Merge pull request #5582 from squidfunk/docs/faq

Added faq list

docs/faq/sopnsoring.md

@@ -0,0 +1,470 @@
+# Sponsoring FAQs
+
+Do you have questions about Material for MkDocs Insiders? We do our best to
+answer all of your questions on this page. If you can't find your question 
+below, ask it on our [discussion board]!
+
+  [discussion board]: https://github.com/squidfunk/mkdocs-material/discussions/new/chooses
+
+## General	
+
+[__Why is the Insiders edition offered as a subscription model?__](#insiders-subscription){ #insiders-subscription }
+
+Material for MkDocs always was and will be Open Source, available for free to
+individuals and organizations. As the project grew over time, we found that
+maintaining and managing the overhead that comes with growth became more
+challenging and time-consuming.
+
+In order to sustain the project and add new and useful features more frequently,
+we decided to create the [Insiders] edition, with early access to the latest and
+greatest features of Material for MkDocs. The subscription-based model of the
+Insiders edition allows us to dedicate more time and resources to the project,
+which benefits all 
+users of Material for MkDocs. Once our funding goals based on monthly 
+subscriptions are hit, the Insiders features of those^ funding goals are released 
+to the community edition, letting everyone benefit from them. 
+
+Maintaining both the community and Insiders editions is an ongoing process, and 
+we rely on our sponsors to support us on a monthly basis, which makes this whole 
+project possible.
+
+[__What features are included in the Insiders edition?__](#insiders-features){ #insiders-features }
+
+The Insiders edition includes more than 20 additional features. You can find an 
+overview of these features on our [Insiders page], which is updated when new
+features are added and released.
+
+  [Insiders]: ../insiders/index.md
+  [Insiders page]: ../insiders/index.md#whats-in-it-for-me
+
+[__How often is the Insiders edition updated?__](#insiders-updates){ #insiders-updates }
+
+We try to keep our open issue count low, fixing known bugs quickly. Both our
+repositories, the community and Insiders edition, are constantly updated with
+bug fixes and new features.
+
+## Sponsorship	
+
+[__Can I sponsor the project without a GitHub account?__](#sponsorship-account){ #sponsorship-account }
+
+Yes. You can support Material for MkDocs by sponsoring us on [Ko-fi], regardless
+of whether you have a GitHub account or not. However, please note that Insiders
+is provided as a private repository on GitHub. If after sponsoring, you'd like to
+gain access to the repository, you'll need to have a GitHub individual or bot
+account that can be added as a collaborator. If your organization doesn't use
+GitHub or/and host its repositories on other platforms, you can mirror the
+Insiders repository in your environment once you have access.
+
+[__Which sponsoring tier should I choose?__](#sponsorship-tier){ #sponsorship-tier }
+
+The sponsoring tiers are divided into non-commercial and commercial tiers. If 
+you are an individual or organization using Material for MkDocs for private or
+__non-commercial__ Open Source projects, you have two tiers to choose from, 
+depending on the number of sites you want to build. For companies using 
+Material for MkDocs, we offer three different __commercial__ tiers, from which 
+you can choose depending on your requirements.
+
+Also, please read what is considered [commercial use].
+
+  [commercial use]: #commercial-use
+
+[__Why are one-time sponsorships not granted access to Insiders?__](#sponsorship-one-time){ #sponsorship-one-time }
+
+Primarily due to technical reasons, that we're working on lifting in the future.
+We use GitHub webhooks to determine our current active sponsors. When you create
+or cancel your monthly subscription, GitHub sends events that we use to
+automatically add and remove collaborators.
+
+Note that [$15] is the minimum amount to be granted access to Insiders.
+
+  [$15]: https://github.com/sponsors/squidfunk/sponsorships?tier_id=210638
+
+[__How is my sponsorship contribution used to support the project?__](#sponsorship-support){ #sponsorship-support }
+
+Your sponsorship contribution directly supports the development and 
+maintenance of the project, by buying us maintainers time. It allows us to
+dedicate more time and resources to enhance the project's features and
+functionality. The additional funding helps us prioritize improvements and
+updates, benefiting Insiders users and the wider community. We also actively
+contribute to other upstream projects, fostering collaboration and giving
+back to the Open Source ecosystem.
+
+[__Are there any limitations on the number of sponsors for a particular tier?__](#sponsorship-limitations){ #sponsorship-limitations }
+
+No, there are no limitations on the number of sponsors for any tier. You can
+sponsor the project at any tier regardless of how many other sponsors are
+already there.
+
+## Payment & billing	
+
+[__Is there a trial period for the Insiders edition?__](#insiders-trial){ #insiders-trial }
+
+No, we do not offer a trial period for the Insiders edition. However, if you're
+a company and are considering sponsoring on the commercial tier, but want to
+first give the Insiders edition a try, you can sponsor on the [$15] tier with a
+personal account for non-commercial evaluation purposes.
+
+Additionally, our subscription model allows you to cancel your sponsorship
+anytime. If you decide to cancel, your sponsorship will remain active until 
+the end of your billing cycle.
+
+[__What payment options do you accept?__](#insiders-payment){ #insiders-payment }
+
+We manage all our transactions and sponsorships through [GitHub Sponsors] and 
+[Ko-fi]. To become a sponsor of Material for MkDocs on GitHub, visit 
+[our sponsors' page]. On there, you can choose from five different sponsorship 
+tiers and pay by credit card. Please note that as of the beginning of 2023, 
+[GitHub no longer supports PayPal] payments. If you wish to pay with PayPal, 
+ou can find a selection of our sponsorship tiers on [Ko-fi]. Both platforms
+provide you with a payment receipt once your purchase is successful.
+
+If you're a company and need assistance choosing the right payment method,
+please don't hesitate to reach out to sponsors@squidfunk.com.
+
+  [Ko-fi]: https://ko-fi.com/squidfunk
+  [GitHub Sponsors]: https://github.com/sponsors
+  [GitHub no longer supports PayPal]: https://github.blog/changelog/2023-01-23-github-sponsors-will-stop-supporting-paypal/
+  [our sponsors' page]: https://github.com/sponsors/squidfunk/
+
+[__Are discounts available for the Insiders edition, such as student discounts?__](#insiders-discounts){ #insiders-discounts }
+
+Unfortunately, we are not able to offer any discounts for the Material for 
+MkDocs Insiders program. To ensure that everyone can afford the Insiders program 
+and keep the barrier as low as possible, we have set prices as low as [$15] a
+month for non-commercial use.
+
+[__Do you offer free access to Insiders for Open Source projects?__](#insiders-open-source){ #insiders-open-source }
+
+No, we do not offer free access to our Material for MkDocs Insiders edition. 
+We understand that non-profit organizations may have limited budgets and may 
+need to prioritize their spending on other projects or organizations. However,
+it's important to note that Material for MkDocs is maintained by a small team, 
+investing a lot of time and resources into constantly improving this project. 
+Material for MkDocs and its core features are free to the community through our 
+Open Source model. Therefore, Material for MkDocs itself is already free.
+
+However, we do offer an affordable sponsorship tier starting at [$15] a month, 
+which is meant for individuals and non-profit organizations using Material for 
+MkDocs to build 1-2 sites for non-commercial purposes. This tier provides access 
+to all new features, benefiting you from our ongoing development efforts.
+
+[__Is Insiders free for those who contribute to this project?__](#insiders-contributors){ #insiders-contributors }
+
+Great question! We can not offer free access to "drive-by" contributors that 
+only fix minor issues like typos or add new languages. These contributions are 
+always welcome, but as we need to review them, they result in a higher time 
+investment from our side and don't compensate for this work. However, as this 
+project keeps growing, we always seek for individuals to support us. In return, 
+we offer financial compensation or/and Insiders access. If you are interested 
+and have experience in the technologies and paradigms listed below, please get
+in touch with us at sponsors@squidfunk.com:
+
+- Deep knowledge of CSS, HTML, TypeScript
+- Experience with progressive enhancement and responsive design
+- Experience with reactive programming with RxJS
+- Solid understanding of Python, MkDocs + ecosystem
+- Solid technical writing skills
+
+Additionally, we're working on a contributor program that will reward
+contributors that engage in the community by answering questions and helping
+users with access to Insiders.
+
+[__How can I set my billing to monthly or yearly?__](#insiders-billing-cycle){ #insiders-billing-cycle }
+
+You can sponsor Material for MkDocs on a monthly or yearly basis. Depending on 
+your billing cycle you automatically become a monthly or yearly sponsor. Your 
+[billing cycle] is an account-level setting that you can easily change in your 
+account. If, for some reason, you cannot make this change, you can create a 
+dedicated bot account with a yearly billing cycle on GitHub, which you only use 
+for sponsoring (some sponsors already do that). If you have any problems or 
+further questions, please contact us at sponsors@squidfunk.com.
+
+  [billing cycle]: https://docs.github.com/en/github/setting-up-and-managing-billing-and-payments-on-github/changing-the-duration-of-your-billing-cycle
+
+[__Can I get an invoice for my sponsorship payment?__](#insiders-invoice){ #insiders-invoice}
+
+Right now, we can't provide you with an invoice for your sponsoring transaction,
+as [GitHub Sponsors] handles all transactions for us. However, both payment
+platforms, [GitHub] and [Ko-Fi], automatically send you a payment receipt 
+via mail once the sponsorship is active.
+
+Furthermore, we are working on a solution to optimize access management and more
+features. If you are interested in this, please get in touch with us via mail at
+sponsors@squidfunk.com or turn on all notifications for MkDocs, and we will
+reach out as soon as we are live.
+
+  [GitHub]: https://github.com/sponsors/squidfunk/
+
+[__Can I switch between different sponsoring tiers?__](#insiders-switch-tiers){ #insiders-switch-tiers }
+
+Yes, you can switch between different sponsoring tiers at any time. Simply go 
+to the [GitHub Sponsors] page and change your sponsoring tier. Once you make 
+that change, you will immediately change to the new tier.
+
+If you change to a higher tier, the amount will be prorated according to your
+billing cycle.
+
+[__Can I sponsor the project for a specific feature or development goal?__](#insiders-goals){ #insiders-goals }
+
+While sponsoring specific goals directly is not possible, our sponsoring goals
+are connected to specific features or development goals aligned with the 
+project's roadmap. You can find an [overview of these sponsoring goals] and their 
+associated features on our website. Insider users have early access to all 
+already developed features, including those associated with higher funding goals 
+that will be reached at a later stage. If you're interested in accessing these 
+features, becoming a sponsor is the way to go. If you have a feature in mind 
+that you would like to see on the list, we encourage you to 
+[initiate a new discussion] to evaluate it with others.
+
+  [overview of these sponsoring goals]: ../insiders/index.md#goals
+  [initiate a new discussion]: https://github.com/squidfunk/mkdocs-material/discussions/new/chooses
+
+[__What happens if I reach my sponsoring limit for my current tier?__](#insiders-limit){ #insiders-limit }
+
+If you extend the number of sites that are in your current sponsoring limit, 
+please [upgrade your sponsorship] to a higher tier to continue using the 
+Insiders version and build more sites. The change will be effective immediately.
+
+  [upgrade your sponsorship]: https://docs.github.com/en/billing/managing-billing-for-github-sponsors/upgrading-a-sponsorship
+
+[__Do you offer refunds for sponsoring payments?__](#insiders-refunds){ #insiders-refunds }
+
+Unfortunately, we cannot offer any refund for sponsorship payments. 
+[GitHub Sponsors] and [Ko-Fi] manage all sponsoring transactions. Because of 
+that, we do not have any insights into the details of the funds and cannot access 
+them. If you have any payment issues, please get in touch with the GitHub 
+or Ko-Fi support team, as they can help you.
+
+## Access management	
+
+[__How do I gain access to the private Insiders repository?__](#access-account){ #access-account }
+
+If you sponsored with your __individual account__, you should have received an 
+email invitation to the private Material for MkDocs Insiders repository right 
+after you initiated your sponsorship. Simply accept the invitation within seven 
+days to gain access.
+
+If you sponsored using an __organization account__, please note we need 
+an individual account that we can list as a collaborator of the private Insiders 
+repository. After you initiate your sponsorship, please email us at 
+sponsors@squidfunk.com with the name of the individual or bot account. Once you 
+provide us with this information, we will add the account as a collaborator, and 
+after you accept the invitation, you will gain access to the repository.
+
+If you have yet to receive the email or the invitation link has expired, please 
+contact us, the maintainers, at sponsors@squidfunk.com. We're working on a
+solution that will allow you to manage collaborator status yourself.
+
+[__Why can't our whole organization get access to Insiders?__](#access-organization){ #access-organization }
+
+Currently, it is not possible to grant access to an organizational account, as 
+GitHub only allows for adding individual user accounts. We are working on a 
+solution ourselves to simplify access for organizations. For now, to ensure that 
+access is not tied to a particular individual, we recommend creating a bot 
+account, i.e., a GitHub account that does not belong to a specific individual 
+but is listed as the owner of the organizational account and using this account 
+for sponsorship.
+
+[__Do I need to fork the repository to use it?__](#access-fork){ #access-fork }
+
+It depends. If you are using the Insiders edition as an individual, you can work
+directly with the private repository, as you do not need to share the Insiders
+features with others. If you are working with a team, it is best to create a
+private fork using the individual account you listed as a collaborator of
+Material for MkDocs to grant access to all members of your organization to
+your fork.
+
+[__Can I share my Insiders access with others?__](#access-share){ #access-share }
+
+At the moment, it is not possible to directly share your collaborator status 
+for the private Insiders repository with other accounts. However, if you are 
+working with a team and would like them to access Insiders, you can share the 
+Insiders repository by utilizing options such as [cloning], [forking], or 
+[mirroring]. By doing so, you can start collaborating with your team members on 
+the new repository you have shared. This way, you can collectively benefit 
+from the Insiders features and work together on the project.
+
+  [cloning]: https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/creating-and-managing-repositories/cloning-a-repository
+  [forking]: https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/quickstart/fork-a-repo
+  [mirroring]: https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/creating-and-managing-repositories/duplicating-a-repository
+
+
+## Runtime & cancellation	
+
+[__How long is my sponsorship valid?__](#sponsorship-runtime){ #sponsorship-runtime }
+
+Your sponsorship is valid for as long as your monthly or yearly subscription
+is valid. If you choose to cancel your sponsorship, you will lose access to 
+the Insiders edition once your cancelation is active and will be automatically 
+removed by GitHub as a collaborator from the private repository. 
+
+[__How do I cancel my sponsorship?__](#sponsorship-cancellation){ #sponsorship-cancellation }
+
+To cancel your sponsorship, follow the [step-by-step guide] provided by GitHub. 
+If you sponsored using an organizational account, please ensure that you cancel 
+your sponsorship using the same organizational account rather than your 
+individual account.
+
+  [step-by-step guide]: https://docs.github.com/en/billing/managing-billing-for-github-sponsors/downgrading-a-sponsorship
+
+[__What happens when I cancel my sponsorship?__](#sponsorship-cancellation-effective){ #sponsorship-cancellation-effective }
+
+If you choose to cancel your subscription to Insiders, you will be 
+automatically removed by GitHub as a collaborator on the day your cancellation is 
+effective. From that day on, you will no longer receive future updates. However, 
+you are __welcome to continue using the latest version__ that was available to 
+you at the time of your cancellation for as long as you like.
+
+Please note that [GitHub deletes private forks], so you may want to take steps to ensure
+that you have a backup of the software if necessary and use the locally installed version.
+
+  [GitHub deletes private forks]: https://docs.github.com/en/account-and-profile/setting-up-and-managing-your-personal-account-on-github/managing-access-to-your-personal-repositories/removing-a-collaborator-from-a-personal-repository#deleting-forks-of-private-repositories
+
+## Licensing	
+
+[__What constitutes commercial use of the Insiders version?__](#commercial-use){ #commercial-use }
+
+Commercial use refers to any use of the software for a business or for-profit 
+purpose. This includes any use by a corporation or other organization, whether 
+or not they generate revenue directly from the software. We offer different 
+pricing tiers for commercial use, each tailored to the needs of different 
+businesses. It's important to note that internal use of the software within your 
+organization is also considered commercial use, as with all commercial software.
+
+[__What constitutes non-commercial use of the Insiders version?__](#non-commercial-use){ #non-commercial-use }
+
+Non-commercial use of our Material for MkDocs refers to private use. This
+includes individuals using the Insiders edition for private or purely
+non-commercial Open Source projects. We offer two different tiers for
+non-commercial use, depending on the number of sites you want to build.  
+
+[__What is your fair use policy?__](#fair-use-policy){ #fair-use-policy }
+
+Our fair use policy includes the following guidelines:
+
+- Please refrain from __distributing the source code__ of Insiders. While you 
+may use the software for public, private, or commercial projects and may 
+privately fork or mirror it, we ask that you keep the source code private. This 
+is important to our sponsorware strategy, which helps us fund ongoing 
+development and support of the software. If this guidelines is violated,
+everybody loses, as it will reduce the time of us maintainers we can set aside
+to push this project forward.
+
+- As our sponsoring tiers are based on the number of sites you want to build, 
+please make sure to [upgrade your sponsorship] once your current sponsoring tier 
+limit has been reached. 
+
+[__Does the Insiders version have a different license?__](#insiders-license){ #insiders-license }
+
+No. Whether you're an individual or a company, you may use Material for 
+MkDocs Insiders precisely under the same terms as Material for MkDocs, which are 
+given by the [MIT license].
+
+[MIT license]: ../license.md
+
+[__Can outside collaborators build and run the documentation locally without access to Insiders?__](#insiders-outside-collaborators){ #insiders-outside-collaborators }
+
+Yes. Insiders is compatible with Material for MkDocs. Almost all new features
+and configuration options are either backward-compatible or implemented behind
+feature flags. When working with outside collaborators, changing the general 
+appearance of your site should be optional. Most Insiders features enhance the 
+overall experience, e.g., by adding icons to pages or providing a feedback 
+widget. While these features add value for your site's users, they should be 
+optional for previewing when making changes to content. Currently, the only 
+content-related features in Insiders that non-Insiders users can't properly 
+preview are [Annotations] and [Card grids].
+
+This means that outside collaborators can build the documentation locally with 
+Material for MkDocs, and when they push their changes, your CI pipeline will 
+build it with Insiders. When using built-in plugins exclusive to Insiders, it's 
+recommended to split configuration into a base `mkdocs.yml` and one with plugin 
+overrides via [configuration inheritance].
+
+See the [getting started guide] for more information.
+
+  [configuration inheritance]: https://www.mkdocs.org/user-guide/configuration/#configuration-inheritance
+  [getting started guide]: ../insiders/getting-started.md#caveats
+  [Annotations]: ../reference/annotations.md?h=anno#annotations
+  [Card grids]: ../reference/grids.md?h=grids#using-card-grids
+
+
+## Support	
+
+[__How can I contact support if I have questions about becoming a sponsor?__ ](#support-contact){ #support-contact }
+
+If you have any questions and would like to contact us before starting your 
+sponsorship, we are happy to answer all your non-technical questions about the 
+Insiders program via email at sponsors@squidfunk.com.
+
+All technical questions should be asked openly on our [discussion board].
+
+  [discussion board]: https://github.com/squidfunk/mkdocs-material/discussions
+
+[__Is additional support available for Material for MkDocs Insiders users?__](#support-additional){ #support-additional }
+
+Yes, we provide non-technical support related to sponsoring at
+sponsors@squidfunk.com. For technical questions, please submit an issue openly 
+on our [issue tracker] or start a discussion on our [discussion board]. Issues 
+and discussions from our organizational sponsors, sponsoring on 
+__The Organization__ tier or higher will be prioritized.[^1]
+
+  [^1]:
+    Priority support means we will prioritize your issue, meaning we will look 
+    into it and do our best to solve your issue asap. However, the prioritized bug 
+    support does not mean that we can solve your issue before any others since 
+    some issues might take more time to solve.
+
+  [issue tracker]: https://github.com/squidfunk/mkdocs-material/issues
+
+[__How can I display my logo on the list of premium sponsors?__](#sponsorship-logo-placement){ #sponsorship-logo-placement }
+
+If your sponsorship tier includes logo placement, and you would like us to
+display your logo in the [list of premium sponsors] and have it linked to your
+site, please contact us via mail. Simply send us a horizontal SVG or PNG version
+of your logo making sure it displays the name of your company and the logo to
+sponsors@squidfunk.com. 
+
+  [list of premium sponsors]: https://github.com/squidfunk/mkdocs-material#user-content-premium-sponsors
+
+[__Is logo placement optional?__](#sponsorship-logo-placement-optional){ #sponsorship-logo-placement-optional }
+
+Yes, all of our commercial benefits, such as logo placement and backlinks, are 
+optional and can be opted in or out at any time. You can keep your sponsorship
+completely private.
+
+[__How can I report a bug in the Insiders version?__](#insiders-bugs){ #insiders-bugs }
+
+If you encounter a bug in the Insiders edition, we kindly request that you 
+report it on our [issue tracker] in the public community repository. When 
+submitting the bug report, please ensure that you do not include any private 
+Insiders' source code, as we want to uphold our fair use policy. 
+
+
+## Privacy	
+
+[__Will you sign an NDA for sponsorships?__](#nda){ #nda }
+
+Unfortunately, we cannot sign any NDA or vendor agreement form. As a small team
+working on Material for MkDocs, we have limited resources and cannot review 
+and sign agreements.
+
+[__Can I sponsor privately?__](#sponsorship-private){ #sponsorship-private }
+
+Yes, you can. GitHub gives you the option to set your sponsorship to [private] 
+when you set up your sponsorship. Additionally, we have a recommended workflow 
+for you: We suggest you create a new GitHub bot account. This bot account should 
+not be tied to a particular individual and should be privately listed as an 
+owner of your GitHub organization. This account can then be used to sponsor 
+Material for MkDocs privately. As a bot account, it will automatically be listed 
+as a collaborator of the private Insiders repository. You can clone, fork, or 
+mirror using this account. All information will be kept confidential; only the 
+bot account and us maintainers will have insights into his sponsorship. 
+
+  [private]: https://docs.github.com/en/sponsors/sponsoring-open-source-contributors/managing-your-sponsorship#managing-the-privacy-setting-for-your-sponsorship
+
+[__Are there any geographical restrictions on becoming a sponsor?__](#sponsorship-geo){ #sponsorship-geo }
+
+No, there are no geographical restrictions for becoming a sponsor. We welcome 
+sponsorships from individuals and organizations worldwide. As long as your 
+credit card is valid and accepted by GitHub or Ko-Fi, you are eligible to become 
+a sponsor and support the project, regardless of your location. 

mkdocs.yml

@@ -178,6 +178,8 @@ nav:
       - Asking a question: https://github.com/squidfunk/mkdocs-material/discussions
     - Guides:
       - Creating a reproduction: guides/creating-a-reproduction.md
+    - FAQ:
+      - Sponsoring: faq/sponsoring.md
   - Setup:
     - setup/index.md
     - Changing the colors: setup/changing-the-colors.md