Drupal Forge: A New Platform to Support Open-Source Maintainers

During DrupalCon Portland 2022, discussions surrounding the sustainability of free software led to the conception of Drupal Forge, a platform aimed at supporting project maintainers financially. The idea emerged when Jacob Rockowitz, the developer behind the widely used Webform module, expressed concerns over the increasing burden of maintaining the project without adequate financial backing. The challenge highlighted a growing issue within the open-source community, where contributors often struggle to sustain their work without compensation.

Darren Oh proposed a solution during the event. He suggested adding a launch button to project pages that would allow users to spin up trial sites and subscribe to hosting services directly from the Drupal platform. This approach would create a new revenue stream for maintainers, enabling them to receive recurring income for their ongoing work. The concept quickly garnered interest from several vendors, with Salim Lakhani of DevPanel stepping forward to help implement the idea.

Despite the enthusiasm, practical challenges remain. Creating a specific Drupal distribution for each launch button, necessary to support different projects, has proven to be a complex task. Additionally, there are questions about how to handle existing sites that might also want to support project maintainers. While these hurdles are yet to be fully addressed, the initiative marks a significant step towards ensuring that vital Drupal projects can continue to thrive with the support of their user base. Read more here.