[OSGeo-Conf] Fwd: FOSS4G 2007

[Tyler Mitchell]

On 27-Oct-06, at 5:35 PM, Frank Warmerdam wrote:

> venka.osgeo wrote:
>> venka.osgeo wrote:
>> ...
>>>> This is exactly the sort of erosion of OSGeo's branding that I'm  
>>>> worried
>>>> about.
>>> ...
>>>
>>> Can you please clarify what you are exactly worried about.
>> I think making good use of the FOSS4G brand would
>> not erode OSGeo's brand.
>
> Venka,
>
> I think having two "destinations", one osgeo.org, and one  
> foss4g.org, erodes
> our branding influence.

In a similar way, I feel the same way about the conference name, that  
any other name distracts from OSGeo.  We have a focus in VisCom on  
producing logos, branding, and other nitty gritty stuff to try to  
boast OSGeo.  Adding another 'product' name into the mix is going to  
make it that much harder.  I'd like to see OSGeo be the organisation  
AND the Conference name.  What will the website be?  osgeo.org is as  
simple as it gets.

I also believe that the brand of FOSS4G is not as strong as OSGeo.   
It has been used as a conference name, but I think the name is not  
what made the conference popular.  It is meaningless to those who are  
on the outside - those who we want to reach out to.  However, with  
OSGeo, it is a name that we are actively promoting all the time.   
FOSS4G isn't being promoted at all, except as a conference.  After we  
reach out in the name of OSGeo to people - they are able to instantly  
make a connection between "OSGeo '07" when they see it because they  
already know about the foundation from our marketing efforts.

I also think it is unfair for the other conferences and groups that  
we've absorbed to be simply ignored and replaced by FOSS4G.  By  
calling it FOSS4G it is saying it is a continuation of a specific  
tradition, and in a way we are, but it is only part of the story.   
For many people even within our communities, FOSS4G is a relatively  
new term.

We are starting something new and we are tapping into OSGeo resources  
to help make it a success. I think we owe it to OSGeo to keep this  
major outreach event as closely tied to the foundation as possible.

Tyler