One of the most compelling use cases for Ringer is allowing open-source developers to politely transition GitHub Issues that veer into personal support to a platform that allows them to get paid for their time, work, and knowledge involved in providing support.

A common scenario for open-source maintainers is an issue being added by a user who is struggling to implement a feature or use a package, with a request for help in doing so. This presents a difficult choice for the maintainer: either close the ticket as “not a bug” or attempt to help the user via the issues system, providing support for free. It’s less than ideal.

To resolve this, Ringer provides a way for experts to reply to a ticket stating that the issue isn’t a problem with the software, but something they would be happy to help with in exchange for payment. This gives the user who raised the issue the opportunity to receive personalized support via a one-on-one video call or to choose to solve the problem on their own.

More importantly, this allows maintainers to draw a boundary and state clearly when an issue is more appropriately dealt with using paid support, so that they’re not spending countless hours on unpaid work. Meanwhile, users can still get the help they need and have their issue resolved.

Custom Links

As an expert on Ringer, you have access to Custom Links, which allow you to set up an individual link with specific payment terms and time length to enable you to help users when you already have an idea of the problem they are facing. Quick to set up and easy to use, custom links can provide an easy way to respond to an issue which is better suited to Ringer.

If you’re an open-source maintainer who is struggling to set boundaries, sign up for Ringer today and start setting up Custom Links. This way, you can ensure your time is spent efficiently and effectively.