[OSGeo-Discuss] Creating a new "local-osgeo-chapter"

[Dave Patton]

Frank Warmerdam wrote:
> The board is certainly keen on having local chapters.  Most of our thinking
> "to date" has been that they would be primarily aimed at serving particular
> language user bases more effectively.  To that end there is an OSGeo Japan
> chapter/branch in the process of being launched.  Certainly Italian, and
> Polish groups would be welcome too.
> 
> The board is working on some guidelines for what is involved in 
> establishing
> a local chapter and how it relates back to the foundation as a whole.
> 
> What we hadn't really thought about much was local chapters in the
> "North Carolina" or "Ottawa" sense.  Essentialy folks that would like to 
> get
> together and do some projects together.

It might be worthwhile to have two "categories", such as
"OSGeo local chapter" and "OSGeo interest group"(not really
sure if that's a good name or not).

"chapters" would be 'officially sanctioned' by the OSGeo board,
based on "some guidelines".

"interest groups" could be less formal, and not have the need
to 'follow all the guidelines', which of course also means not
having the same affiliation with OSGeo.

I'm thinking that maybe "interest groups" could be able to
have a wiki page, mailing list, etc., to facilitate being
able to communicate/organize, and that forming an "interest
group" would be a good first step to forming a "chapter".

If people in a regional area want to organize to form an
"interest group", and get together to discuss common
interests, presenting a low barrier to participation
might be a good thing. If that group finds that the level
of interest is high enough to sustain the group's activities,
and that the group's interests coincide with the OSGeo
guidelines required for "local chapters", than that group
could become a "local chapter".

-- 
Dave Patton

Co-Lead Developer, Punt
http://punt.sourceforge.net/

Canadian Coordinator, Degree Confluence Project
http://www.confluence.org/

Personal website - Maps, GPS, etc.
http://members.shaw.ca/davepatton/