[Board] Teach-in 2009

[Dave McIlhagga]

I think supporting an activity and doing it are definitely different  
-- and it's debatable whether running an event like this is what OSGeo  
should be doing / how we do it. If OSGeo is "doing" the event, it also  
needs to be taking organizational and financial responsibility. That's  
always a possibility -- but one I think we should assess as an outcome  
of the first Teach-in as a potential model for the future.  
Unfortunately, "OSGeo Teach-in" is pretty hard to argue that it is  
anything but an OSGeo activity.


As for supporting the event -- if it comes down to it, I'd be willing  
to abstain from any potential corporate involvement for DM in any  
teaching activities at Teach-in if that's what's required to get this  
approved.

Dave




On 30-May-08, at 12:55 PM, Paul Ramsey wrote:

> On Fri, May 30, 2008 at 8:18 AM, Dave McIlhagga
> <dmcilhagga at dmsolutions.ca> wrote:
>
>> Framing this as "supported by OSGeo" and identifying this as a  
>> "Teach-in for
>> OSGeo Technologies" or similar terminology would provide the co- 
>> branding
>> visibility that I think both Jeff/Paul and OSGeo want -- without  
>> this being
>> positioned as an OSGeo event.
>
> If that's how it goes, that's how it goes, but I think OSGeo is
> missing out an opportunity by not grabbing the ownership of the event
> by letting us promote an "OSGeo Teach-in". If it is successful, OSGeo
> has the opportunity to flip the business relationship and start
> providing teach-ins directly, hiring an organizer or using Tyler
> instead of doing a profit share. It builds directly on the brand and
> helps tie the software being taught to the OSGeo name.
>
> Anyhow, since practically the only board member who is not going to be
> recused is Arnulf and he's "no" on philosophical grounds, this
> argument is pretty moot.  Jeff and I need to decide what we want to
> do.
>
> P.