[OSGeo-Discuss] Re: Local Chapter, network and structuration

[Dave Patton]

On 2008/08/26 3:08 PM, James Fee wrote:
> I overheard someone say at GeoWeb 2008 that they could care less about
> FOSS4G outside of North America and they have no interest in what will
> probably be the next couple FOSS4Gs around the world.

Hearing things like that, and the reactions about it being
'impossible' for USA state and local government employees, etc.,
make me wonder if there is any value in having the organizing
committees of 'foreign' OSGeo events doing any marketing
directly to such people.

The "glass half empty" view would be that such marketing
is 'a waste of time and money', because such people either
aren't personally interested, or their workplace has policies
that won't allow them to attend.

The "glass half full" view is that by directly marketing
to such people (who might want to self-identify, to make
sure they are on the relevant 'marketing lists') they get
the opportunity to have discussions with their supervisor(s),
and that if, over time, enough people raise the issue enough
times, along with examples of how other jurisdictions get
value from sending their staff to 'foreign events', maybe
things will change.

-- 
Dave Patton
CIS Canadian Information Systems
Victoria, B.C.

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

OSGeo FOSS4G2007 conference:
Workshop Committee Chair
Conference Committee member
http://www.foss4g2007.org/

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