Lukas Smith, originator of the emPHPower idea (a network of like-minded PHPers looking to further the language's presence in the online world), is asking for a little help with getting the project mentioned somewhere at this year's OSCON 2008.

Now the key thing is to have someone there to spearhead the thing. I cannot afford to go unless some sponsor steps up and fly's me down there and points towards a bridge to sleep under and manages to squeeze me by the guards at the door. So maybe someone else is interested in bringing up this topic at OSCON to collect some feedback, ideas and comments. Any takers?

If you're willing and want to check out more about the community effort, head over to their web page and get all the details.

Doug Hill has posted his response to Lukas Smith's emPHPower movement:

I have been a member of a much smaller organization which adopted a similar mission. The reputation and livelihoods of this group had been damaged by years of infighting, bad legislation and no clear vision of of the future, not all of these are problems we face in the PHP community but the concepts behind organization are the same.

He notes that, being part of such groups previously, there are a few dos and don'ts to follow, specifically when it comes to community involvement.

In a moment of divine inspiration (well, at least a thought that passed through his head at the bus stop), Lukas Smith has thought up and is proposing a group to help promote and advocate PHP, one he calls emPHPower.

emPHPower should be a mediator between various (potential) participants in the PHP world. As such emPHPower could serve as a mediator between the PHP.net developers and its user base, between corporations and PHP.net, between corporations and grass roots organizers etc. [...] There are is fundamental concept that I see in this vision: emPHPower is a mediator and catalyst that empowers members of the community to follow their own ideas.

He talks more about the actual "doing" of his ideas and mentions things like the project's budget and where it would come from - the possibility of member fees (based somehow on cost of living).