[Board] Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] OSGeo is the host of FOSS4G not a guest

[Dirk Frigne]

+1

On 2017-07-04 19:44, Steven Feldman wrote:
> It is so depressing that barely 6 weeks before our major event, when
> dozens of people are working every hour available while still doing a
> day job, that this kind of a conversation distracts the BLOC and the
> wider community. 
> 
> Is "presented by” “hosted by” “organised by” such a big deal? I really
> fear that we may be losing a sense of perspective. If the board wants to
> vote on this and change the guidance given to the BLOC then so be it, I
> would hope that they have higher priorities. 
> 
> Otherwise let’s say a massive thanks to Guido, Michael and the Boston
> team and leave them to get on with organising OUR conference.
> ______
> Steven
> 
> 
>> On 3 Jul 2017, at 20:00, discuss-request at lists.osgeo.org
>> <mailto:discuss-request at lists.osgeo.org> wrote:
>>
>> Date: Mon, 03 Jul 2017 10:49:20 +0000
>> From: Guido Stein <guido at guidostein.com <mailto:guido at guidostein.com>>
>> To: Till Adams <till.adams at fossgis.de
>> <mailto:till.adams at fossgis.de>>, discuss at lists.osgeo.org
>> <mailto:discuss at lists.osgeo.org>
>> Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] [Board] OSGeo is the host of FOSS4G not a
>> guest
>> Message-ID:
>> <CAGPdrTcin80wsSDiax=Ox6n1Nr7O1bYvX1GDY7b8yaG_i6TcrA at mail.gmail.com
>> <mailto:CAGPdrTcin80wsSDiax=Ox6n1Nr7O1bYvX1GDY7b8yaG_i6TcrA at mail.gmail.com>>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>>
>> Good morning folks,
>>
>> First, I have no problem making adjustments to the website. It's not a big
>> deal and can be done rather quickly.
>>
>> That said, I am a bit frustrated and disheartened by this
>> conversation. The
>> tone to me feels aggressive and discounts the reality of the work that the
>> LOC has put into this. While Maxi just noticed this, the website and
>> discussion about this choice has been had in the conference committee and
>> codified in the RFP. To me, the urgency that is being put on this request
>> is upsetting.
>>
>> I believe Maxi and anyone else should voice their opinions in public, but
>> with 42 days left until the conference and with both a conference and
>> marketing committee present and functional, it is a little painful to hear
>> that "the community" as Maxi puts it (which in this thread represents 5
>> people ) think that we, the FOSS4G LOC, are not giving OSGeo its proper
>> ?exposure? or ?title?.
>>
>> I have been working on this project for 2 years and we, the LOC, have been
>> following all the guidance set out by the RFP
>> <https://svn.osgeo.org/osgeo/foss4g/rfp/2017/osgeo-conference-2017-request-for-proposal.pdf>
>> and
>> the conference committee. The RFP has this to say about what is
>> required/requested:
>>
>>    The conference name will be 'FOSS4G 2017 presented by OSGeo'.
>>
>> This guidance has been a part of the website since it began and has been a
>> part of the current design since the site took on it's current design in
>> September. So the site has been up for about 12 months and the current
>> design, which includes OSGeo as a Gold Sponsor has been up for 9 months.
>>
>> The reason that OSGeo is listed under Gold Sponsor comes from a
>> conversation on the conference dev list. In order to insure that OSGeo has
>> clear privileges (booth, tickets, etc...) it was decided that OSGeo should
>> be treated as a Gold Sponsor, which includes having their logo
>> presented as
>> such. To me, this does not suggest that their gold sponsor status is the
>> only role they play.
>>
>> We, the LOC, have been incredibly honored to work on this project and hope
>> that we represent the OSGeo community to the best of our ability. To be
>> clear, no matter how the website is interpreted, OSGeo is at the center of
>> all the work that the LOC has been doing. We, the LOC, have always made it
>> clear that the FOSS4G is here to promote and support the OSGeo
>> community of
>> projects and local chapters. We, the LOC, have helped to bring new
>> sponsors
>> to the table and building new relationships to the OSGeo foundation. We
>> have also helped to create opportunities to promote OSGeo at other events
>> such as OSCON and the AAG.
>>
>> I appreciate Maxi's concern on the positioning of OSGeo's brand and would
>> like to work with him, the marketing committee, and the conference
>> committee on making sure that the OSGeo brand is well placed. I would hope
>> that Maxi and the rest of the community would realize that with 42 days
>> until the conference the LOC is hard at work with daily and sometimes
>> hourly tasks focused on the event planning and logistics. I hope that
>> between the marketing and conference committees that Maxi's concerns
>> can be
>> addressed and that the board does not have to weigh in on how the
>> conference is run directly.
>>
>> Thank you all for your consideration and I look forward to seeing you in
>> Boston,
>>
>> Guido Stein
>> Co-Chair
>> FOSS4G Boston 2017 presented by OSGeo
>>
> 
> 
> 
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-- 
Yours sincerely,


ir. Dirk Frigne
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