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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>The point would be to generate an open (even written) expectation that the help afforded will go both ways. The local/regional entity knows it going in and OSGeo has a specific group (not person) to call on to help with FOSS4G tasks, (as well as public community requests). Yes, it rests mostly on personal feeling of obligation. No, there is no OSGeo retribution (except perhaps for future event sponsoring). Some individuals will not participate, for reasons good or bad, but I think the net effect is that more people would end up helping FOSS4G. (Y was expected, X never happened, Y-X >= 0.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>By volunteer I mean:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Unpaid<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Individual decides precisely what they can/will do<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>No single individual is assigned a specific job<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>No individual has a specific time requirement<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>No legal enforcement<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> david.bitner@gmail.com [mailto:david.bitner@gmail.com] <b>On Behalf Of </b>David William Bitner<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, August 17, 2012 2:27 PM<br><b>To:</b> Matthew Syphus<br><b>Cc:</b> Cameron Shorter; Frank Warmerdam; conference_dev@lists.osgeo.org<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [OSGeo-Conf] Analysing the downfall of FOSS4G 2011<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>On Fri, Aug 17, 2012 at 3:12 PM, Matthew Syphus <<a href="mailto:MSyphus@lhtac.org" target="_blank">MSyphus@lhtac.org</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Cameron,<br><br>I am a simple community member at large who enjoyed the Denver<br>conference. I like your perspective regarding more volunteers as a<br>result of helping smaller events. My thought is: can you add some sort<br>of volunteer requirement as a condition of having OSGeo help with an<br>event?<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>You can never categorically count on volunteer effort in the future. "volunteer requirement" is an oxymoron. I don't say this to be flippant, but as someone who has worked for many years with volunteer communities. Volunteers in any group come and go, I have often seen some of the most dedicated volunteers in a group simply drop off the face of the planet because they got burnt out, had personal issues, or even just that they got bored or found something else they thought was more worth their time. We should certainly do everything we can to encourage those with experience to hang around and to share their experience forward, but it is simply not practical to establish this as a hard expectation.<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></body></html>