So so few/high prizes?

[Clemens Eisserer]

Hi,

I've just subscribed to the list, so please excuse if this has been
asked already before.

What I wonder is why the prizes are so large (25.000$ each) and why
there are only so few.
I am a student and thought implementing a Java2d-Xrender-backend and
some enhancements to the GtkLnf (which I would have done also without
the prizes) would be a quite cool project for maybe a 2500$ prize -
but this way - I don't think I have any chance at all.
There will be a few high-skilled extremly motivated teams, that will
work hard to get the money, and when its done, they are away.
Another downside is that those teams will not work on "groundwork" -
they will work on shiny new stuff leaving which will make everybody
saying *wow* - but which won't solve existing problems.

But if there would be e.g. 50x3500$ also small projects could
participiate, maybe even with some kind of range like 1. is 15000, 2.
is 10000, 3. is 7500 ....

I am just interested what the idea behind this high prizes is?
Why was it choosen in favour of many small one?
Do you really think this will lead to improved open-source contributions?

Thank you in advance, lg Clemens