Damn: Greetings, Many of you have noticed the graphic that's appeared

on the HOPE website
recently. There is meaning behind it.

While beginning preparations for the next HOPE conference, we were stunned
to hear of the plan to triple the cost to us from the hotel. This would
pretty much make HOPE impossible, at least not without it becoming the
kind of conference we never wanted. The purpose of HOPE is to make the
world of hackers and technology accessible, and that means affordable.
We could become one of those corporate events that charge thousands of
dollars. But we would never feel as proud of what we're able to create
with the hacker community every two years.

This crisis gets worse as much of 2600's revenue comes from sales at the
conference. Losing HOPE, combined with the ever-increasing challenge of
printing an advertiser-free publication in a world of vanishing bookstores
and rising costs, could paint a very dire picture for us.

No doubt that prospect fills many powerful entities with glee, as we've
taken great pride in being the right thorns in the right sides for over
35 years. That alone is reason to fight this with every ounce of strength
we can summon.

We've been sued, we've been threatened, and we've faced extinction on a
number of occasions. And one thing we've learned is that times like these
are when this community truly shines. We don't intend to be defeated by this
and we have no intention of giving up on the prospects of HOPE in 2020. But
we can't do it by magic.

And so we call on you to put forth ideas, suggestions, and opinions. How
important is HOPE to you? Do you know of a better place where we can host
it? How can we come up with ways to make the event even better? Does HOPE
have to be in a hotel? Does HOPE need to be in Manhattan? Etc.

There are many things to think of and to brainstorm about. And there is no
better group to turn to at a time like this for inspiration and new ideas.
Time and again, it's right when we're supposed to be at our lowest that we
come back stronger than ever, precisely because of our community's
creativity, intelligence, and refusal to give up. Please send your thoughts
to hope@hope.net and be a part of history. Because we're not going to let
this stop us.

The HOPE Staff

Ridiculous