Debate: Donate or not Donate! This is the dilemma. Don't let Free Software and Free Documentation die. Nothing free is Eternal!

A donation is the voluntary giving of something you own. The donation is an action that consists of a voluntary liberalization between living people, being essential for the participation of two parties, one that will be the one that makes the free disposal of one or more of the goods that are their property or in their defect of which by any title is empowered to dispose, the donor; and the other party, called the donee, who will have the power to accept it or reject it, without the need to deliver any type of consideration, unless it is clarified that the donation is made at a charge. In some legal systems, the aforementioned action is regulated through a contract. The donation will always imply that the donor's patrimony is reduced and, on the contrary, that of the donee increases, while, by contract, the donor can reserve the usufruct of the donated until a stipulated time or for life, then, when the donor dies, the donee receives the donation in question. Note: Taken from ABC definition (http://www.definicionabc.com/general/donacion.php).

What is Free Content?

Basically it can be said that "This concept can be interpreted as the documentation that guarantees the free use of it, that is, the copying and modification of its contents, with the only restriction of not modifying its license", although "I personally conceive this concept as the same but in a broader sense, that is, it encompasses all that written manifestation, mainly non-technical literary works, such as stories, educational books, novels, among others ».

For more information on the subject you can read this other post of my authorship:

Debate: Free Documentation versus Copyright and Intellectual Property! Because not everything is Free Software.

But in our case for now we will refer as Free Content to all that written or multimedia technical (technological) documentation, created and made available by millions around the planet for the collective benefit of anyone who requires it, without any prior monetary obligation.

And how can we contribute so that said Free Software and its respective Free Content remain Free, Updated and Lasting over time?

Every day on the Internet there are millions of people who are creating free content on the network, such as Manuals, Guides, Tutorials, Video tutorials, Podcast, writing technical publications and / or answers (technical solutions) in Forums, Blog or Social Networks about programs or program errors (Operating Systems, Applications, Games, among others) or collaborating directly or indirectly with all kinds of creative and original content, translations, opinions, and of all kinds. Has click HERE to expand on this topic.

And beyond the professional, personal, and human satisfaction of helping others (friends/colleagues/groups), what do these creators of such fabulous free content gain in a world where money is needed for everything , just to feel satisfied with our daily actions and live acceptably well?

I reiterate that the " professional, personal, and human satisfaction of helping others (friends, colleagues, or groups) " should be reward enough, but this leaves many in a critical situation, struggling daily to continue this non-obligatory, free activity . This situation can manifest in various ways, such as: maintaining web hosting , developing and publishing a new podcast , purchasing a (non-free) program or game for GNU/Linux that one wishes to review or promote, and paying collaborators, illustrators, programmers, and other professionals involved in one's creative work, thus avoiding having to dedicate precious free time to searching for extra (technical) jobs to supplement one's (fixed, if one even has) budget and live decently.

That's why we're seeing more and more initiatives publicly requesting support in the form of donations , but far more are seeking support privately (fundraising campaigns) , and it's a shame that in many cases there's no one available to provide that help. This will likely lead, to some extent and over time, to a cessation of that activity. Certainly, many have opted for the alternative route of advertising to generate revenue based on the number of visits or the PTC (Pay-to-Click) model , which many free users seem to dislike, but which often represents a last-ditch effort to continue producing free content for free users who are not inclined to donate to free content creators.

In some cases, it can be understood that in certain countries, due to economic crises or legal obstacles , it may not be easy to donate in freely convertible global currencies , such as the Dollar and Euro (or their equivalent in Pounds, Francs, Kroner, Yen, Yuan and Rubles) , but that does not imply being able to contact the creator of said content and offer any type of assistance that he or she may request to continue his or her creative work.

Let's remember that in addition to the professional support we provide to free content creators —whose posts we read, listen to, and enjoy daily—we also offer financial encouragement to help them continue creating and improving their content, helping them to remain independent over time!

And we certainly know that free content is king on the internet . But free doesn't necessarily mean free of charge . And although it's said that paid content is better , the reality is that when it's not free, it quickly loses ground (visitors/readers/consumers) . This can end in different ways, but some are quite predictable. Low-quality content, because if the creator isn't paid, they'll quickly lose interest and abandon this unpaid creative activity. Similarly, when an online news outlet stops hiring qualified staff to create (find new or innovative) content, since copying and modifying what's already there is enough, especially if they're not going to be paid anything or very little for it. For example, just look at the national print media and its average quality. It borders on the pathetic and relies heavily on material from foreign agencies. In other words, it no longer provides jobs because what sells is no longer creative or new content, but rather copied and modified material.

As recommended reading, I leave you these links to contribute to the debate raised: