Marco, all,<br><br>I guess it is difficult to say how many Geo Conferences are planned to be held, and also which of them are worth attending for OSGeo.<br><br>However, this Google Fusion Table (GFT) provides quiete a lot of information for 2012:<br>
<a href="https://fusiontables.googleusercontent.com/fusiontables/api/query?sql=SELECT+*+FROM+2481018">https://fusiontables.googleusercontent.com/fusiontables/api/query?sql=SELECT+*+FROM+2481018</a><br><br>Thanks to the GFT support in GDAL 1.9 (Thanks for this Frank and GDAL team by the way), and because Gerald Fenoy recently implemented a reverse geocoding support, allowing OGR to create geometries from an adress field of a GFT, i could easily create a map of these conferences this morning:<br>
<br><a href="http://demo.mapmint.com/public/conferences">http://demo.mapmint.com/public/conferences</a><br><br>I thought it would be maybe useful to first get an overview of the 2012 Geo events.<br>If OSGeo is going further with the idea of having ambassadors, such a map could then be used to map an updated GFT, and why not to add an Ambassador attribute to each conference.<br>
<br>Best regards,<br><br>Nick<br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2012/4/20 Marco Lechner - FOSSGIS e.V. <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:marco.lechner@fossgis.de">marco.lechner@fossgis.de</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Hi,<br>
<br>
Does anybody have an idea on how many conferences, ... we are talking<br>
about. May be this can be answered depending on continents/countries.<br>
this could help getting an idea about how many ambassadors would be<br>
needed where and how much money this could eventuallly cost. in some<br>
cases it will be necessary to have ambassadors talking in local<br>
languages (no every conference is using english) about OSGeo.<br>
<br>
Marco Lechner<br>
<br>
Am 20.04.2012 00:14, schrieb Michael P. Gerlek:<br>
> Cameron, thanks for bringing this up for discussion.<br>
><br>
> A couple things to note:<br>
><br>
> - in some cases, the Board might decide that it is important enough to have an Ambassador at an event that the Foundation would cover travel expenses<br>
><br>
> - it is unlikely that the Foundation would be able to cover the costs of the Ambassador's time, however; aside from the expense involved and trying to determine a fair uniform hourly rate, I could see that turn into a fight for who gets to go; but on the other hand, a nominal fee might help enable some of us who are self-employed or similar to fill the ambassador role<br>
><br>
> - some events/functions might require the Ambassador be a Board member as well (as in the case of the email of mine which Cameron quotes)<br>
><br>
> -mpg<br>
<div class="im HOEnZb">><br>
><br>
>> -----Original Message-----<br>
>> From: <a href="mailto:discuss-bounces@lists.osgeo.org">discuss-bounces@lists.osgeo.org</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:discuss-bounces@lists.osgeo.org">discuss-bounces@lists.osgeo.org</a>] On Behalf Of Cameron Shorter<br>
</div><div class="HOEnZb"><div class="h5">>> Sent: Thursday, April 19, 2012 2:24 PM<br>
>> To: OSGeo Discussions<br>
>> Subject: [OSGeo-Discuss] Defining an OSGeo Ambassador role<br>
>><br>
>> On 20/04/2012 4:06 AM, Michael P. Gerlek wrote:<br>
>>> Do we have any policies and cost structures for the Ambassador function yet?<br>
>> I've seen a few people talking about creating an OSGeo Ambassador role.<br>
>> Arnulf I think might have been the first to mention it, and I think it<br>
>> is an excellent idea. I'm also aware that the OGC are considering<br>
>> developing OGC ambassadors too.<br>
>><br>
>> So I'd like to open the floor and see what people think an ambassador's<br>
>> role could involve, which leads into the qualities we would wish our<br>
>> ambassador's to have, which leads into the ways we may select an ambassador.<br>
>><br>
>> Let me start by noting some of the driving factors:<br>
>> 1. Arnulf has noted that as OSGeo president, he has spent a significant<br>
>> amount of time on areoplanes travelling around the world to talk on<br>
>> behalf of OSGeo. He has suggested that this role should be shared.<br>
>> Conference organisors, who have a primary goal of attracting attendees,<br>
>> look for authoritative figureheads to talk at conferences. They are<br>
>> expected to have a deep insight into a specific domain, such as OSGeo.<br>
>> They should also speak well, even better if they are entertaining.<br>
>><br>
>> 2. OSGeo is a sexy topic has many conferences, and there are hundreds,<br>
>> if not thousands of conferences around the world which would like to see<br>
>> an OSGeo presence.<br>
>><br>
>> 3. OSGeo is fortunate to draw membership from around the world,<br>
>> including boasting a number of very healthy local chapters. As such, we<br>
>> are likely to have potential ambassadors in most counties. (We might be<br>
>> a bit short in Antarctica)<br>
>><br>
>> 4. There are times when negotiating MOUs or similar with other<br>
>> countries, it would be useful to have someone local speak with authority<br>
>> on behalf of OSGeo.<br>
>><br>
>> 5. Note that there are conflicting interests here of wanting to open up<br>
>> the role for anyone who volunteers, verses maintaining a selectiveness<br>
>> and prestige for the role which is the key selection criteria for<br>
>> conferences asking for an ambassador.<br>
>><br>
>> As such, I think it important that ambassadors can only be voted into<br>
>> the position, and not handed out to anyone. We already vote for a board,<br>
>> and charter members.<br>
>> I think board members should be considered ambassadors by default.<br>
>> Should charter members be considered ambassadors? Charter members only<br>
>> get this role after demonstrating a commitment to OSGeo, so will likely<br>
>> have a reasonable depth of OSGeo knowledge. Maybe we should ask for a<br>
>> history of speaking well (as demonstrated at conferences), to the<br>
>> ambassador criteria.<br>
>><br>
>> Then lastly, do we wish to invite ambassadors from a greater circle? At<br>
>> this point, I'd probably err on saying no, as if the entry bar to<br>
>> becoming an ambassador is too easy, then the mystic of the role will be<br>
>> lost.<br>
>><br>
>><br>
>> --<br>
>> Cameron Shorter<br>
>> Geospatial Solutions Manager<br>
>> Tel: <a href="tel:%2B61%20%280%292%208570%205050" value="+61285705050">+61 (0)2 8570 5050</a><br>
>> Mob: <a href="tel:%2B61%20%280%29419%20142%20254" value="+61419142254">+61 (0)419 142 254</a><br>
>><br>
>> Think Globally, Fix Locally<br>
>> Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source<br>
>> <a href="http://www.lisasoft.com" target="_blank">http://www.lisasoft.com</a><br>
>><br>
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