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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Forwarding to OSGeo board list, as
apparently Peter was blocked from sending to the list.<br>
<br>
On 23/02/14 05:17, "Peter Löwe" wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:trinity-906741c1-9a20-405f-afa6-a85188a3d81f-1393093053704@3capp-gmx-bs54"
type="cite">
<div style="font-family: Verdana;font-size: 12.0px;">
<div>Dear OSGeo board, dear OSGeo marketing committee,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>I'm forwarding the following info to you all about an
opportunity to launch an OSGeo themed event within the EGU
General Assembly, as suggested by Cameron Shorter. Feedback
about the feasibility of funding for the event would be very
welcome.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Best,</div>
<div>Peter</div>
<div><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/User:Peter_Loewe">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/User:Peter_Loewe</a>
<div>
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<div style="margin:0 0 10px 0;"><b>Gesendet:</b> Freitag,
21. Februar 2014 um 20:37 Uhr<br>
<b>Von:</b> "Cameron Shorter"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:cameron.shorter@gmail.com"><cameron.shorter@gmail.com></a><br>
<b>An:</b> "Peter Löwe" <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:peter.loewe@gmx.de"><peter.loewe@gmx.de></a>,
"Margherita Di Leo"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:margherita.di-leo@jrc.ec.europa.eu"><margherita.di-leo@jrc.ec.europa.eu></a>,
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:jmckenna@gatewaygeomatics.com">jmckenna@gatewaygeomatics.com</a>, "yann.chemin"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:yann.chemin@gmail.com"><yann.chemin@gmail.com></a>, "Markus Neteler"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:markus.neteler@fmach.it"><markus.neteler@fmach.it></a>, "Dominik Reusser"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:reusser@pik-potsdam.de"><reusser@pik-potsdam.de></a>,
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:massimiliano.cannata@supsi.ch">massimiliano.cannata@supsi.ch</a>, "Helmut Kudrnovsky"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:alectoria@gmx.at"><alectoria@gmx.at></a>, "Alessandro Frigeri"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:alessandro.frigeri@iaps.inaf.it"><alessandro.frigeri@iaps.inaf.it></a>, "Jens Klump"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:jens.klump@gfz-potsdam.de"><jens.klump@gfz-potsdam.de></a>, "Jens Klump"
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:jklump@uni-bremen.de"><jklump@uni-bremen.de></a>,
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:markus.metz.giswork@googlemail.com">markus.metz.giswork@googlemail.com</a><br>
<b>Betreff:</b> Re: EGU General Assembly 2014: FOSS /
OSGeo Townhall Meeting - Overview</div>
<div name="quoted-content">
<div style="background-color: rgb(255,255,255);">
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Hi Peter,<br>
If ok with you, do you mind including <a
moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="board@lists.osgeo.org" target="_parent">board@lists.osgeo.org</a>
and <a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="marketing@lists.osgeo.org" target="_parent">marketing@lists.osgeo.org</a>
to the email CC list on this thread?<br>
(If you wish sponsorship $$, then these communities
need to see the proposal and vote on it).<br>
<br>
This event looks like a valuable promotional
opportunity for OSGeo. The question is whether it is
more or less valuable than the many other
opportunities. I refer you to consider the board
priorities:<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_of_Directors#Board_Priorities"
target="_blank">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_of_Directors#Board_Priorities</a><br>
In particular: "Support initiatives which support
themselves", and "Packaging and Marketing".<br>
Sourcing a co-sponsor would be compelling, and
noting that you will have numerous volunteers
already attending the conference helps your case.<br>
<br>
I note also that the marketing committee is mostly
ineffective due to a lack of volunteers to support
requests such as these. In particular, we are
missing a process for approvals and distribution of
funds. (This is a thinly veiled suggestion that you
might wish to help out).<br>
<br>
On 22/02/14 02:52, "Peter Löwe" wrote:</div>
<blockquote>
<div style="font-family: Verdana;font-size: 12.0px;">
<div>
<div>Hi all,</div>
<div>[cc: Cameron Shorter for the OSGEO
Marketing Board]</div>
<div>[cc: Jeff McKenna, OSGEO Prez]</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Thank you very much for all your feedback
concerning the current discussion on options
for FOSS/OSGeo meetings during the upcoming
EGU General Assembly (Vienna, April 27 –May 2
2014).</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Here is an (exhaustive) update on the
topic, based on past experience organising one
Townhall and various Splinter Meetings in the
past. Beware - this is a rather long posting.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>It boils down to two questions:</div>
<div>- Do we want/need to raise awareness for
OSGeo within EGU ?</div>
<div>- Are we willing to invest about 1500 Euro
/ 2000 USD for a one hour reach-out event,
which will pave the way to make OSGeo a
stakeholder within EGU/AGU ?</div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>Background Info:</strong></div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>What is this European Geoscience
Union (EGU) ?</strong></div>
<div>EGU, the European Geosciences Union, is
Europe’s premier geosciences union, dedicated
to the pursuit of excellence in the
geosciences and the planetary and space
sciences for the benefit of humanity,
worldwide. It was established in September
2002. It is a <strong>non-profit
international union of scientists</strong>
with over <strong>12,500 members from all
over the world</strong>. Membership is open
to individuals who are professionally engaged
in or associated with geosciences and
planetary and space sciences and related
studies, including students and retired
seniors.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>What is this <strong>Americcan Geophysical
Union (AGU) ?</strong></div>
<div>[Wikipedia] The American Geophysical Union
(AGU) is a nonprofit organization of <a
moz-do-not-send="true" class="mw-redirect"
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geophysicist"
title="Geophysicist">geophysicists</a>,
consisting of over <strong>62,000 members
from 144 countries</strong>. AGU's
activities are focused on the organization and
dissemination of scientific information in the
interdisciplinary and international field of
geophysics. The geophysical sciences involve
four fundamental areas: atmospheric and ocean
sciences; solid-Earth sciences; hydrologic
sciences; and space sciences.</div>
<div><strong>Researchers in the Geosciences can
be members of either EGU or AGU </strong>-
a membership in one of the organisations
allows to benefit from from both AGU and EGU
offerings, including attending annual
conferences like the EGU General Assembly. In
a nutshell: <strong>The EGU General Assembly
is open to the 62,000 members of AGU as
well. </strong></div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>What is a EGU General Assembly ?</strong></div>
<div>The annual EGU General Assembly is <strong>the
largest and most prominent European
geosciences event</strong>. It attracts <strong>over
11,000 scientists</strong> from all over the
world, <strong>of which more than a quarter
are students.</strong> The <strong>meeting’s
sessions</strong>, typically <strong>over
500</strong>, cover a wide range of topics,
including volcanology, planetary exploration,
the Earth’s internal structure and atmosphere,
climate, as well as energy and resources.
General Assemblies have around <strong>4,500
oral presentations</strong> and <strong>over
9,000 posters</strong>. Aside from
disciplinary sessions, dealing with the topics
covered by each scientific division, the
meeting also features Union-wide sessions such
as great debates, Union symposia (including
the EGU Awards Ceremony), medal lectures,
short courses and education and outreach
symposia.</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>What is a Townhall Meeting, what’s
a Splinter Meeting</strong> <strong>?</strong></div>
<div>(<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://geolog.egu.eu/2013/11/19/townhall-and-splinter-meetings-at-egu-2014/"
target="_blank">http://geolog.egu.eu/2013/11/19/townhall-and-splinter-meetings-at-egu-2014/</a>)</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Both types of Sessions are open (only) to
EGU participants and be booked free of charge
(<strong>no cost for the venue!</strong>).</div>
<div><strong>Townhall Meetings</strong> are <strong>meetings
open for all participants</strong> in the
conference. During these meetings new
initiatives or decisions are announced to a
larger audience following an open discussion
on the matter. Townhall Meetings will be
scheduled from Monday to Friday from 19:00 to
20:00 in the conference centre’s lecture
rooms. <strong>Townhall Meetings last 60
minutes in the evening, fit 50 to 350
people, and are announce in the
Information&Schedule Book. They attract
large crowds, as they are staged in the
evening after the scientific sessions.
Usually people linger after the official
ending of the Townhall to discuss the topics
raised and to network. </strong>During this
informal part, <strong>beverages</strong> and
<strong>finger food</strong> are consumed by
the attendees (<strong>this has to be funded </strong>–
more on this below).</div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>Splinter Meetings</strong> are <strong>side
meetings</strong> on non-commercial purposes
organized by participants. They can be
organized during the course of the conference
and they can be public or by invitation only.
<strong>Splinter Meetings last up to 90
minutes and are held during the day.
Scientific sessions are held in parallel,
which can prevent interested people from
attending. They fit 36 to 60 people and are
announced in the Programme (Information
& Schedule Book) if booked early.</strong></div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>OSGeo related background:</strong></div>
<div><strong>Since 2012</strong>, there have
been “<strong>FOSS in Earth Sciences</strong>”
themed events at the EGU General assembly,
hosted by <strong>OSGeo/FOSS volunteers</strong>.
This started with an improvised Splinter
Session which drew a surprisingly large crowd.</div>
<div>References to OSGeo software can be spotted
rather often every year during the poster
sessions (> 9000 posters!). Last year we
had the first session on FOSS in the Earth and
Space Science Informatics (ESSI). <strong>This
year there will be two independent FOSS
sessions </strong>(ESSI and Hydrology). <strong>This
is a significant step ahead.</strong> <strong>By
now, researchers can apply to attend the
conference, to showcase the FOSS aspects of
their work.</strong> Before this,
everything “FOSS” had to be
relabelled/closeted since there was no
recognition for this kind of scientific work. </div>
<div>While we have two FOSS sessions this year,
I strongly believe that <strong>many people
already doing FOSS-based research, or
wanting to learn about OSGeo, have not been
reached.</strong></div>
<div>FWIW: ESR! and Microsoft Research usually
have nifty booths at EGU.</div>
<div> </div>
<div><strong>Options for OSGeo:</strong></div>
<ol>
<li>We can opt to apply for a <strong>Splinter
Meeting on FOSS (GIS) in Earth Science</strong>
like in the past years. This will cause only
moderate effort. We can structure the
session as we like. There can be
presentations, show&tell, discussions
etc. This has been done before and it's fun.
We will reach an audience of <strong>30-50
people</strong> (- in comparison to 11,167
attendees in 2013). Since there are
FOSS-related sessions, a FOSS-themed
Splinter Meeting is logical, while <strong>a
Splinter Meeting title referring to OSGeo
would be difficult to justify - until now
OSGeo has not stepped forward within EGU</strong>.</li>
<li value="2">We can apply for a <strong>Townhall
Meeting on OSGeo</strong> <strong>and its
impact on Earth Science</strong>. This
will allow us to step forward and officially
<strong>put OSGeo on the map within EGU</strong>.
The Townhall could include presentations on
what OSGeo is, why it’s significant for
Earth Science, latest developments like
OSGeoLive [option: <strong>OSGeo-Live demo
+ OSGeoLive-DVDs as giveaways</strong>],
etc., making it a genuine reach out event.
However, <strong>this requires financial
support and volunteers</strong>:
<ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;">
<li>Putting the <strong>Townhall
programme</strong> together would be a
<strong>collaborative effort by OSGeo
volunteers</strong> attending the
conference. I am sure <strong>we can
easily put together an one hour show </strong>from
existing material + what OSGeo/FOSS
people activists will showcase at the
conference.</li>
<li>The event <strong>needs to be
announced </strong>before and during
the conference. Since the FOSS/OSGeo
attendees do their research in many
different fields, <strong>we should be
able to reach out to a large
interdisciplinary community</strong>.
While very large Townhalls draw over 350
people, <strong>an expected size of 100
people</strong> seems more realistic
to start with (this is already twice the
size of a Splinter Session). Reality
check: In 2012, Alessandro Frigeri and
myself were able to attract at least 40
people by putting up posters made in a
copy shop two days ahead of the Splinter
Session - geoscientists dig FOSS !. </li>
<li><strong>Funding for OSGeo-Live DVDs</strong>:
The Townhall would need reliable funding
for the production of OSGeo-Live-DVDs
before the conference.</li>
<li><strong>Funding for beverages/food</strong>:
Townhall sessions usally come with free
“refreshments” (softdrinks, alcoholic
beverages, finger food) for the
attendees. The is only one company
available for the catering:
<ol style="list-style-type:
lower-roman;">
<li>Their estimate for <strong>limited
catering</strong> (water, beer,
some wine. breadsticks) for <strong>100
people</strong> is about <strong>1500
Euro (ca. 2000 USD).</strong></li>
<li>A “<strong>cash-bar“</strong>,
where the attendees (~100people) pay
for themselves, costs about <strong>1040
Euro (1450 USD)</strong> for
labour wages and general effort.</li>
<li>Theoretically, having a <strong>Townhall
“on a diet”</strong> without any
beverages or food would be <strong>possible</strong>,
but is rather <strong>unusual.</strong></li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
</li>
</ol>
<div>Thanks for reading through all of this!</div>
<div>I hope this overview will help you all to
come up with a "well-informed opinion". Your
thoughts would be much appreciated.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Peter</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Cameron Shorter,
Software and Data Solutions Manager
LISAsoft
Suite 112, Jones Bay Wharf,
26 - 32 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009
P +61 2 9009 5000, W <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.lisasoft.com">www.lisasoft.com</a>, F +61 2 9009 5099</pre>
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