This would be a big business for devcoin's current market capitalization. I'd guess it would take around 400 shares total. If most people want it then we'd do it.
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I agree that we should do this only if there is an open source package, or if we develop one. There are open source ecommerce packages, and open source lottos, it should be possible to make an auction package if there isn't one already. That alone would be a worthwhile bounty.
On auction site and other ideas, concepts such as these should be comprehensively planned out and at least ball-park costed before any bounty put forward. Example - 400 shares estimated at last round's estimate works out to $24k. I can't see how or why that can be suggested without a lot more justification.
In general, I think the bounty system and a means to better assign project steps need to be worked on before stuff like this is started. Ambition is good but proposals are getting into dreamworld territory when there's little to no prior market research or analysis done beforehand.
Progress generally works in steps and it makes sense to think about the progressive developments necessary to support the workings of turning ideas into implementations. Devcoin is a means of reward for working, so there's a conceptual and practical difference between a work or bounty exchange, and an auction exchange.
If something like the auction site is a means to build a revenue base, that's great, but then perhaps should be viewed and funded in a different way to concepts that are arguably more core to the devcoin project. For example, if it's private revenue then it doesn't need devcoin bounty funding because it will pay for itself (and if it won't then why do it?). If it's devcoin project revenue then what's going to happen to that revenue, in what currency, what systems in place to reinvest, reinvest in what? etc etc. It's all a loop and that loop needs thinking through. Also, why an auction? If people just want things to buy/sell that's called a shop. Does it need complicating via an auction? Not saying an auction's necessarily a bad idea, but it needs a lot more explaining and rationale for not just building a basic merchant outlet, for example.
And that's my view as a person not an admin.
Of course it wouldnt be started without designing in detail. Now I said this already but the reason its works is because its devcoin funded and all profits back to it. We have a community to support it rather than individuals. So ask yourself this then: Why are we throwing $24k a month at devtome per month?
Those people that say if you dont fund it yourself its not worth it need to ask themselves the same thing about existing projects.. maybe now it will help realize the position we are in. Im trying to give devtome competition by doing one that is more aligned with a business structure instead of open source creativity.. its two different concepts and thats why I said we are evolving not being side tracked.
I will still put together a doc that hashes out alot of the questions you and others have and we can all work on it together. Then with the expertise here we can judge if we should do it or keep looking.