Comments on: OSCON versus OSBC, True or False?

By: Stormy

Stormy — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:07:47 +0000

That’s funny! I’ll have to share the state fair analogy with my dad, http://elktonfarmers.blogspot.com/.

By: Don Marti

Don Marti — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:00:51 +0000

They’re like two parts of the state fair: OSCON is the cattle barn, OSBC is the cattle auction. (LinuxWorld is the beef counter.)

By: Rob Lanphier

Rob Lanphier — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:05:44 +0000

At OSCON, you have to remind the audience that community isn’t a substitute for making money, whereas at OSBC, you have to remind the audience that money isn’t a substitute for building community.

By: benr

benr — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:57:51 +0000

I’d say thats a true statement. Persons at OSCON have association with projects, who may or may not work for a given company. When you see Brian Aker talk, for instance, you listen to him because of his involvement with MySQL and Memcahce, etc, not because he works for MySQL AB (now Sun).
I went to OSBC 3 years ago and became physically sick. Overheard discussions were about how to pay O’Reilly to give them coverage, or how to partner with some other company…. it was business, not code, and it was sickening to be surrounded by so many people who didn’t “get it”. To the OSBC crowd F/OSS is just a means to an end, a new avenue to exploit. At OSCON its a philosophy and moral conviction.