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<title>Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] FOSS4G North America - Blind voting [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]</title>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">The Program Committee had a healthy discussion about the pros and cons of structuring the community review process so that presentations are evaluated solely
on the title and abstract description. We decided as a group that the potential positives outweighed the potential negatives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">The community review process is an important part of the selection of presenters, but it is not the only input. The Program Committee will use that data along
with their own review of the abstracts, knowledge of the speakers, the number of presentation slots, expected makeup of the registrants, and other factors to put together the best program that we can for FOSS4G NA 2013.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">It would actually be interesting if we could test to see if this review methodology had any effect on who submitted abstracts. That may best be accomplished
by surveying the people who submit them.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">We haven’t discussed it as a committee, but I personally don’t think that it is productive to publish the results of the community review and will push to not
do that. At the same time, if someone has concerns about how decisions are made, they should talk to us. The Program Committee is made up of some great people who represent various parts of the FOSS4G community.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">We are working hard, and our only agenda is to make this the best FOSS4G event ever. If anyone feels that they have a perspective that is missing from the
committee, we would be happy to have them join the committee.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">David.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<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""> discuss-bounces@lists.osgeo.org [mailto:discuss-bounces@lists.osgeo.org]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Bruce Bannerman<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, January 17, 2013 3:17 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Cameron Shorter; discuss@lists.osgeo.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] FOSS4G North America - Blind voting [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">Cameron,<br>
<br>
Agreed.<br>
<br>
As has been discussed in similar threads, and as we found for Sydney, it helps the LOC determine relative popularity of presentations for room allocation.<br>
<br>
However, perhaps the actual final results do not need to be published.<br>
<br>
Presenters are either accepted or they’re not, after deliberation by the LOC. <br>
<br>
There is no need to establish a popularity contest.<br>
<br>
Bruce<br>
<br>
<br>
On 18/01/13 6:24 AM, "Cameron Shorter" <<a href="cameron.shorter@gmail.com">cameron.shorter@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"">On 17/01/13 03:58, David William Bitner wrote:<br>
> Additionally following advice from other events as well as many<br>
> members of our community, we are making the community review process<br>
> for presentation submission author anonymous as a concern with how we<br>
> have done this in the past has been the fear that many folks have of<br>
> feeling publicly shamed with critique and voting of their proposals.<br>
> These are only two small steps that we are taking to addressing an<br>
> environment in the overall open source world that by the numbers is<br>
> very unwelcome to women and other groups (while there have not been<br>
> any overt issues that I know of as part of any FOSS4G, if you look at<br>
> the percentage of female conference goers or developers in our<br>
> community, we do have a long ways to go).<br>
<br>
David,<br>
If I understand you correctly, you are suggesting blind voting on<br>
abstracts without knowing who will be presenting it?<br>
I've heard that blind auditions has been successfully applied to<br>
recruitment for orchestras, (which makes sense), however I don't think<br>
it is applicable for Open Source communities.<br>
<br>
You see, in selecting Open Source presentations, I think it is very<br>
important to know who will be presenting, almost as important as the<br>
presentation content itself. This is because the presenters who will<br>
have the most insightful content, and who will attract the most audience<br>
are usually those who have built up a large, very public reputation, (as<br>
leaders of open source communities, usually with a long history of<br>
insightful emails, blogs, and IRC trails).<br>
<br>
I appreciate the importance of being welcoming to all communities. In<br>
fact, I think that successful Open Source communities are naturally<br>
welcoming as they have managed to attract developers and community.<br>
However, I don't think that blind voting is right for us.<br>
<br>
--<br>
Cameron Shorter<br>
Geospatial Solutions Manager<br>
Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050<br>
Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254<br>
<br>
Think Globally, Fix Locally<br>
Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source<br>
<a href="http://www.lisasoft.com">http://www.lisasoft.com</a><br>
<br>
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