More Than 10% of Mozilla Bug Finders Refuse Cash

angry tapir writes "The open-source Mozilla project has been offering cash bounties for security bugs for six years now, but often bug finders simply turn down the cash. Between 10 percent and 15 percent of the serious security bugs reported since Mozilla launched its bug bounty program have been provided free of charge, according to Mozilla."

Re:But 90% accept the cash...

[bsDaemon]

That's not necessarily true. Is 10% higher or lower than in previous years? Is the data such that a trend can be measured? besides, I wouldn't say that cash is necessarily the a direct motivator. Identifying that a bug exists is often times easier than being able to fix it, and tipping off the people who are in a position to fix a problem in a piece of software you rely on is also a valid motivation.

Alternatively, getting your name out there as someone who is smart and gets things done can and often does lead to other opportunities.

nor would I accept it

[FuckingNickName]

I've helped out in projects which help the wider community but which are controlled in some way by organisations which I do not approve of. In such cases, I refuse to take anything but expenses. Benefitting from some organisation of which you disapprove is morally bankrupt, but helping out a good cause which happens to be promoted by that organisation is a fine act.

To do a bit of occupatio:

1. No, the effort in finding the bug isn't an expense, unless you're one of those consumer-citizen types who translates each hour into some cash value;

2. Something exists outside of its ownership. It is not inconsistent to judge that Firefox is good but the Mozilla Foundation is bad.

Re:15% is not a lot

[Thiez]

It's more often than one would expect. If I walked around handing out free cash, and 49% of people refused it (that is, less than 'may be called often' according to you), that is still much more often than most people would expected.

Finding bugs could be considered a job. If 10 to 15% of people don't expect to be paid for their work, wouldn't you agree that's significantly more than expected?

Re:More evidence...

[Anonymous Coward]

Sure there is. Many of them probably are doing their work for a company. Major companies generally have positions on this that would preclude the "finder" from accepting (even for that moment required to donate it) any kind of a bonus or fee for their work since they were already paid for their work by their employer. I am pretty sure that explains this 10 - 15 percent right there. Not altruism. They are just constrained not to accept. Others are probably also constrained but choose to ignore their company policy.