“PMC Software Donations (2005)”

Background | Links | The Auctions | The Plan | Donors | Donor Guide

Background #

August 5, 6 and 7 (Friday - Sunday), I'll be riding my bike across the state of Massachusetts in the PMC. Actually, the first day is unofficial: a small group of us do an extra hundred miles, to show how truly committed (or how truly deserving of being committed) we are to this cause. Saturday and Sunday are official, and there will be about 4,000 riders and 2,000 support volunteers participating in this incredible event.

Last year, as part of my fundraising, I auctioned off hours of my time as a developer. It was pretty successful, but actually cost me far more time than I had planned. (Also, the potential market for custom software development is quite limited, compared to what I'm trying to do this year!)

If you want to know more about the ride, or my participation in it, start here or even try the pmc channel on the weblog.

Links #

If you'd like to link to this story, or want to 'encourage' your favorite software developer to participate, that's great! I can use all the help I can get. Please use this link.

Auction Links #

All of the auctions are now live!

• Mac, Disc 1 - already sold for $265! Thank you!
• Mac, Disc 2
• Mac, Disc 3
• Mac, Disc 4
• Mac, Disc 5
• Windows, Disc 1
• Windows, Disc 2
• Windows, Disc 3
• Windows, Disc 4
• Windows, Disc 5

The Plan #

This page is specifically for software developers. You can help, even if you don't want (or can't afford) to make a cash donation.

I'm assembling five Mac Software packs, and five Windows Software packs. The software will be auctioned. If allowed by the donors, I'll burn it all to CDs. (If the donors prefer otherwise, I guess they'll have to ship a box or tell the winner where to download.) The winning bidders will receive the CDs and a printout (and/or email) with their license codes for each application on the CD.

There's obviously no way to know if every application on the discs will be useful to every potential bidder. My hope is to have a wide enough spectrum that it's appealing to everyone.

All proceeds will be donated to the Pan-Mass Challenge, and in turn to the Jimmy Fund, for the research and treatment of cancer at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

I need to raise another $3,000, at least. These ten CD's could get me most of the way there, if I get a lot of support from other developers and can make the discs "irresistable."

So, to my friends, peers, and heroes in the industry: are you willing to step up and donate some software? Please contact me, ASAP. I'd like to start the auctions in early September, but a lot of orgnaizing needs to happen before then.

The Donors #

Show: Mac Only Windows Only Either OS Everything

Total Mac App Licenses, per disc: 34
Total Value of Mac Apps, per disc: $1,137.29 (per disc)

Total Win App Licenses, per disc: 19
Total Value of Win Apps, per disc: $1,078.19 (per disc)

Not platform-specific:
Total 'other' licenses, per disc: 1
Total Value of 'other' software, per disc: $47.40

Grand Total Value of All Software Donations (all 10 discs): $11,314.40