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<body class='hmmessage'>Hi All<BR>
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Please find my comments below marked upfront with ++<BR>
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Kind regards,<BR>Burnie Nawn <BR>0837785352<BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>
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> Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2008 07:59:46 -0800<BR>> From: davep@confluence.org<BR>> Subject: Re: [Foss4g2008loc] draft call for workshops for FOSS4G2008<BR>> To: foss4g2008loc@lists.osgeo.org<BR>> <BR>> Gavin Fleming wrote:<BR>> > Hi all, please review this draft by 16h00 SAST Thurs 6 Feb so we can<BR>> > distribute the Call on Friday. Thanks to Graeme for putting this<BR>> > together.<BR>> <BR>> A)<BR>> As Jeff suggests, the Workshop Committee should preferably be<BR>> established first, so they can review the call, etc.<BR>
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++ I Agree. As agreed at our last LOC meeting I can take the lead, but will need some assistance. This will especially be needed at the event itself. I understand that currently the LOC will be largely involved in the sifting process. I am sure we could use the current workshop mailing list to get a wider audience to participate.<BR>
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<BR>> B)<BR>> Personally, I don't like the part about the Kahil Gibran<BR>> quote - it sounds "cheesy" to me.<BR>
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<BR>> C)<BR>> FOSS4G2007 introduced "Labs" as the name for 90-minute<BR>> 'Workshops'. If that same terminology is going to be used<BR>> for 2008, it needs to be decided up front, and therefore<BR>> the distinction made clear in all communications, and on<BR>> the website. For example, someone may not be willing to<BR>> submit a Workshop, if they can't be in Cape Town on the<BR>> days that Workshops will run, however they may be willing<BR>> to submit a Lab. On one hand it's a convenient way to<BR>> distinguish the two classroom formats, but on the other<BR>> hand it's sometimes not very clear, such as when a mailing<BR>> list is for "workshops"(i.e. where's the list for "labs"?).<BR>
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++I agree on the standardisation of name use. It does not reflect so in teh current call for workshops.<BR>
<BR>> D)<BR>> In my opinion, there shouldn't be room for 'non-hands-on'<BR>> Workshops/Labs. For 2007, the feedback was clear that<BR>> people expected hands on, and lots of it.<BR>> E)<BR>> The 'workshop submission template document' needs to be<BR>> available at the same time as the Call is announced, and<BR>> the Workshop Committee needs to revise the document used<BR>> for 2007, to fix some deficiencies. That document, and<BR>> possibly this Call, needs to clarify the 'free or half-<BR>> price' registration details (e.g. # of people), that<BR>> workshop materials will be published online after the<BR>> conference, etc.<BR>> F)<BR>> Is the "three days prep per hour of classroom time"<BR>> still a good guideline?<BR>
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++ I believe so. We want to make sure the quality of work presented is of the highst quality. Even if you are familiar with your own system it takes a while to convey this information.<BR>
<BR>> G)<BR>> I get the part about accepted presenters needing to<BR>> register for the conference, but I question whether<BR>> there is any need for people submitting workshop/lab<BR>> proposals to "create an account" on the website. For<BR>> 2007, submissions were done via email. Maybe only once<BR>> people are accepted as Instructors should they need to<BR>> create an account on the website?<BR>
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++ I think they should only register once accepted to avoid any chaos.<BR>
<BR>> H)<BR>> As I've said before, the mailing list used for the<BR>> 'workshop discussions' should be "year-specific".<BR>> Frank setup "conference-workshops@lists.osgeo.org"<BR>> without mentioning the year, but in my opinion<BR>> that is a mistake. It will be fine for now, but in<BR>> the future you don't want an Instructor for the 2009<BR>> conference doing a search of the list's archive for<BR>> something, and finding postings that are for the<BR>> 2008 conference. One list per FOSS4G conference is<BR>> my suggestion.<BR>
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++ I support you on the annual thing.<BR>
<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> <BR>> My specific suggestions for changes in the draft's wording<BR>> are inline below, bracketed with "#...#". "##" indicates<BR>> a deletion.<BR>> ======================================================================<BR>> <BR>> #FOSS4G 2008 Conference Call for Workshops#<BR>> <BR>> > The FOSS4G (Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial) conference<BR>> > is pleased to announce the Call for Workshops for the 2008<BR>> > conference, #which is# being held September 29-October 3 in Cape Town,<BR>> > South Africa.<BR>> > <BR>> > FOSS4G is the premier conference for the open source geospatial<BR>> > community, providing a place for developers, users, and people new to<BR>> > open source geospatial to get a full-immersion experience in both<BR>> > established and leading edge geospatial technologies.<BR>> > <BR>> > This year's FOSS4G #conference# is a bit different #than prior FOSS4G<BR>> > conferences#, #because# it incorporates GISSA<BR>> > 2008, the main GIS Conference on the South African calender#. GISSA is<BR>> > primarily# attended<BR>> > by people who are not yet too familiar with FOSS4G#, however,# the<BR>> > South African Government has made a<BR>> > strategic commitment to FOSS. This has created a certain amount of<BR>> > clamour for more information about FOSS4G. The FOSS4G2008 Organising<BR>> > Committee believe that immersive workshops could play a crucial role<BR>> > in convincing people that FOSS4G is "An Option for Developing<BR>> > Nations"#, working# alongside more well known proprietary tools. As <BR>> > the famous wedding quote generator, Kahlil Gibran, once said, "Even as<BR>> > the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music".<BR>> > Not to stretch the poetry too far, but FOSS4G 2008 offers an<BR>> > opportunity to let people experience the FOSS and proprietary<BR>> > software strings playing nicely together.<BR>> > <BR>> > Come to Cape Town to showcase your favorite application, integration<BR>> > solution, or other topic#,# and get the excitement bubbling around it.<BR>> > You will use your superior classroom skills to lead a group of<BR>> > attendees through your chosen topic in {either a half-day workshop or<BR>> > ninety minute lab}.<BR>> > <BR>> > No restrictions are placed on topics for workshops, but we expect<BR>> > interest to be high for workshops on:<BR>> > <BR>> > * Practical Introduction to ___________ * Interoperability * Exposure<BR>> > to a Software Stack * Fitting FOSS4G into the enterprise * Using<BR>> > FOSS4G to solve __________<BR>> > <BR>> > #In addition,# FOSS4G plays strongly in emerging spaces, so workshops<BR>> > with NeoGeography-like themes or on new directions will be welcome<BR>> > and are likely to be fresh topics for many attendees.<BR>> > <BR>> > ##FOSS4G workshops are ##"hands on" events, with<BR>> > participants seated in front of computers and able to follow along<BR>> > with the instructor, working directly with the software and<BR>> > applications under discussion.<BR>> > <BR>> > Workshops require considerable preparation. Past experience has shown<BR>> > that a high quality workshop requires about three days of preparation<BR>> > for each hour of presentation time. As part of this preparation you<BR>> > will be expected to develop material for attendees to take away with<BR>> > them, such as handouts, a 'workbook', CDROM, etc.<BR>> > <BR>> > In recognition of this effort, workshop presenters will receive a<BR>> > reduction in the price of conference registration:<BR>> > <BR>> > * free registration for delivering a half-day workshop * half-price<BR>> > registration for delivering a 90-minute workshop<BR>> > <BR>> > #If your topic can be delivered in either a half-day or 90-minute<BR>> > format#, you may want to consider submitting two<BR>> > versions of your topic, #because the number of Workshops and Labs<BR>> > is limited. It is unlikely that your topic will be selected for<BR>> > delivery in both formats. You are welcome to submit Workshop/<BR>> > Lab proposals for more than one topic.#<BR>> > <BR>> > Please visit the Call for Papers page on our website to receive<BR>> > instructions for submitting a workshop#/lab# proposal at<BR>> > http://conference.osgeo.org/index.php/foss4g/2008/schedConf/cfp<BR>> > <BR>> > <BR>> > The deadline for workshop proposal submissions is 15 April, 2008. You<BR>> > will hear whether your proposal has been accepted by 30 April, after<BR>> > which you will be required to register for the conference to confirm<BR>> > your attendance#,# as well as subscribe to the<BR>> > conference-workshops@lists.osgeo.org mailing list, which will be the<BR>> > forum for discussing your workshop development, progress and<BR>> > logistics with the #Workshop Committee#, members of the OSGeo<BR>> > community#,# and fellow presenters.<BR>> <BR>> <BR>> -- <BR>> Dave Patton<BR>> <BR>> System Developer<BR>> National Forest Inventory<BR>> Pacific Forestry Centre<BR>> Natural Resources Canada<BR>> <BR>> Degree Confluence Project:<BR>> Canadian Coordinator<BR>> Technical Coordinator<BR>> http://www.confluence.org/<BR>> <BR>> OSGeo FOSS4G2007 conference:<BR>> Workshop Committee Chair<BR>> Conference Committee member<BR>> http://www.foss4g2007.org/<BR>> <BR>> Personal website:<BR>> Maps, GPS, etc.<BR>> http://members.shaw.ca/davepatton/<BR>> _______________________________________________<BR>> FOSS4G2008LOC mailing list<BR>> FOSS4G2008LOC@lists.osgeo.org<BR>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/foss4g2008loc<BR><BR><br /><hr />Free upgrade for your Windows Live Messenger! <a href='http://get.live.com' target='_new'>Click here!</a></body>
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