Interview With Jonathan Wainwright (AKA Waindigo) - The Sequel

The Sandman submitted a new Article:

Interview With Jonathan Wainwright (AKA Waindigo) - The Sequel

We did our first Interview with Waindigo a little more than a year ago. A few things have changed since then, and some of you had additional questions for Jon so we decided to do this follow-up interview.

Thanks to Jon for taking time out of his busy schedule to answer these questions (and also to let people know that doing an interview with TAZ can have consequences ).

Jon W is a member here, so if you have any additional questions for him go ahead and ask!

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I think a lot of people find it hard to understand or even keep up with your business model. Can you tell us the status of Waindigo Enterprises, Waindigo Industries, and the Waindigo Foundation?

Yer, sorry about that. The two companies are now being dissolved. Waindigo Enterprises went bust, Waindigo Industries is Dom’s company that is no longer needed as he is no longer part of Waindigo. Waindigo Foundation was officially dissolved on 20th January 2015.

I am now trading on my own under a new company, Waindigo Ltd. I know it all sounds complicated, but the whole purpose of this latest change is to really simplify things for the future. From now on there will be just me owning 100% of one company that does everything.


Can you explain your business model?

The biggest part of the business is the bespoke development of add-ons. I charge an hourly fee for development and offer a 50% discount if I’m allowed to retain the rights to what is developed.

Every single one of the add-ons is then made available to download from the XenForo resources section for personal use, testing purposes and for other developers to play with.

For commercial sites, I ask for a compulsory donation in order to use the add-on.


How do donations work?

I want as many people to use our add-ons as possible, but in order to provide a decent level of support (fixing bugs, ensuring compatibility with other add-ons and future XenForo versions, etc.), I feel it is only fair that if people are making money from sites that use our add-ons that we should be fairly compensated.

Every site is different though, so we ask that sites just pay whatever they can afford. We have some suggested amounts on the site and I’m happy to offer a personalised suggestion to anyone who sends me a message. The suggested...

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[Danielx64]

Thank you for the interview

Really enjoyed reading it

 

[AWS]

Nice interview and Jon seems like a down to Earth good guy.

 

[Jon W]

Thanks guys, that means a lot! And thanks so much The Sandman for giving me an opportunity to do another interview.

 

[Azareal]

For commercial sites, I ask for a compulsory donation in order to use the add-on.

If it's compulsory then, it's not really a donation? It's a payment to use it?

 

[Alpha1]

If it's compulsory then, it's not really a donation? It's a payment to use it?

The whole donation thing does not seem legit to me. Waindigo provides very expensive development services. I don't see how a hiring Waindigo LTD to do software development work has anything to do with donations.
The stiff development work rates seem fixed and also seem to apply to any customer that agrees to it. That's fine because the customer simply consents to the software development fee. But I have never heard of clients being asked how much they can afford. Everyone seems to be paying $100 an hour. Hardly a donation.

 

[Syndol]

The suggested amount is what we think is reasonable for the amount of support we provide. Anyone who pays less than the suggested amount can use the add-on, but can’t really expect to get any support.

So they can 'donate' any amount but if it does not meet your minimum price then they get no support?! What is the point then? Who in their right mind would 'donate' when such restrictions are in place?

Of course, we also allow people to donate more than the suggested amount!

Pure genius.

I probably spend about half my time on paid work, half my time on updating and supporting existing add-ons and half my time on anything else I have to do.

That is 150% of time. Jesus must really be your CEO.

but if I’d received just £1 for every download

And if only pigs could fly.

Quite simply, Jesus is the CEO in my business

Oh boy!

That’s why, for example, gay marriage doesn't quite work from a biblical perspective (i.e., two Jesus’s or two churches).

Two Jesus' - thanks for the image.

 

[Tecca]

That is 150% of time. Jesus must really be your CEO.

He was only joking, there's no need for the hostility, man.

 

[Syndol]

He was only joking, there's no need for the hostility, man.

Didn't realize you were the official Jon W translator.
Besides, what hostility? I'm being extremely polite.

 

[Tecca]

Good follow-up interview, TAZ! It does clear up that confusion with the different companies. I am curious like the above posters about the donations, however. Seems more of a standard payment for services rendered.

 

[The Dark Wizard]

Very good interview, its nice to get a peak inside the head of the mysterious Waindigo.

Hes done quite a bit of work for us in the past and it has always been a pleasure. He is polite/professional and most importantly delivers on time.

My only issue is that he charges in British Pounds and it gets really costly for my poor american dollar. However I've seen to notice on xF.com that you get what you pay for. With Jon W, I've always gotten the best and I continue to expect the same in the future.

 

[Sheldon]

My only issue is that he charges in British Pounds and it gets really costly for my poor american dollar.

But if he charged in USD, it's the same thing. The price is the same, still.

 

[The Dark Wizard]

But if he charged in USD, it's the same thing. The price is the same, still.

True .

I'm just sour about conversation rates lol.

 

[Amaury]

As God intended it, marriage is supposed to be a picture of the relationship between Jesus and his church – Jesus, the loving husband, and his church, the submissive wife. That’s why, for example, gay marriage doesn't quite work from a biblical perspective (i.e., two Jesus’s or two churches).

Jon W, I'm curious, not judging: Do you not like people who are homosexual / homosexuality or are you just making a comment? I'm personally for equal rights and don't care what you are, but even if others aren't, I'll respect their opinions even if I don't agree with them.

So just curious, again.

 

[haqzore]

i respect jon & his talent.

the whole religion thing just creeps me out.

its like when MMA fighters and boxers "thank God" or "Jesus" when they win a fight...
what? it's through Jesus that you hit a guy hard enough to knock him unconscious?

i just dont understand it.
i will refrain from further comments because i just cant wrap my head around it.

 

[Nudaii]

Jon W, I'm curious, not judging: Do you not like people who are homosexual / homosexuality or are you just making a comment? I'm personally for equal rights and don't care what you are, but even if others aren't, I'll respect their opinions even if I don't agree with them.

So just curious, again.

There is a vast difference between not supporting homosexual marriage and not liking homosexuals as people.

But that's a topic for a different site.

Great Interview Jon, enjoyed reading it

 

[PoetJC]

It was a little while later before I properly asked her out on a date, and then three months later I proposed, on Easter Sunday. As God intended it, marriage is supposed to be a picture of the relationship between Jesus and his church – Jesus, the loving husband, and his church, the submissive wife. That’s why, for example, gay marriage doesn't quite work from a biblical perspective (i.e., two Jesus’s or two churches).

Quite simply - How you believe 'gay marriage' doesn't quite work from a biblical perspective - which is another debate in and of itself --- This intermingling of your religious views within you business model seems detrimental. These tones that intentionally segregate one part of your customerbase (the tried-and-true, born-again Christian) from the other (the heathen) are simply not going to work for everybody. It's off-putting and quite ridiculous imo.

I wish you the best of luck Jon W -- But it seems to me that you are intentionally giving your business "Waindigo Ltd." the name "Holier Than Thou." It's one thing to be secure in your relationship with your Heavenly Father - but it's something quite entirely different to want to force that view on others. You cannot force belief and faith. One has to come to it.

Much MUCH respect for your coding talent. I'd implore you to rethink the "Welcome" mat you've laid out for prospective customers. Some (myself included) don't find it at all welcoming. And if there's one thing I know of Christianity - it's that the Christian Messiah is welcoming of even those the world would stone to death.

Thanks for the interview. It made for an interesting read.

J.

 

[Jon W]

If it's compulsory then, it's not really a donation? It's a payment to use it?

We are asking people to donate the amount of which they feel the software is worth to them. If the software is worthless to them, then they won't be using it so this is a use case that doesn't exist.

He was only joking, there's no need for the hostility, man.

Glad someone gets it!

Everyone seems to be paying $100 an hour. Hardly a donation.

If you are asking for bespoke development work it is an hourly rate, not a donation. Donations are only for using add-ons that have already been developed.

But if he charged in USD, it's the same thing. The price is the same, still.

I have considered changing to USD like XenForo.

I'm curious, not judging: Do you not like people who are homosexual / homosexuality or are you just making a comment? I'm personally for equal rights and don't care what you are, but even if others aren't, I'll respect their opinions even if I don't agree with them.

Great question. I was just stating something that the bible says about marriage, which I find really important when it comes to understanding why I should love my wife even when I'm not really feeling like it. It is when we try and take Jesus out of marriage that we think it is all about how we feel and end up with massive divorce rates.

I love people who are homosexual. God made us all in his image and that means every single person is amazing, no matter what their sexual orientation or religious belief.

How you believe 'gay marriage' doesn't quite work from a biblical perspective - which is another debate in and of itself

Happy to have this debate with you elsewhere. Here are the verses from the Bible to support what I said (Ephesians 5: 22-33):

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church – for we are members of his body. ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ This is a profound mystery – but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

These tones that intentionally segregate one part of your customerbase (the tried-and-true, born-again Christian) from the other (the heathen) are simply not going to work for everybody. It's off-putting and quite ridiculous imo.

I don't segregate customers or treat any customer differently. If people choose not to use my services because they disagree with my views then that is their choice, but I would never not accept a client because I didn't agree with their religious beliefs. That is against the Bible and, incidentally, is also against the law.

But it seems to me that you are intentionally giving your business "Waindigo Ltd." the name "Holier Than Thou." It's one thing to be secure in your relationship with your Heavenly Father - but it's something quite entirely different to want to force that view on others. You cannot force belief and faith. One has to come to it.

I really don't want to give this impression at all. I am not trying to force any belief on anyone. I can only witness through doing good work for everyone, regardless of faith, sexual orientation or otherwise. I hoped this was what I was saying, so really sorry if that didn't come across.

And if there's one thing I know of Christianity - it's that the Christian Messiah is welcoming of even those the world would stone to death.

Couldn't agree with this more.

 

[Lisa]

Just out of curiosity (because I'm nosy) what branch of Christianity do you follow? You talk about Witnessing, are you a Jehovah's Witness? It bears no relevance on anything, I'm simply curious

 

[Jon W]

Just out of curiosity (because I'm nosy) what branch of Christianity do you follow? You talk about Witnessing, are you a Jehovah's Witness? It bears no relevance on anything, I'm simply curious

I am a member of the Church of England. The Bible describes a Christian as anyone who believes that Jesus is God and that he died on the cross to take the punishment for our sin. My understanding is that most Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe that Jesus is God, so my witness is very different in that sense.