Hi Andreas On Thu, Jul 5, 2012 at 3:15 PM, Andreas Raab <Andreas.Raab@gmx.de> wrote:
Here is how it is unfair: If I understand the basic process of selecting and supporting projects by ESUG, then the distribution of projects supported by ESUG is roughly equivalent to the popularity of the various communities. This seems entirely fair and reasonable to me, and ESUG is doing a good job with the various projects it supports.
However, once ESUG starts giving chunks of money to particular dialects directly, then first of all that money is no longer spent across the various dialects.
I would agree with you if ESUG was spending 100% of the money it has. Sponsoring Pharo won't affect other potential sponsoring (unless we get 5 times more sponsoring requests than last year in which case we might not positively answer to all of them). I invite all representatives of other dialects to send the board sponsoring requests. But we can't wait for all dialects to ask for money before spending part of it.
So for an approx. 3000 EUR Pharo membership the board could sponsor 20 students with 150 EUR each. And while it may be that 15 of those are indeed Pharo related, there is still sponsorshop done for the remaining 5 which would fall under the table if the money went directly to Pharo. That's seems obviously unfair.
Please encourage students around you to submit sponsoring requests. We will be really happy to support them.
Secondly, the membership in Pharo is perpetual; if some other project raises in popularity there will *still* 100% of the money be going to Pharo. For eternity. That's just as unfair.
I agree with you, a permanent sponsorship is probably not the best idea and we should discuss the options. Still, we are not talking about 100% of the money.
There is nothing wrong with sponsoring Pharo projects by ESUG. What's wrong is giving the money, which would otherwise be spent in some relation to the popularity of each dialect, to one dialect only.
In the past, ESUG supported Squeak e.V. and the Squeak VM. What is the difference? -- Damien Cassou http://damiencassou.seasidehosting.st "Lambdas are relegated to relative obscurity until Java makes them popular by not having them." James Iry