Conference in Lausanne, Sponsorship, etc.

[Arnulf Christl]

Hello,
I have just read the sponsorship document available at the web site:
http://www.foss4g2006.org/internalPage.py?pageId=8&confId=1

I am unhappy and disagree with two points.

* Financially large sponsors can buy content and place keynotes. In my 
understanding the idea of a keynote is about the conference and not 
about the sponsor. We have just come to terms the the OSGeo is not going 
to be driven by companies but by individuals.
* Logos on conference passes (and everywhere else). This has been an 
issue at very many conferences I have been to last year, including the 
Wikimaina, osdbcon 2005, Intergeo 05, etc. At MUM 04 it also was an 
issue, the logos and texts were so large that you couldn't read the 
names of the people. The organizers of the OSG 05 got the message, those 
passes were a lot better. And I still remember who the sponsors were, I 
was one of them.

This heavy advertisement is only good to annoy people. Additionally it 
is fairly ignorant to believe that by putting a name on a tag that 
people wear around their neck will serve to advertise the product, 
company name or whatever with positive connotation. The sponsors in most 
cases are well known to the community (the attendees) anyway and it 
would suit them (the companies) good to be humble.

Did I just suggest businesses to be humble? I must be crazy.

No I am not, I really do believe that the great majority of people 
attending the FOSS4G are educated, critical, community involved people 
and couldn't care less for intrusive advertisement.

Best regards,
Arnulf.

PS:
fossgis at freegis.org is the address of the German language FOSSGIS 
conference organizing committee, we have a simliar process to go through.