[Board] Using the FOSS4G brand

[Jeff McKenna]

Hi Arnulf,

(posting to one mailing list at a time, sorry)

The FOSS4G brand has never been so strong.  I am about to report this
regarding my recent travels.  I am receiving no feedback on agitation
or confusion.  I do notice that the volunteers of the Conference
Committee are already stretched too thin, and I am very hesitant
(read: not willing) to place any more responsibilities on them,
besides focusing on the hosting management of the global FOSS4G.
However if the OSGeo Board does decide to focus on supporting other
FOSS4G events, things will likely have to change (read:
funding/resources to manage all FOSS4G events in the world).

Maybe you'd like to join the Board face-to-face meeting regarding this
topic?  Although really nothing has changed in regards to this in the
last few years - FOSS4G regional events are spreading around the
world, the globally OSGeo-hosted FOSS4G event is a success, the
Conference Committee manages the hosting process.  Suddenly though I
notice a general buildup of feelings that FOSS4G is important for the
longterm stability of OSGeo; in which case the OSGeo Board should take
notice and devote more time/effort/resources to this brand.

I do see Venka's point, and it is deep inside my earlier post as well,
that the success of FOSS4G spreading around the world is due to how
easy it has been to start an event based solely on our initial
beliefs, and nothing more.  It is really all we can do as OSGeo
volunteers to manage the global FOSS4G hosting process, and thinking
of handling more events is dangerous (the same people will get worn
out, ha, yes I know).

Those are my thoughts.

-jeff





On 2013-11-20 1:47 PM, Seven (aka Arnulf) wrote:
> Venka, apparently we are mixing things up here. For clarification I
> would like to separate the issues touched in related posts. The
> question is not whether or not to deny or allow anybody to use the
> FOSS4G brand. Instead my proposal is that OSGeo should help to
> coordinate events better.
> 
> Recent events have demonstrated that an uncoordinated proliferation
> of conference announcements without proper coordination up front
> leads to confusion and agitation. This is damaging to the community
> as a whole and easily avoidable by simply prepending an
> announcement of the intention to hold an event. Then allow the
> broadest possible community to apprehend what is going on and let
> them voice their opinion. This is so obvious that so far we have
> not seen the need to require this but the recent experiences show
> that it would be helpful to write this down and make it a
> requirement. * If not OSGeo where else can we do this? * If not
> through OSGeo how else can we reach that many communities? * If we
> do not trust OSGeo, then who can we trust with this
> responsibility?
> 
> All other considerations regarding revenue coming out of FOSS4G and
> how to allocate them to Local Chapters, OSGeo global or whoever
> else may be entitled are different topics. I would like to first
> find general consensus that there is a need to better coordinate
> events.
> 
> If there is considerable resistance to working in a more
> coordinated way I will happily drop the topic and do something more
> useful.
> 
> Best regards, Arnulf
>