Service Offering

As much as I'd like to be philanthropically funded for my work on Dusk OS and Collapse OS, this hasn't happened yet and to keep myself from needing to spend time working with modern technology, I offer services in areas that I like.

My name is Virgil Dupras and I can be reached at hsoft@hardcoded.net.

Run-of-the-mill development

If you'd like to use Dusk OS or Collapse OS as a development platform and would like me to work on your project, you can hire me at 100 CAD per hour.

Run of the mill conditions. You own the copyright. I give you estimates before I begin the work, but I still work by the hour. I'm generally pretty good at giving early warnings when estimates don't hold anymore.

It has to be something on Dusk OS or Collapse OS though, I don't do other things. Well, maybe another Forth if it looks interesting.

Sponsoring Dusk OS

If the project you have is something that I'd also like to include in Dusk OS or Collapse OS, I might be interested in offering you to share the investment cost, that is, to cut my hourly rate in half. You would then become the sponsor of this particular feature.

The resulting work would have to be licensed under CC0 so that I can include it in Dusk OS or Collapse OS afterwards.

Working by the hour is problematic for something that I also want to see done. If I come back to you saying that estimates don't hold anymore and you answer "alright, let's stop development", I'll have a hard time abandoning the work midway.

Therefore, for this type of work, I'll give you a quote for the whole project and I'll take the risk of additional costs on myself.

I'm alright with fronting the work, that is, to only proceed to fund transfers once the development is complete and that you can validate it. However, if we've never worked together, I'll ask for an upfront half payment to make sure I'm not being trolled. Once the ball is rolling between us, I can front 100%.

Coaching and training

I offer to coach or train you while you engage on your path to become a low level programmer. The idea goes thus:

• You tell me of a specific subject you'd like to learn about or, even better, of a particular piece of work you're being stuck on.
• It doesn't have to be about Dusk OS or Collapse OS, but it has to be something I'm interested in, that is, low level programming.
• I tell you whether:
  1. I know that particular subject well, so our interaction will mostly be a brain dump, very cost effective.
  2. I have moderate familiarity with the subject and will have to do some research, so it's a bit more time consuming.
  3. I have low familiarity, but I like the subject. Maybe we can split cost if I like the subject enough, but otherwise it might cost you.
  4. I don't want to do it.
• My rate is 100 CAD per hour.
• If things work out, I do a bit of research if needed and then we do video- conferencing (or another type of real-time communication medium) until we solve your problem together.
• Yes, there's tons of free learning ressources all around, but sometimes, what we really need is some hand-holding navigating this vast, vast world. And going to university is overkill.

For most people, that kind of expense is a luxury that they'll probably not want to engage simply for personal learning pleasure, but I'm also thinking it's the kind of expense that some employers would agree too, if presented adequately.