Amplifying FSharp

We are Amplifying FSharp, a group of individuals active in the F# software community, focusing on increasing collaboration in the open source space. Our goal is to get more people and companies involved towards contributing to the open-source projects they use. 

Amplifying FSharp has been making waves for over a year now, and you might wonder, "Why the sudden need for funding?" The truth is, this endeavor was never free. We've been self-funding this passion project, keeping our ambitions tethered to what we could reasonably afford. Our arsenal includes premium services like Zoom, maintaining a web presence with our own domain, incurring travel expenses, producing exclusive merchandise, and more.

The costs are more substantial than they appear, prompting us to seek community support. Here's a breakdown of our expenses to give you a clearer picture:

Sure, some expenses might seem small, but they accumulate, weighing down our ledger.

But it's not just about covering costs. We're dreaming bigger, fueled by the possibility of additional funding. Imagine custom t-shirts for our guests, supporting our key contributors, or even a grand meet-up with the F# team in Prague. With a bit of financial boost, we can continue to thrive and explore new horizons. Let's rally together and push the boundaries of what Amplifying FSharp can achieve.

F# is a Microsoft brainchild, but the real action happens in the trenches of the F# community. While Microsoft has a dedicated team for F#, they don't cover the entire F# landscape. Here's the reality: as soon as you start building something substantial in F#, you're stepping outside Microsoft's playground.

Let's break it down:

For mobile apps, you're probably using Fabulous.
Web apps? You're looking at Fable or WebSharper.
Backend development? Giraffe is your go-to.
Into data science? You're diving into the realm of Data science in F#.
And if you're coding in VSCode, Ionide is your best friend.
All these crucial tools are beyond what Microsoft directly supports for F#. They're part of a broader ecosystem that's essential but not backed by big tech money. Microsoft even admits they rely on the community to fill in the gaps, stating they "rely on community to provide important libraries, developer tools and workload support."

Here's where it gets tricky: jumping into open-source can be daunting. There's a massive gap between using these tools and contributing to them. That's where Amplifying F# steps in. We're here to bridge that gap. We want to show you how to give back to the projects you rely on. For these projects to thrive, they need hands-on-deck, and we're all about getting more people involved.

In short, navigating the F# world means leaning on open-source projects. If we want this ecosystem to survive and grow, we've got to pitch in. It's as simple as that.

There's a lot of effort going into making F# stronger and more accessible. Sure, teaching newbies the ropes is critical, but there's more to getting them fully on board. The whole journey, from the moment they type their first line of code in an IDE to the point where they're deploying apps, matters big time.

Why? Because the vibe F# gives off during this journey can make or break its appeal. If the experience is just okay or, worse, frustrating, why would developers or companies pick F# for their next big project? They wouldn't. F# needs to stand out, not just as another option but as the best option.

So, what's our game plan? We're zeroing in on making the life of an F# developer smoother and more enjoyable. How? By pumping up the volume on contributions to the tools they use every day. It's about enhancing the nuts and bolts of the F# experience, ensuring every touchpoint is not just good but great.

 

We are active members from the F# community, our current core team exists out of:

 

 To show our appreciation, we plan to spotlight your contributions on our website. We're kicking off our journey with Open Collective on a modest note—no fancy tiers or complicated rewards. Our hope is to earn donations by delivering real value first. We believe in proving our worth through action, hoping it inspires support from those who find what we do beneficial. 

 

We've also thrown down a quirky challenge within the Amplifying F# team. If we hit specific fundraising milestones, members will dye their hair blue as a wild token of gratitude. Here's the breakdown:

Despite our mixed feelings about this playful wager, we've unanimously decided to call off the hair-dyeing bet by 2025. It's a fun idea we're shelving with a sense of relief and a commitment to focus on what really matters.