[BioPython] helping the community

[Andrew Dalke]

Hello,

  As most of you know, my company is looking for companies
interested in having us further develop Biopython.  As a
software consulting and development shop, we've been looking
for people who need those sorts of services.  We've also
heard from people who don't need specific software written
but are interested in helping further the Biopython community.

  For example, one company I've been talking to uses Python
in-house.  They would like to support the community as a way
to show their appreciation, with the indirect benefit that
they will be able to draw from a larger pool of people and
software.

  I'm coming up with a list of things that might be funded.
I'm trying to emphasize tasks that people don't really
volunteer doing, but are willing to work on in exchange for
some payment.

  web site maintainer
    - make sure the web pages stay up to date
    - add new items (news, releases, etc.) as available
    - keep things in synch with the other bio* projects

  documentation
    - high-level descriptions
    - documenting the various APIs

  teaching materials
    - pay for what's needed to clean up in-house materials
    - help pay for development materials

I don't know how to renumerate for the following:
 
  format tracking
    - make sure Biopython parsers and client code stays up-to-date
         (not sure how to charge

  answering questions on the mailing list

Any other suggestions?

                    Andrew
                    dalke@dalkescientific.com