# How to measure a code value?

**URL:** <https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/how-to-measure-a-code-value/549>\
**Category:** Sustainability Models\
**Created:** [November 17, 2020, 11:50am UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/how-to-measure-a-code-value/549 "2020-11-17T11:50:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![yoni9091](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/yoni9091/32/453_2.png) [@yoni9091](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/yoni9091)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 11:50am UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/how-to-measure-a-code-value/549/1 "2020-11-17T11:50:04Z")

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hey everyone i want to share with you a project im working on and a challenge i got . im trying to build a tool to measure the financial value a repo as created to other companies that used it +to measure the contribution to this code - both by maintainers and authors .

i would love to hear your ideas regarding what do you think the best ways measure this things . i know its not easy but think that if it will be figured out there will be new funding mechanisms who could be developed on top of it . yonatan ben shimon [yoni9091@gmail.com](mailto:yoni9091@gmail.com)

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**Author:** ![Ly0n](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/ly0n/32/464_2.png) [@Ly0n](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/Ly0n)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 12:28pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/how-to-measure-a-code-value/549/2 "2020-11-17T12:28:47Z")

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Hey Yonatan,

> im trying to build a tool to measure the financial value a repo as created to other companies that used it +to measure the contribution to this code

that would be a great thing to have!

We could use something like that in the [LibreSelery](https://github.com/protontypes/LibreSelery) project. It would be a nice thing to have something like a badge for a projects README that shows the “value” of the project.

Here some resources that might be interesting for you:

The openhub website has such a function: [https://www.openhub.net/p/open-ms](https://www.openhub.net/p/open-ms)

At the bottom you find a link for the cost estimation: [https://www.openhub.net/p/open-ms/estimated\_cost](https://www.openhub.net/p/open-ms/estimated_cost)

They also have some information about the COCOMO model they are using:

> **[COCOMO](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COCOMO)**
>
> The Constructive Cost Model (COCOMO) is a procedural software cost estimation model developed by Barry W. Boehm. The model parameters are derived from fitting a regression formula using data from historical projects (63 projects for COCOMO 81 and 163 projects for COCOMO II).
> The constructive cost model was developed by Barry W. Boehm in the late 1970s and published in Boehm's 1981 book Software Engineering Economics as a model for estimating effort, cost, and schedule for software projects. It d...

Parts of the website are open source but in think not the cost estimation part:

> **[GitHub - blackducksoftware/ohloh-ui: Web Application for the OpenHub Stack.](https://github.com/blackducksoftware/ohloh-ui)**
>
> Web Application for the OpenHub Stack. . Contribute to blackducksoftware/ohloh-ui development by creating an account on GitHub.

Another project that could help you is the following:

> **[GitHub - kimmobrunfeldt/git-hours: Estimate time spent on a git repository](https://github.com/kimmobrunfeldt/git-hours)**
>
> Estimate time spent on a git repository. Contribute to kimmobrunfeldt/git-hours development by creating an account on GitHub.

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**Author:** ![yoni9091](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/yoni9091/32/453_2.png) [@yoni9091](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/yoni9091)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 1:37pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/how-to-measure-a-code-value/549/3 "2020-11-17T13:37:05Z")

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Tobias, thanks so much for the response, wonderful links !! whats the best medium to dm you for a question ?

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**Author:** ![Ly0n](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/ly0n/32/464_2.png) [@Ly0n](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/Ly0n)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/how-to-measure-a-code-value/549/4 "2020-11-17T14:33:50Z")

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You can contact me at tobias.augspurger[at)protontypes.eu

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**Author:** ![Patrick-T-Anderson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/patrick-t-anderson/32/190_2.png) [@Patrick-T-Anderson](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/Patrick-T-Anderson)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2020, 7:20pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/how-to-measure-a-code-value/549/5 "2020-11-17T19:20:00Z")

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Hi Yonatan,

I would like to divide the idea of code into two parts:

1. Code already written. (past work)
2. Code not yet written. (future work)

I don’t know what to do about #1.

But for #2 we can ask users and companies what they would be willing to pay for someone to do the work for feature enhancements, bug fixes, etc.

My dream implementation of this is a “bug button” that can be added to the UI of any Open Source project (or even in the Window Manager) to make it easy for users and companies to commit tiny amounts of money toward future solutions.

I think of it as a way for users to drive software development through almost-invisible micro-crowdfunding campaigns.

Thanks, Patrick

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**Author:** ![yoni9091](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/yoni9091/32/453_2.png) [@yoni9091](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/yoni9091)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2020, 1:20pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/how-to-measure-a-code-value/549/6 "2020-11-18T13:20:41Z")

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you mean something like a bug bounty campaign but for other micro-tasks?

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**Author:** ![DuaneOBrien](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/duaneobrien/32/232_2.png) [@DuaneOBrien](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/DuaneOBrien)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 7:00am UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/how-to-measure-a-code-value/549/7 "2020-11-19T07:00:18Z")

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Augur also surfaces some version of this estimation process using SLOCC I believe.

> **[chaoss/augur](https://github.com/chaoss/augur)**
>
> Python library and web service for Open Source Software Health and Sustainability metrics & data collection. - chaoss/augur

I’m kicking off a working group this quarter to take on an aspect of this problem as well. I’ll post a link to the thread shortly.

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**Author:** ![DuaneOBrien](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/duaneobrien/32/232_2.png) [@DuaneOBrien](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/DuaneOBrien)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 7:19am UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/how-to-measure-a-code-value/549/8 "2020-11-19T07:19:48Z")

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Working group info is posted [here](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/open-source-accountability-goals-set-and-publish-a-goal-for-open-source-contribution-relative-to-value-capture/550)

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**Author:** ![yoni9091](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/yoni9091/32/453_2.png) [@yoni9091](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/yoni9091)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2020, 8:25am UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/how-to-measure-a-code-value/549/9 "2020-11-19T08:25:54Z")

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hey guys , thanks for the responses . the dev that worked with me on that is no longer available , if someone is interested in help me build it as a paid work that would be awesome , lmk 🙂