[OSGeo-Discuss] some post-FOSS4G thoughts

[Laura Toma]

Dear OSGeo community,

After attending FOSS4G last week, I wanted to share some thoughts.   
As much as I'd like to be a regular attendee, I am afraid that the  
conference is becoming too  expensive.  This year the early  
registration was more than $400 (for 2.5 days of conference; the  
tutorials were extra), and the least expensive hotels listed by the  
conference website were more than$100 a night (As a matter of fact,  
most of the hotels listed on the conference website were 4 stars or  
more!).   Add the flight, and it ends up more than $2500.   I am at a  
small university, and travel funds are limited. I imagine the  
situation is the same for many people in academia and external  
funding has become very hard to get.

On the other hand, FOSS4G is the only conference that unites FOSS GIS  
developers.  I am wondering if anybody has the same concerns, and if  
anything can be  done to keep the conference available to a wide  
audience.  For e.g.,  have a regional conference;  and/or  split into  
several venues e.g.  users/research/business/developers;   have lower  
rates for academia and researchers.


-Laura




------------------
Laura Toma
Dept. of Computer Science
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME 04011, USA



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