[OSGeo-Discuss] [Board] OSGeo Board Priorities

[Stefano Iacovella]

Dear all,

I would define me more a user than a developer so my feelings are
surely biased toward a more user oriented FOSS4G event.

I feel that one of the main aim of FOSS4G, maybe the biggest one,
should be the possibility for "users" to exchange their experiences
and learn by looking at what others are doing. I quoted the users word
as I would like to use it in the wider sense, i.e. including people
developing and custominzing OSGeo sw, using them and or promoting.

A too strongly developer oriented event could minimize the impact that
FOSS4G event can have on spreading the word of open GIS.
It could turn it in an hackfest, that is a very good event but I feel
it would atract less people.

So I would enjoy an effort form OSGeo to help some "important" people
afford the event but I would also prefer it was not limited to
developers.
It could be nice if the OSGeo board will define some "objectives"
criteria on which it can select valuable prposal to fund.

Kind Regards,

Stefano

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2013/3/4 Jachym Cepicky <jachym.cepicky at gmail.com>:
> Hi,
>
> I fully agree, that the costs for individuals or small company are very
> heigh. I'm aware, you were mentioning this issue already. Since I know,
> FOSS4G-Global is the main source of income to OSGeo, I did not raise any
> obligation so far - I have no clue, how to organize this better for the
> future.
>
> Paolo's idea sounds not bad: having some kind of scholarship program,
> where we could allocate some money for people who can not come but it's
> valuable to have them there.
>
> Do we have some "priorities" for FOSS4G as well? In general, when I'm
> discussing this topic with people, general feelings are, that
> FOSS4G-Global is very developer-oriented meeting, compared e.g. to
> FOSSGIS (German local conference), which would be more user or business
> oriented (correct me if I'm wrong, it is a while, I was there).
>
> Having priorities of the FOSS4G-global could also point us the the
> answer, whether we should financially support developers to come or not.
>
> Jachym
>
> Dne 4.3.2013 08:33, Paolo Cavallini napsal(a):
>> Il 04/03/2013 00:44, Cameron Shorter ha scritto:
>>> A productive virtual meeting of the OSGeo Board
>>> <http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_Meeting_2013-02-26> resulted in general consensus
>>> over OSGeo's priorities, which in turn should help the OSGeo Board and OSGeo
>>> committees when guiding OSGeo into the future.
>>
>>> These principles are:
>>
>>>   * OSGeo should act as a low capital, volunteer focused organisation.
>>>   * OSGeo should focus support on OSGeo communities and initiatives which support
>>>     themselves.
>>
>> Hi all.
>> Thanks for this. I welcome this change, that I think will make OSGeo much more
>> effective in promoting free and open source geospatial software.
>> On the other hand, I still have problems with annual FOSS4G, which has a cost that
>> scares away many top developers. IMHO (sorry to insist, I raised this point earlier)
>> the meeting should be free for developers (committers to OSGeo projects), and more
>> expensive for businessman. The net cash flow should be from business to GFOSS
>> promotion, not drawing from our precious developers.
>> All the best.
>> _______________________________________________
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>> Board at lists.osgeo.org
>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/board
>>
>
> --
> Jachym Cepicky
> Help Service - Remote Sensing s.r.o.
> jachym.cepicky at gmail.com
> HS-RS: jachym at hsrs.cz http://bnhelp.cz
> http://les-ejk.cz
>
>
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