[Tycon3] do you know...

[Kasper Skårhøj]

Hey Guys

I'm sorry the conference is too expensive for students, but I suggest
you are envious of a segment of TYPO3 users which has traditionally been
ignored: Web professionals. Maybe this has not been clearly stated, but
the conference is for them. Sorry about that.

There has been many requests for a true conference which is not like the
snowboard tour but "only business". This has now come and is priced
accordingly. It disappoints me that the basic assumption seems to be
that an Open Source event cannot be "expensive". Wake up to the
realities, boys! The democratic approach of TYPO3 and OSS in general is
that the raw material is available for everyone. If you have got money
you can shortcut to knowledge by bying consultants or subscribing to a
conference. If you have no money you probably have time instead and you
can sit down and read a PDF or look at a video-feed from TYCon. No one
is keeping knowledge away from you, we only offer people with money a
chance to acquire it differently than students could. That is not
unfair, its the business model!

In my view this is how the two events are segmented:

TyCon: Expensive event for web professionals sent by their employee to
learn about TYPO3 and nothing else.
Snowboard tour: Inexpensive event for anyone who enjoys the social
aspect mixed in with technical etc.; Students.

Snowboarding is not "inexpensive" i know, but it is quite common for
people to go skiing once a year, even for students. So I don't buy that.
Hasn't been a problem till now.


BTW; If any of you want a cheaper snowboard tour or conference it might
be a question of doing some of the admin-work yourself instead of buying
someone to do it. If you think so, get involved in the event-committee
and change the course of things!


About the money calculations some of you did: If it REALLY is that tons
of money is being made on this event, do you really think that it is
buying Jürgen Egeling a big yacht? And if it did, do you know what
amount of money Jürgen recently invested into TYPO3 infrastructure? Did
you thank him? What if the association actually gets income from this
event? Is that a good or a bad thing? Its an overly GOOD thing! Imagine
if we manage to make money on the very people who make money using
TYPO3! Isn't that exactly what all of you students want to see! That
TYPO3 development is funded by the guys who have money! You should
rather appreciate that the association is looking at what assets might
bring it money for development rather that complaining about it.


Now, finally, is an association needed at all? And is the Assocation
more important that TYPO3? The answer is that TYPO3 _needs_ the
Association if you want to see additional growth, if you want to see
TYPO3 stay a market leader, if you want to have a snowboard tour or
beach party or any other fun event two years from now and if you want
more people to be involved! If you want TYPO3 to stand still and have it
for yourself we could do without. But I made TYPO3 for the whole world
and not just who came first. Does that need an association? I think so
and I think it will do greater things the more money it can pull out of
the thousands of people who make money on TYPO3.

Guys, I appreciate the work you do for TYPO3 in your spare time. I'm
often the person who reminds others of the incredibly important ground
work that is done by you in your spare time. Looking at contribution in
the community, it is clear that the older people get and the more
involved with family and job they are, the less they solve bugs, write
extensions, help on mailing list. And for that I constantly respect you
and highlight you as the important footsoldies when others seem to
forget. But the reality is that TYPO3 version 5 will not see the light
of day if we haven't money to pay guys like me, Robert, Rene, Julle and
whoever to commit themselves for more than just spare time. I have been
working close to fulltime on TYPO3 for the last 2 years. But I also have
to obey the rules of society; Food, transportation, working gear, house
payments. None of that comes for free just because I'm a nice guy. I
really hope the conference will make a big revenue so I don't have to
worry about peoples sparetime commitments but can rely them to deliver
what is paid for.

Sorry for being a little rough, but I felt it was right to be so.

With great respect, brothers in arms,

 - kasper