[OSGeo-Discuss] Should we write a FOSS4G Cookbook?

Peter Batty peter at ebatty.com
Fri Sep 7 06:20:28 PDT 2012


Cameron, as you know I am supportive of having a cookbook which as others
have said is a guide not a rulebook. In doing FOSS4G Denver, despite the
lessons learned wikis and plenty of good advice from various members of the
community, there were quite a few occasions where we (the LOC) missed
something or misunderstood something, and we felt we were reinventing a lot
of things. I think more of a checklist would be very helpful - things that
should be done when you're starting up the effort, what should be done a
year out, six months out, etc (and again there will be variations of
course, including the event size - the main global event is generally
planned further in advance than smaller regional events, etc).

So count me in for contributing.

Cheers,
    Peter.

On Thu, Sep 6, 2012 at 2:22 PM, Cameron Shorter
<cameron.shorter at gmail.com>wrote:

> Jeff,
> I think Stephen summarises the intent of the cookbook well as a guide
> rather than a mandate.
> I see it also as a way to expand what you have been doing individually
> (collecting collective knowledge) into a self help which is not limited by
> the time constraints of one person. Initially when there was only 1 foss4g
> event per year it was possible for one person to be the core driver, but we
> now have scores of events per year.
>
> Bob,
> I'd anticipate there being subheading in the Cookbook for using the
> LiveDVD at FOSS4G events.
>
>
> On 7/09/2012 1:00 AM, Basques, Bob (CI-StPaul) wrote:
>
>> All,
>>
>> Related to this, I've been wondering about how to go about setting up a
>> business specific LiveDVD.  Is there a possible synergy to be had with a
>> recipe derived DVD (collection?) ??.
>>
>> Bobb
>>
>>
>>
>>    -----Original Message-----
>>>>   From: discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.**org<discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org>[mailto:
>>>> discuss-
>>>>   bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Stephen Woodbridge
>>>>   Sent: Thursday, September 06, 2012 9:43 AM
>>>>   To: discuss at lists.osgeo.org
>>>>   Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Should we write a FOSS4G Cookbook?
>>>>     Hello,
>>>>     I think the 'cookbook' is a great idea! It is about capturing our
>>>>   collective knowledge and experience, it not about limiting
>>>>   creativity or change. Just like in software when you have an
>>>>   individual contributor that has passion, vision and drive can
>>>>   create wonderful things, you also have to help the other
>>>>   contributors that are not so visionary to do a good job. The
>>>>   'cookbook' gives us a recipe for success, it is the basic stuff
>>>>   that you need to know to get the job done successfully. To
>>>>   continue with the analogy a visionary chef looks at the recipe
>>>>   and changes it to suit his creative talents.
>>>>     So it all depends on whether we "require" people to only follow
>>>>   the recipe or we use it as a guideline for people that are
>>>>   volunteering to help but may not have had past experience to get
>>>>   things done correctly.
>>>>     The cookbook is a great idea in my opinion.
>>>>     -Steve W
>>>>     On 9/6/2012 10:14 AM, Jeff McKenna wrote:
>>>>   > Hello Cameron,
>>>>   >
>>>>   > Making sure that a transfer of knowledge happens from one
>>>>   FOSS4G local
>>>>   > committee to the next is something that I've championed for a
>>>>   very
>>>>   > long time now - it is a thankless invisible task that not many
>>>>   are
>>>>   > aware is happening (archiving documents, pinging committee
>>>>   members
>>>>   > over and over to openly archive documents and logos and files,
>>>>   making
>>>>   > sure such critical parts of FOSS4G are kept - ribbon in logo,
>>>>   t-shirts
>>>>   > for attendees, hands-on workshops - to the point that local
>>>>   committees
>>>>   > kind of become annoyed with me).
>>>>   >
>>>>   > My vision of FOSS4G (credit here to original "FOSS4G Heroes"
>>>>   such as
>>>>   > Venka and Markus of course) has always been very simple: to
>>>>   spread the
>>>>   > Open Source Geospatial passion all around the world.  It has
>>>>   not been
>>>>   > about money or politics.  The result has been FOSS4G local
>>>>   committees
>>>>   > are free to take this passion and mold it into their own
>>>>   vision.
>>>>   > Events such as FOSS4G Cape Town in 2008 are proof of this.
>>>>   >
>>>>   > I worry that such a 'cookbook' will hinder this open passion
>>>>   and
>>>>   > vision for a local committee.
>>>>   >
>>>>   > The first drafts of such a cookbook came many years ago from
>>>>   Paul
>>>>   > Ramsey, from his 2007 experiences.  Since then I've heard
>>>>   rumblings
>>>>   > from Arnulf, Cameron and others.
>>>>   >
>>>>   > I guess it is time for such guidelines.  For sure we need a
>>>>   conference
>>>>   > Content Management System internal to OSGeo that is required
>>>>   for all
>>>>   > FOSS4G local committees to use (not external systems such as
>>>>   > Basecamp); this is critical.
>>>>   >
>>>>   >
>>>>   > -jeff
>>>>   >
>>>>   >
>>>>   >
>>>>   >
>>>>   >
>>>>   > On 12-09-05 7:34 PM, Cameron Shorter wrote:
>>>>   >> In analysing the downfall of FOSS4G 2012 [1] one of the key
>>>>   lessons
>>>>   >> that became apparent to me is that we are not very efficient
>>>>   at
>>>>   >> passing on Lessons Learned from one conference to the next.
>>>>   >>
>>>>   >> Could we do a better job of knowledge transfer by building an
>>>>   OSGeo
>>>>   >> Conference Body of Knowledge? Something like a FOSS4G Cookbook
>>>>   [2]?
>>>>   >>
>>>>   >> If so, what should be the scope of the cookbook? Should it
>>>>   only be
>>>>   >> for the international FOSS4G event? Should it cover regional
>>>>   >> conferences too? Should it also cover FOSS4G steams in other
>>>>   conferences?
>>>>   >>
>>>>   >> Who thinks this idea is important enough that you would like
>>>>   to help
>>>>   >> write sections of the Cookbook, or help with editing?
>>>>   >>
>>>>   >> What format should we use to write the Cookbook? Maybe a wiki?
>>>>   >>
>>>>   >> I'm interested to help push this idea forward if we as a
>>>>   community
>>>>   >> think that there will be value in such a collaboratively
>>>>   edited document.
>>>>   >>
>>>>   >> If you have an interest, please respond on the OSGeo
>>>>   conference_dev
>>>>   >> email list (rather than OSGeo Discuss)
>>>>   >>
>>>>   >> [1]
>>>>   >> http://cameronshorter.**blogspot.com.au/2012/08/**analysing-<http://cameronshorter.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/analysing->
>>>>   downfall-of-f
>>>>   >> oss4g-2012.html
>>>>   >>
>>>>   >> [2] http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/**FOSS4G_Cookbook<http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_Cookbook>
>>>>   >> [3] http://lists.osgeo.org/**mailman/listinfo/conference_**dev<http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/conference_dev>
>>>>   >>
>>>>   >
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>
>
> --
> Cameron Shorter
> Geospatial Solutions Manager
> Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
> Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254
>
> Think Globally, Fix Locally
> Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source
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