Here is a project list:
Looks like you can implement citizen/government related websites for a very low salary.
Using the term OSS seems like a stretch.
Looks like you can implement citizen/government related websites for a very low salary.
Using the term OSS seems like a stretch.
For what it's worth: most of the software projects on that page have been developed by people on their own time, just because it's cool :)
OSS for me is associated with thankless things like xterm, non-prestigious kernel drivers, Python modules etc.
Are you going to fund such things? Really, to be more clear: If websites are also socialized, soon no one will be able to earn an income from programming at all.
I neither buy your point that 1.2mn R&D money will replace the dot-com economy with socialism, nor that there's no money in infra.
Also, how come you think every place on the web should be for-profit? It's a bit like saying every city needs to turn all its parks and community centers into shopping malls so as not to undermine Starbucks right for revenue.
The emphasis is on "new projects". I can already tell you how it will go: People who are good at grant writing, have no shame in over-promising and throw around the right buzzwords will get the "R&D" money.
After 6 months you'll have half-finished, bug ridden implementations that are bad copies of existing software, and the projects will be abandoned.
Normalise that to €60k per year. Full-time work in Germany is 231 days (52 * 5, less 29 days legally-mandated holiday).
€60k / 231 = €259.74 per day.
So around €260/$290/£220 per day. This is definitely the low-end of freelancing/contracting rates in Germany[1]/Western Europe.
[1] Contracting rates in Germany: http://forums.contractoruk.com/business-contracts/77870-hour... (German)
http://www.schulferien.org/Arbeitstage/arbeitstage-2016.html
Your general point still stands: 30k is a low contracting rate and in general untenable for a freelancer. You should be earning at least twice as much. However, for open source work this is a major step up - you can make a living off it instead of self-funding your work.
If you make €60K you are very good for beeing a self employed (programmer) and make more money than many not self employed programmers (yes, even when you subtract all taxes, health insurance and your private retirement arrangements).
Specialists in big corporates earn of course more (what GULP is targeting), but then at first place you have to be a specialist and need to have the expertise.
Also don't forget that many people do not have work the whole time... so you have to see the GULP rates also in contrast to gap times where you have no income.
If you make 5k before taxes you're already way above average here, because your employer usually pays around 7k per month then.
Edit: Yes, I admit it is quite low when compared against typical contracting rates in urban areas.
Sounds ideal for students, sort of like Google Summer of Code.