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How to raise $10,000 grassroots style

pleasesendustolinuxconfau.info — Ask and you shall receive. These students are pleading with the internet to get themselves to a Linux conference and it's working! Who knew all you had to do was ask?

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  • gr8whitesavage, on 10/12/2007, -8/+15Good luck!
    • foobar5892, on 10/12/2007, -17/+11Ten bucks says that money will be used on a vacation in Cancun.
    • wwwdot1jesdotus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Is it just me or is that picture of Brandon Phillips a bit disturbing? (No offense Brandon)
    • plarp, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4i thought this article was going to be about selling pot
    • mwosh, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18"We are four students at Oregon State University trying to raise $10000 ($2500 each) so that we can go to the best free/open source software conference in the world."

      Ain't so free is it?
    • Wireddd, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1the linux conferance really should be in cancun
    • Harbinger67, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6^^Too much sun; two thirds of the participants would melt. :p
    • SniperX, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1The funny thing is.. the actual conference only costs $77 for entrance, yet they're claiming they need to RAISE $2500 PER PERSON. There has got to be some better deals on travel to somewhere in Australia!

      Damn, I don't know about Australia, but I know for just the price of ONE person (2500) I could get 4 people to vegas AND have a very fun week.
  • grammarpolice, on 10/12/2007, -10/+6I like the Firefox crop circle they made, people should donate $1 just for that.
  • yyanri, on 10/12/2007, -10/+8grass is expensive.
  • Arkonnan, on 10/12/2007, -3/+34I do believe they have stumbled upon the magic formula!

    Step 1. Make a page on the interwebs
    Step 2. Beg for money(helps if you fake an illness)
    Step 3. Profit!!!
    • drbhoneydew, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Step 1. Make a page on the interwebs
      Step 2. Beg for money, but it's got to be for something no-one's asked for before.
      Step 3. Make way more than you were asking for because sometimes front pays

    • Intangir, on 10/12/2007, -0/+81: make a page on the interweb
      2: threaten to eat a bunny named toby
      3: profit ;)

      http://www.savetoby.com

    • dahat, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3As easy as it sounds... I haven't had as much luck as I would have liked with my campaign.

      http://www.brendansstudentloans.com
    • acceptab1euname, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6@dahat: I think it's not going so well because you've got a college education and a job, which means that you can well afford to pay for your own learning experience, thank you very much. As you state on your website, you are entirely capable of paying your debt back, you just don't want to have to pay all of it. If you did, you wouldn't be begging online or spamming your link on digg.

      On behalf of everybody who is/was unable to afford a college education, or has one and is unable to find a well-paying job, or has both and is busting their ass to pay loans back early....go ***** yourself, you lazy pile of worthlessness.
    • dahat, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2@acceptab1euname

      Thanks for your comments... unfortunately you have grossly misinterpreted the intent of the site as well as my 'spamming' it to digg... sadly though I don't quite have the time to point out your errors so I'll let you wallow in your own ignorance and suggest you re-read the site once or twice more. The reason is stated there... subtly perhaps.

      Aside from the misinterpretations of the site, you’ve also misinterpreted the overall situation... but again, I have better things to do than debase myself to prove you wrong this afternoon.
  • wjw75, on 10/12/2007, -6/+28Isn't this just begging? It's not like it's for charity or anything, it's for 4 students to go on some nerdy pilgrimage. I see no reason why anyone should bother giving them money, when it could be spent in a much more useful way.
    • datastorageguy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+20It is begging. Some people just don't understand the value of money. Raising that much to go to some Linux conference is ridiculous. There are more important things in life.
    • schotty, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13But does it matter really?

      The way I see it, they are honest about what it is for and for that I give them props. I dont care about throwing a few bucks their way since all of the Linux cons I have hit were a blast. They know that, and want to go. Plus, witht the growing number of Aussie Linux icons emerging (as in Jeff Waugh) that put on stellar talks, I would be their with them, except I cant get off of work :)

      That said, If you want to help, then donate. Otherwise spend it somewhere else. Personally, I would put the $10 or whatever towards the Linux Kernel Project, OpenBSD, EFF, or the FSF. But, that is me. (I put mine towards the FSF this year. I gave them a year membership).
    • wjw75, on 10/12/2007, -7/+24Asking for free money is only acceptable to most people if the cause is completely altruisic, or in some way evokes sympathy. Even then, there will still be a task involved to 'earn' that money through sponsership, eg running a marathon.

      These guys are not even doing that - they're sitting on their fat ( http://pleasesendustolinuxconfau.info/img/justin.jpg ) asses, expecting $10,000 to come rolling in to fund their fun-filled trip to Australia. I just feel that they've somehow deluded themselves into the idea that they actually _deserve_ all this money.
    • crexor, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7@wjw75
      wow, if you hadnt already hit the nail on the head, linking to poor Justin's pic was pure gold. I bet he feels pretty ***** now, and at least a grand of that money is going to therapy(500$) and tacos/chocolate(500$)
  • ddrirc, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11I'm not an australian trip expert, but $10,000 sounds pretty high for four people.

    It's really over 2000 for each ticket?
    • matthewecornish, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2My thoughts exactly...
    • Battlecry, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6According to expedia, the cheapest rate from LAX to Sydney, Austrailia is $1,500. Looks like the average is about $2000, though.
    • redlaser, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5 * Airfare: $2195 x 4 people = $8780
      * Lodging: $30 x 6 nights x 4 people = $720
      * Conference fee: $77 x 4 people = $308
      * The rest: $8 x 6 days x 4 people = $192
      * Total: $10000
      thats what they say its for,
      http://pleasesendustolinuxconfau.info/#what
    • crexor, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5theres some sketchy math, because they do not mention the current currency conversion ratio, 1USD = 1.31AUD
  • vprice509, on 10/12/2007, -19/+7***** you!
  • ABadInAlbany, on 10/12/2007, -6/+19lame. sheer begging with no greater good. earn your own money, suckas.
    • wwwdot1jesdotus, on 10/12/2007, -8/+2Everybody here needs to shut up. You all know you wish you had thought of it.
  • unknownsoldierX, on 10/12/2007, -6/+19I bet they don't even plan on going to the conference. It's a scam to pay for their PS3's, hookers 'n blow, and who knows what else.
    • mynamefat, on 10/12/2007, -10/+3how come this article hit digg front page and this is not fair in digg part
  • zerocomm, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7If people pay it, more power to them. We all know we wouldnt have any moral qualms being in their position
    • RonaldLewis, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I'm not surprised that people are "burying" the story. I think digg should kill the "bury" feature, because it's being abused like crazy. I think this story is interesting, so why prevent others from reading it?

      If you don' t like something, don't vote it. It's a lot more interesting than the crap that makes the front page sometimes.
    • acceptab1euname, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I think people are burying it because it's just e-begging. Stories like this make the front page every now and again, and it's always the same thing: somebody wants something from everybody else without actually having to work for it. In this case, a bunch of nerds want $10,000 so they can go on an adventure. They're not offering anything in return for these donations, they just want us to give them money for nothing.

      As somebody who has had to work for everything I have, I resent that. Wanna raise $2500 so you can go to Austrailia? GET A JOB, live frugally, and save your money until you've got enough. Yeah, it's tough to work and be a student at the same time, and yeah it'll take longer, but at least then you're not part of the entitlement crowd.

      As I disagree with what those young men are doing, I voiced my disapproval by selecting the 'bury' option. I'm sorry that you disagree with my opinion, but obviously more people have dugg the article up than down, so it stays on the front page. That's how digg works. Nobody is abusing it, they're just using the site as designed.
  • swoopdog, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7I would like to donate to piss off everyone that is burying the story.

    but I have my own nerdiness I have to pay for.
  • bluemist, on 10/12/2007, -1/+22Please give me $2500 so that I can fly to America and buy a Wii!

    pleasesendmetousandgimmewii.org
  • vprice509, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3I said ***** you!
  • MrMysterious, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18What are they going to do with the money if they don't raise enough?
    • tseran, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12Good question. Why don't you ask them?
  • tseran, on 10/12/2007, -9/+9You have got to Love this. Here we have 4 young men that are serious about "Making a Difference" in the world. Don't you believe that this whole trip started because they really really wanted to go to the conference in the first place? Let's say they have pure intentions.

    As for the begging, get a life. These boys are fishermen, out for the fun and the challenge of making the world a better place to live. If I heard people blowing off about "Open Source" every day I wouldn't give them a second look. But don't you really think that they are really most interested in the software? If so, throw them a bone and cut them some slack for being honest and open (no pun intended) about a thing in their life that they are passionate about.

  • jamble, on 10/12/2007, -2/+21I know it's controversial but couldn't they "get jobs" and "save up their wages" in order to go on a dork holiday to Australia?
    • chapium, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3They could also spring for good ole fundraising with their lug too.
  • Battlecry, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14Why not use some of that student loan money? You know, it doesn't all have to be spent on beer and pot.

    How about getting some cash from their parents? They're in college, their parents expect them to ask for money.

    Have a frickin' bake sale. Make cupcakes with little penguins on them and sell the for a buck.

    Or (gasp) get a part time job.

    Also, won't they miss the first or second week of school if they go to this conference?
  • mufasa, on 10/12/2007, -11/+4i gave them 5$ =D
  • crexor, on 11/07/2007, -3/+11I would donate if i could beat one of them up, either the fatty on the right, or the super douche second from left, not the one with the kid though.
  • torabayashi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I just wanna see how much of their own cash they are using for this trip.
  • vkore, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6@ battlecry: They already did save as much money as they could:

    * Dan Frye - $250
    * Micheal Marineau - $50
    * Malcom Tredinnick - $100
    * Kristina Skans - $50
    * Andrew Tridgell - $100
    * Anonymous Group of Hackers (room/board) - $720
    * Hugh Blemings - $100
    * Rusty Russel - $100
    * Lisa Vasquez - $50
    * Emily Allstot - $20
    * James Morris - $20
    * Justin Dow - $20
    * Mike Burns - $250
    * Justin Gallardo - $300
    * Alex Polvi - $400
    * Brandon Philips - $350

    The first four sponsors are them.
    • datastorageguy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+14Umm perhaps you don't get it...they should be the ONLY sponsors for their OWN trip.....
    • gerkin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Most of the people I see on this list are all active in the linux community (to say the least). If you don't want to give move on folks and stop your whining hehe :D
  • mapkinase, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2...plus you need a good cause.
  • repins, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5great, eBeggers.....just what the world needs.....
  • gamma911, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3atleast try and sell your bodies first - oh wait that might not work in this case! hey ho
  • naio21, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3OSS zealots. Like Richard Stallman, always begging...
  • Floodle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+81. Aren't there any linux conferences in the US they could go to instead?
    2. If I donate, will they bring me back a free pen?
  • nabla, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I won't give them money but I'll give them a tip: Tear down your Stallman posters from your dorms and get jobs you bums.
  • hakro807, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2Why so much hate? This is guys spending time to develop _free_ software for the rest of us. I'm more than happy to donate to quality freeware or OSS.

    Will I donate to these guys? No, but not because I don't approve of the cause but because $10000 can be used in better ways to develop or promote OSS.
    • hakro807, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Keiran, all of these guys have been working with OSS. Read the article and they mention what they have done.
  • KIERANMULLEN, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2hakro807 - What software have they developed? Better spent donating to openoffice. Google will not help them out since they want you to use their office apps over the internet to bring them ad revenue.
  • riklomas, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Rather than going to some conference in Australia, couldn't they use the money to start their own conference in the US?
  • Kazbaeden, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I don't know about Oregon State University, but I know my uni has money set aside for students who want to attend conferences elswhere in the world. They will either pay the whole thing or a substantial amount. Now, I didn't know about this until recently, so maybe OSU does it as well and these guys don't know. Pheraphs these guys need to explore that instead of resorting to being eBeggers?
    • Ogopogo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1? Pheraphs ? .. ' ferafs ' is that Egyptian for "perhaps"?
  • mdman, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Get a JOB! Why is it that people under 21 feel everything has to be given to them... and they dont want to work for anything
  • JCGV, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2I want a new BMW 760Li, but i´m too lazy to make a website. So send me an email if you want to donate money, I accept paypal and cheques and cash.
  • futaris, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I can't believe that no-one's mentioned that these are some people working on the OLPC ( http://laptop.org/ ) ...
  • kalrnux, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3http://pleasedontsendthemtolinuxconfau.info
  • acceptab1euname, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1they didn't take into account the need to book two plane seats for the fat one...
  •  

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