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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Hi everyone<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I&#8217;m happy to see splutterings of activity emerging
again in the LOC after the southern hemisphere summer break. &nbsp;The
conference is no longer &#8216;next year&#8217; and the next few weeks will be
critical for our success.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Items that need our attention now include:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>*sponsorship and exhibitors<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>*calls for papers and workshops<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>*conference website and registration<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>*decisions around and publication of conference deadlines &#8211;
early bird registration, papers, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Some off-list activity has been happening since my last
post:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The budget is at OSGeo for approval &#8211;
thanks Petro<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>e-mail enquiries are picking up &#8211;
thanks for dealing with these Karryn<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>sponsorship requests are starting to
trickle in, including from Google.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I have decided (with some
discussion) to move the website onto the OSGeo-hosted conference management
system (<a href="http://www.osgeo.org/ocs/index.php/foss4g/2008/index">http://www.osgeo.org/ocs/index.php/foss4g/2008/index</a>),
which <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tyler</st1:place></st1:City> has
kindly set up for us. Graeme, Dewald and any other volunteers, we&#8217;ll need
a concerted effort over the next couple of weeks to move content across and
update it, get the registration system up and add new content. When it&#8217;s
looking good and working well we&#8217;ll switch from the current one. Would
the web working group please organise a work plan around making this happen.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Magda and Dawn are gearing up the
sponsorship process.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:36.0pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><font
size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><span
style='mso-list:Ignore'>-<font size=1 face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
</span></font></span></span></font><![endif]><font size=2 face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Karryn has been tightening up
accommodation deals and conference centre and gala dinner arrangements<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>LOC members please refresh yourselves regarding your
portfolios and report progress.&nbsp;&nbsp; Please move all discussion onto the
list unless it really needs to be offline or private. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>For my part I&#8217;ll be reconciling recent threads, double
checking final versions of sponsorship prospectus, letterhead, budget, etc. and
pestering portfolio holders. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Here&#8217;s to a great year and a great conference! <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=section1 style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Gavin Fleming </span></font><font
size=1><span style='font-size:8.0pt'>MSc, Pr. GISc Technologist</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=section1 style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Senior GISc and
Sustainable Development Researcher <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=section1 style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a
href="http://www.foss4g2008.org/">FOSS4G2008</a> conference chair<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=section1 style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Mintek, </span></font><st1:Street
w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on"><span lang=EN-US>200 Malibongwe Drive</span></st1:address></st1:Street><span
lang=EN-US> (formerly <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Hans
  Strijdom Drive</st1:address></st1:Street>)</span><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=section1 style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>P/Bag X3015, Randburg,
2125, </span></font><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><span
  lang=EN-US>South Africa</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=section1 style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>w: +27-11-709-4668 c:
0845965680 f: 0866164820<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=section1 style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>xmpp (Jabber, Google
Talk, etc.): </span></font><font size=1 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:
8.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'><a href="mailto:gavinjfleming@gmail.com">gavinjfleming@gmail.com</a></span></font><o:p></o:p></p>

<p class=section1 style='margin:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Skype: phlemingo<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>

<p class=MsoPlainText><font size=2 face="Courier New"><span lang=EN-US
style='font-size:10.0pt'>27.9782E 26.0896S</span><o:p></o:p></font></p>

<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p></span></font></p>

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