<div dir="ltr">
<div>Hi All</div><div>Thanks to Andrew for bringing this up. Let me fall on my sword to support you here. <br></div><div><br></div><div>For me, it was hard to swallow to have them as a sponsor but I recognised they were coming in under the OSM banner. However, I felt there was no focus by them on the work they do for OSM and GDAL, either in their keynote or on their stand. We also set up a panel that gave them a voice to talk about their involvement in OSM and I personally thought that they did not espouse it enough when asked. <br></div><div><br></div><div>I felt overall that they failed to harness this opportunity to increase their open source credentials and actually reduced them considerably by not mentioning and deriding FOSS4G in their keynote, marketing ESRI software in their keynote and on their table during breaks and in personal comments to myself. This has had to make me feel as a program chair that I let the community down and overall did not make it feel like a welcoming conference like it usually is. <br></div><div><br></div><div>Don't get me wrong, I want everyone to succeed, and I am up for my mind being changed by disruptors. I know FOSS4G isn't all rosy - but we are here to solve those problems together. <br></div><div><br></div><div>I feel like they have been given their chance, and their spots are still the same. I would not welcome them at any future conferences and would have to consider my options if they were to be involved. <br></div><div><br></div><div>Cheers</div><div>Em<br></div>
</div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, Nov 21, 2024 at 7:43 AM Martin Tomko via Oceania <<a href="mailto:oceania@lists.osgeo.org">oceania@lists.osgeo.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<div dir="auto">Dear all,</div>
<div dir="auto">Caveat: I was not there this year, regrettably. I knew ESRI is a sponsor (and this was well known before the event. I neither am an ESRI user nor teach with it, but have no beef, and have professional friends in the global arm of the organisation.</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">I do not perceive FOSS4G & SOTM as an organisation+event *against* anyone /anything (again caveat, except unethical practices and conduct), but rather *for* the support of FOSS4G <span>& SOTM, and to create a community.<span></span><span></span></span><span></span><span></span></div>
<div dir="auto"><span><br>
</span></div>
<div dir="auto">Arguable, see how much ESRI (global arm, local orgs are a diff can of worms) contributes to FOSS4G, especially GDAL, our pillar: <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://opencollective.com/gdal/contributions/793583" target="_blank">https://opencollective.com/gdal/contributions/793583</a></div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">Also here: <a href="https://gdal.org/en/latest/sponsors/index.html" target="_blank">
https://gdal.org/en/latest/sponsors/index.html</a></div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">That is just one project, let alone OSM (noted earlier). <span></span></div>
<div dir="auto">Let's match that, then throw stones. Think of the many other geo companies missing in that list.</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">Martin</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div id="m_-1466233098512498468ms-outlook-mobile-signature" dir="auto">
<div dir="auto">Thanks,</div>
<div dir="auto">Martin</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">Sent from a mobile device, apologies for typos.</div>
</div>
<hr style="display:inline-block;width:98%">
<div id="m_-1466233098512498468divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> Oceania <<a href="mailto:oceania-bounces@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank">oceania-bounces@lists.osgeo.org</a>> on behalf of Rowan via Oceania <<a href="mailto:oceania@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank">oceania@lists.osgeo.org</a>><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, November 21, 2024 7:28:37 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Violaine <<a href="mailto:violaine@posteo.net" target="_blank">violaine@posteo.net</a>><br>
<b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:oceania@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank">oceania@lists.osgeo.org</a> <<a href="mailto:oceania@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank">oceania@lists.osgeo.org</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [EXT] Re: [OSGeo Oceania] FOSS4G Hobart - Elephant in the room ESRI</font>
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<div dir="auto">Hi all,</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">I was asked the same question by some of the people that attended with me. My answer to them was that the FOSS4G community often tells people that major companies should care and invest in FOSS4G, Open Standards and Data as ultimately they benefit
from it. </div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">While have ESRI as a sponsor might seem strange, for me it is the message landing that FOSS4G and big business can coexist and that it ultimately benefits from an independent development community.</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">Hope this perspective helps.</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
</div>
<div dir="auto">Kind regards,</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
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<div dir="auto">Rowan</div>
<div dir="auto"><br>
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<div><br>
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On Thu, Nov 21, 2024 at 4:55 AM, Violaine via Oceania <<a href="mailto:On+Thu,+Nov+21,+2024+at+4:55+AM,+Violaine+via+Oceania+%3C%3Ca+href=" target="_blank">oceania@lists.osgeo.org</a>> wrote:
<blockquote type="cite">
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>My quick 2 cents : I felt it weird too, and bring an unconfortable feeling. (It doesnt question the capacity to organize a great event thought)</p>
<p>Have a lovely day all<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<div>Le 20/11/2024 à 03:23, John Bryant via Oceania a écrit :
<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">Thanks for bringing it up Andrew J, it hasn't sat especially well with me either. It was a great event, but it seemed incongruous to have a vendor selling ArcGIS at a booth at a FOSS4G.
<div><br>
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<div><br>
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<div>
<div dir="ltr">On Wed, 20 Nov 2024 at 21:02, Andrew Harvey via Oceania <
<a href="mailto:oceania@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank">oceania@lists.osgeo.org</a>> wrote:
<br>
</div>
<blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
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<div>
<div>Hi Andrew, <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Good on you for speaking up about your concerns! I'm sure you're not the only one who had this thought.
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Speaking from myself here, as far as I'm aware anyone can support the conference financially through sponsorship without any other requirements, but it would be up to the organising committee and board if they did want to add additional conditions for
accepting sponsors. <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>However given ESRI's involvement with OpenStreetMap ( <a href="https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Esri" target="_blank">
https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Esri</a>), in particular their "Esri World Imagery" which they provide to OpenStreetMap for tracing features, and their OpenStreetMap powered basemaps which help make it easier for people to consume OpenStreetMap data. I
would say they are very much a positive part of the OpenStreetMap community and with FOSS4G SotM Oceania being a State of the Map conference the more financial support we have from entities who want to help OpenStreetMap the stronger OSGeo Oceania and the
conference will be. <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Andrew Harvey <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>On Wed, 20 Nov 2024, at 10:07 PM, Andrew Jeffrey via Oceania wrote: <br>
</div>
<blockquote id="m_-1466233098512498468x_m_1047741083959032968qt" type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>Hi All, <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I hope everyone that was able to attend the FOSS4G SOTM Oceania Hobart conference had a great time. I'm still very much bummed that I wasn't able to make it down there and my only start at the OO conference remains Melbourne in 2018. I plan on improving
my numbers as best I can into the future, but from the outside looking in, it looked like all those that attended had a blast - well done conference committee and OO board.
<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I am writing to the list because I have a question that has been bugging me ever since I talked to a colleague who attended the event. That question is "What's the deal with ESRI being a sponsor?". I have genuine curiosity when it comes to the decision
process in having them on board. I understand these things take money to put on and the conference needs to turn a profit, a healthy conference makes for a healthy OO which allows the organisation to do many of the great things that they do. However, I think
this sponsorship from ESRI should be reconsidered in the future. <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Just to be clear, I am not opposed to speakers who work for ESRI coming and talking, from all reports the keynote from Kate Fickas was amazing (as were all the keynotes from what I hear) and these are the industry people that we all crave to hear from
- top job in landing that line up! But as for sponsorship I feel that ESRI is putting their brand on a community that a lot of us turned to when looking for refuge from them.
<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I acknowledge that my opinion on this is biased as a QGIS advocate and trainer. But something about this just feels off! I don't see what's in it for the FOSS4G community having ESRI involved in our conferences, to me it looks more of a cheap way for them
to buy some good news without doing anything to improve the relationship with the FOSS4G community.
<br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>However, I know I wasn't there, and I could be wrong about the whole thing. Maybe the overwhelming opinion is that it's a good thing and this is a step in the right direction? I would be interested in hearing what people think and even hearing from someone
on the conference organising committee that has more knowledge about this. Is this something the conference would do again? Is there a limit to their involvement? What would have happened if they were a platinum sponsor and got the primary logo placement +
verbal mention at opening and closing of the event? <br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Thanks <br>
</div>
<div>Andrew <br>
</div>
</div>
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