[tor-talk] Flattor: A practical crowdfunded Flattr-like incentive scheme for Tor relays

[adrelanos]

Roman Mamedov:
> On Thu, 15 Aug 2013 15:25:41 +0300
> George Kadianakis <desnacked at riseup.net> wrote:
> 
>> Currently, (we want to believe that) the Tor network is run by a bunch
>> of cypherpunks that are contributing bandwidth because they believe in
>> the Cause.
>>
>> If relay operators start getting money for their bandwidth, we might
>> end up with relay operators that are just in for the money.
> 
> And you will also end up with having less operators who run relays just
> because they want to support the idea of privacy/freedom/etc.
> 
> I am sure there is a clever scientific term for the phenomenon that when you
> start paying *some* of your volunteers, others are gonna look and ask, "huh
> wait a second, we're all doing the same work, yet the other guy now gets paid,
> and I am just supposed to keep doing this for free? Screw that."

Yeah, I read about that phenomenon as well. If you'll add money to add,
you change the nature of the service and fewer people want to volunteer
out of civil courage.

I think this paper is about it:
http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/sites/default/files/documents/PfefferandDeVoeJournalofEconomicPsychology.pdf

Maybe there are others as well.