[OSGeo-Discuss] Renaming FOSS4G

[Alex M]

On 10/06/2015 08:12 AM, Barry Rowlingson wrote:
> Okay, this is probably sticking a match under a pile of dry wood but
> here goes...
> 
> Can we rename The FOSS4G Conference to The OSGeo Conference?
> 
> Cons:
> 
>  1. FOSS4G is an established brand
> 
>  2. FOSS4G sidesteps the "Free" vs "Open Source" argument by including both.
> 
> Counters to those:
> 
>  1. Really? Perhaps amongst OSGeo people, but outside our sphere I
> have to expand the acronym and then go on to mention OSGeo.
> 
>  2. Let's have that argument somewhere else, okay?
> 
> Pros:
> 
>  1. Puts the *Geo* visible, not tucked away as a G at the end.
> 
>  2. Gets rid of the "4G", which may have been a cool thing 2 do ten
> years ago, but not now :)
> 
>  3. Removes any confusion with 4G telecoms networks.
> 
>  4. Clearly brands the conference as an OSGeo conference. Recent
> discussion about the prominence and significance of OSGeo to FOSS4G
> becomes moot.
> 
>  5. Is easy to explain. The OSGeo Conference is the open source
> geospatial conference. See the OSGeo web site. Search for OSGeo. One
> acronym to remember.
> 
> [I toyed with the idea that the conference should be called "OSGeo
> Live!" and renaming the OSGeo Live operating system disc as "OSGeoOS"
> but that might be a bit too much :)]
> 
> So, this is the discuss list, discuss.
> 
> Barry
> _______________________________________________
> Discuss mailing list
> Discuss at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> 

Branding things to resolve:
Is OSGeo just a conference?

Sure Foss4g is a little weird, but would the general community what
these mean if they aren't part of the community already?
SXSW, PyCon, OSCon, AGU, AAG, etc...

If we rename, then the conference must be front and side by side on the
homepage/1st page of everything OSGeo does. Probably should be as is
anyways.

Do we alienate sponsors, or do they get that OSGeo is just the
organizer? Goes back to question 1 above.

I'm sure there's lots of other pros/cons. Seems the other threads about
what should OSGeo be in the next few years should probably be worked out
first.

-Alex