or requirement. I would say our goal is similar, but not the same.