[OSGeo-Board] Visibility, Presentations

[Frank Warmerdam]

Arnulf Christl wrote:
> Hi,
> I have this list bugging me (see below) and it is growing every week. It 
> shows where I will be talking about the OSGeo and where we will be able 
> to reach people that are not involved in mailing lists, discussions or 
> Wiki. But they do get a quarternary update info letter from CCGIS 
> (currently 6000 double checked and verified) and a monthly training 
> courses update from the Geo-Consortium. We advertize the places where 
> people form our near vicinity ralk or present the "Open Source 
> Geospatial Software Stack" which is just eabout exactly what OSGeo is 
> all about. So it makes sense to just add a few comments on the emerging 
> Foundation.
> 
> To do this professionally I need to have a baseline to start from, you 
> probably wouldn't want to have me mumble something about Freedom in the 
> Information Society - would you? :-)

Arnulf,

Well, it wouldn't bother me too much, but I see your point.  We need to
provide support and guidance to speakers on behalf of OSGeo to ensure
things stay reasonably "on message".

> It is perfectly fine to set up a committee
> +1 from Arnulf (+ I want to be on that board)

Will you reissue your earlier email as a motion we can vote on at the
next meeting?  I would suggest you include an initial composition or
at least a designated chair responsible for recruiting members.

> but even before that I want to get started this list of where people 
> form the OSGeo (be it board, voting member or aficcionado). Shall we put 
> it somewhere? Is this too quick? 

I think I missed something here.  Do you mean you want to start a mailing
list?  Or post the list of resources?  Or events?  Go ahead and create one or
a few wiki pages with your thoughts on events, materials required and draft
material.  If you want a preliminary mailing list I am fine with your asking
DanielB for this before we have formally designated the committee.

 > Anyway, it can't be too quick. What
> should I answer if the first question after I held a presentation is 
> "Who is going to rip off the OSGeo community most - is it Autodesk or DM 
> or CCGIS?"

You should answer that all three are trying to earn as much money as
possible built on OSGeo technologies, but due to the nature of free software
their attempts to make money don't cost the community anything. :-)  Or
perhaps just ask back in what way the questioner thinks any of them *could*
rip off the community.

Somehow I doubt that prepared material will ever address all such questions,
so in some cases you have to make it clear that your answers are your own,
and don't necessarily represent the opinion of OSGeo.

> Understand my 'problem'. Its cool to have people listen in and ask those 
> questions and I a m sure that I am pretty good at giving a good answer 
> but its my answer and I want it discussed with you before it starts to 
> spread.

Agreed.

Best regards,
-- 
---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | Geospatial Programmer for Rent