[OSGeo-Conf] North American FOSS4G conference

Tue Sep 27 06:45:10 EDT 2011

Daniel,

In any case we are interested to join MapWindow conference. Please do you
know when it will be. Because in end of June is European INSPIRE conference
and it is also important for us.

We are planning to organise this Central End Eastern European Open Source
conference in week from 21th May

Karel

From: Daniel Ames [mailto:dan.ames at isu.edu] 
Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2011 12:27 AM
To: Karel Charvat; Paul Meems
Cc: conference
Subject: Re: RE: [OSGeo-Conf] North American FOSS4G conference

Karel and other Euro-folks,

The MapWindow team is having our 3rd International conference in The
Netherlands in June 2012. We would like to expand this as a regional FOSS4G.
If anyone is interested in discussing, please contact me and Paul Meems
(copied here).

Thanks,

- Dan
--------
Daniel P. Ames Ph.D.
Idaho State University Dept. of Geosciences
dan.ames at isu.edu
--------
Sent from my Droid

On Sep 23, 2011 2:37 PM, "Karel Charvat" <charvat at ccss.cz> wrote:
> Dave and Bart,
> I personally think, that rotation principle is good and I think, that is
> good to give chance not only for Europe and North America, but also for
> other parts of word. I am writing this as representative of organisation,
> who competed for this year. We join to the competition, when in first
round
> was not offer, before we didn't thinking about this. Only when there were
> not other offer, we tried to participate. As I mentioned, I am sure, that
> China will be organised good event.
> I would like also clarify, why we would like organised this Central and
> Eastern European event. For many people from post socialist countries
> (mainly for people working on Universities), where is many OS developers
is
> difficult or impossible to travel on FOSS conferences around the World.
And
> I think, that direct contact are useful and to organise regional events is
> chance for them to meet part of community. I think, that this is also
> important to support grooving of community in this way. I am sure, that
will
> be mistake to organise events, which could compeate for World FOSS4G, but
> regional events will help to establish cooperation, but also promote OS
> solution. I see also his as important aspect to establish ling among
> developers and users.
> I have also one recommendation, for big FOSS4G conference provide
selection
> two years in advance, it will give better possibilities and time for
> preparation of such large events, but also will give possibilities for
> better coordination with regional event.
> Karel
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: conference_dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
> [mailto:conference_dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Dave
McIlhagga
> Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 9:44 PM
> To: Bart van den Eijnden
> Cc: conference; OSGeo-Board List
> Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Conf] North American FOSS4G conference
> 
> It depends on what OSGeo is trying to achieve through running conferences.
> Is it:
> 
> 1. Provide an opportunity for a maximum number of developers to connect
face
> to face
> 2. Encourage adoption of OSGeo technologies
> 3. Raise funds for OSGeo
> 4. etc...
> 
> Encouraging adoption fo OSGeo was the primary driver for the current 3
> region rotation, but I'm not sure if that's still the highest priority of
> the organization. Uncertainty in this matter led in some part to the
> difficulties in the selection process this year.
> 
> I'd like to suggest that the Board conduct a full review of the conference
> selection process -- as it currently feels highly disconnected from the
> priorities of the board. The recent decision of the board to eliminate the
> Exec Director position was in part rooted in finances -- that's
> understandable, however at the same time, selecting China was likely not a
> wise choice if finances were the primary driver. Is it possible that this
> selection led directly to the termination of the ED position? Was that
wise?
> 
> 
> I believe the FOSS4G selection process is one of the most important
> decisions made annually by OSGeo as an organization. What concerns me is
> that this decision is currently effectively made by this committee without
> it being strongly connected to the priorities of the organization as a
> whole.
> 
> If nothing else, given the financial link between this selection, and the
> viability of OSGeo, I believe fixing this process needs to be one of the
top
> priorities by the board.
> 
> My 2 cents.
> 
> Dave
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 2011-09-23, at 3:05 PM, Bart van den Eijnden wrote:
> 
>> I totally agree with what Volker says here.
>> 
>> My personal preference would be a two year rotation between Europe and
> North America, with only local conferences in Other.
>> 
>> Bart
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>> On Sep 23, 2011, at 7:52 PM, Volker Mische <volker.mische at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>> 
>>> Hi all,
>>> 
>>> I already wrote it in my blog post about the FOSS4G, but it should also
>>> hit the mailing lists as well.
>>> 
>>> I don't think that a yearly North American FOSS4G is a good idea. I fear
>>> that people will be going there and the global one will die (especially
>>> next year, when it is "in some other country").
>>> 
>>> A lot of devs in the FOSS4G world are from North America (I'd even say
>>> the majority, but I'm not sure about it). Those will definitely go to a
>>> North American event.
>>> 
>>> I could imagine that many people from Europe can justify one conference
>>> to go somewhere in the world, when there's enough value. Which is for
>>> me, in case for the FOSS4G, meeting almost all core developers of the
>>> various FOSS4G projects.
>>> 
>>> If I have the choice to meet all the North American developers and a lot
>>> of other ones as well, and the choice between meeting some American and
>>> European developers perhaps at some other place in the world (where it
>>> might even be harder to get there (think about past events like
>>> Australia)). Where would you go?
>>> 
>>> And also important: where would the sponsors invest? It was already a
>>> hard time for the Sydney conference to cover the costs, how hard would
>>> it be if there's another big conference?
>>> 
>>> For me those are reasons why the a global event might die, and that
>>> would be a shame. As we heard at (I think) the AGM, past conferences
>>> planted seeds in those locations.
>>> 
>>> The rotating between Europe, North America and somewhere else makes a
>>> lot of sense to me, but if there will be a North American conference
>>> every year, we can just drop the "somewhere else" and go for a Europe,
>>> North America, North America rotation.
>>> 
>>> For me the solution would be to make more localised conferences in North
>>> America, like a West Coast, East Coast, Central, Canadian one. This
>>> won't draw to much developers away from the global one. It would kind of
>>> the same as in Europe, where we also have local Chapter conferences.
>>> 
>>> Cheers,
>>> Volker
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Conference_dev mailing list
>>> Conference_dev at lists.osgeo.org
>>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/conference_dev
>>> 
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