Motion: Promotion Committee

Arnulf Christl arnulf.christl at ccgis.de
Tue Feb 21 06:06:48 PST 2006


Hello,
this is a motion to start a Promotion Committee. Please vote -1, 0, +1 
to get this started as a Wiki page.

As initial members of the Promotion Committee I suggest:
* Dave McIlhagga
* Claude Philipona
* Arnulf Christl

+++

The Promotion Committee will help produce input to be published by the 
Web Committee. Publishing, controlling and adoption as stable documents 
is probably done by the latter.

To spread word and build a strong recognition of the Open Source
Geospatial Foundation every major event should be covered 
professionally. Smaller events and local conventions in many cases 
already get covered by associated members (friends of the foundation).

== Activities ==
Several levels of activity should be addressed to support advertising 
the OSGeo Foundation depending on the character of the event to take place.
* Web site linking (WebCommittee)
* Create and provide paperwork (ads, flyers, posters, information brochures)
* Giveaways (focused on larger events with special OS affinity)
* Booth operation (large events)

== Linking ==
A lot of good advertisement is created by organic linking (search 
engines find and recognize OSGeo links and rate them as highly 
relevant). Some know-how of the inner workings of search engines helps. 
Link the corresponding web pages. It should be avoided to create yet 
another mega event planner though. Only events that have a special focus 
on OSGeo should be included. Maybe a regional differentiation would make 
sense, see also:
http://www.fossgis.de/osgeo/index.php/International_Outreach
http://www.fossgis.de/osgeo/index.php/Like_Minded_Regional_Organizations

== Presentations ==
Presentations, promotion and dissemination of the OSGeo Foundation
idea:
* Give talks and presentations at conferences
* Hold workshops at conventions
* Operate OSGeo booth at exhibitions

=== Presentation Material ===
A central document directory should feature presentations about the 
OSGeo. Presentations would preferably be licensed as GNU FDL, CC (or 
appropriate alternative) to ensure that they are freely available. This 
could be extended and managed in the SVN repository of the Promotion 
Project. Externals who need to get the FOSSGIS idea across can use 
material from this repository to build their own presentations.

At a later stage Posters, Give Aways, Flyers, live-CD, etc. can be added.

=== Notice ===
Please do not create PPTs or PDFs any other closed format. (Motion by
Arnulf to make this currently personal opinion a foundation directive).
This might seem a minor problem, but it is actually not, closed formats
are show stoppers. The preferred format would probably be HTML, making 
it easy to create links and make it searchable using the OSGeo (CN) 
infrastructure. (for a starter it can be added to the Wiki).

== Talks, Discussions, Interviews ==
Every chance to present the OSGeo should be taken, every simple link to
the OSGeo website is another 2 ct. adding to publicity. This fact should
be stressed in every aspect, this is the primary food for search engine
ranking and virtual visibility.

== Timetable ==
A timetable should be set up showing where OSGeo members talk, meet or 
give presentations. This timetable should be mamaged in an online 
planner (can CN provide for this?) and in professional map services 
using the OSGeo technology.

=== Future events where OSGeo Projects are presented ===

=== Event Archive ===






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