[Foss4g2008loc] draft call for workshops for FOSS4G2008

[Tim Sutton]

Hi

Looks good. Might be good to add a sentance or two about what
resources are available to workshop convenors:

 - Windows PCs / Linux PCs / Macs?
 - Which OS versions they will be running.
 - Internet connections.

And also mention the maximum number of participants they can expect in
a workshop.

If this makes the email too wordy perhaps this type of additional info
can be made available as a workshop convenors FAQ on the foss4g2008
site.

Regards

Tim

2008/3/4, Gavin Fleming <GavinF at mintek.co.za>:
>
>
> Hi all, please review this draft by 16h00 SAST Thurs 6 Feb so we can
> distribute the Call on Friday. Thanks to Graeme for putting this together.
>
> begins
>
>
> The FOSS4G (Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial) conference is
> pleased to announce the Call for Workshops for the 2008 conference, being
> held September 29- October 3 in Cape Town, South Africa.
>
> FOSS4G is the premier conference for the open source geospatial community,
> providing a place for developers, users, and people new to open source
> geospatial to get a full-immersion experience in both established and
> leading edge geospatial technologies.
>
> This year's FOSS4G is a bit different, for it incorporates GISSA 2008, the
> main GIS Conference on the South African calender, attended by people who
> are not yet too familiar with FOSS4G. The crucial point to note though, is
> that the South African Government has made a strategic commitment to FOSS.
> This has created a certain amount of clamour for more information about
> FOSS4G. The FOSS4G2008 Organising Committee believe that immersive workshops
> could play a crucial role in convincing people that FOSS4G is "An Option for
> Developing Nations" alongside more well known proprietary tools. As the
> famous wedding quote generator, Kahlil Gibran, once said, "Even as the
> strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music". Not to
> stretch the poetry too far, but FOSS4G 2008 offers an opportunity to let
> people experience the FOSS and proprietary software strings playing nicely
> together.
>
> Come to Cape Town to showcase your favorite application, integration
> solution, or other topic and get the excitement bubbling around it. You will
> use your superior classroom skills to lead a group of attendees through your
> chosen topic in {either a half-day workshop or ninety minute lab}.
>
> No restrictions are placed on topics for workshops, but we expect interest
> to be high for workshops on:
>
>     * Practical Introduction to ___________
>     * Interoperability
>     * Exposure to a Software Stack
>     * Fitting FOSS4G into the enterprise
>     * Using FOSS4G to solve __________
>
> But FOSS4G plays strongly in emerging spaces, so workshops with
> NeoGeography-like themes or on new directions will be welcome and are likely
> to be fresh topics for many attendees.
>
> Traditionally, FOSS4G workshops are mostly "hands on" events, with
> participants seated in front of computers and able to follow along with the
> instructor, working directly with the software and applications under
> discussion.
>
> Workshops require considerable preparation. Past experience has shown that a
> high quality workshop requires about three days of preparation for each hour
> of presentation time. As part of this preparation you will be expected to
> develop material for attendees to take away with them, such as handouts, a
> 'workbook', CDROM, etc.
>
> In recognition of this effort, workshop presenters will receive a reduction
> in the price of conference registration:
>
>     * free registration for delivering a half-day workshop
>     * half-price registration for delivering a 90-minute workshop
>
> Because of limited space, you may want to consider submitting two versions
> of your topic, one for each length format.
>
> Please visit the Call for Papers page on our website to receive instructions
> for submitting a workshop proposal at
> http://conference.osgeo.org/index.php/foss4g/2008/schedConf/cfp
>
>
> The deadline for workshop proposal submissions is 15 April, 2008.
> You will hear whether your proposal has been accepted by 30 April, after
> which you will be required to register for the conference to confirm your
> attendance as well as subscribe to the
> conference-workshops at lists.osgeo.org mailing list, which
> will be the forum for discussing your workshop development, progress and
> logistics with the LOC, members of the OSGeo community and fellow
> presenters.
>
>
> ends
>
>
>
>
>
> Gavin Fleming MSc, Pr. GISc Technologist
> Senior GISc and Sustainable Development Researcher
> FOSS4G2008 conference chair
> Mintek, 200 Malibongwe Drive (formerly Hans Strijdom Drive)
> P/Bag X3015, Randburg, 2125, South Africa
> w: +27-11-709-4668 c: 0845965680 f: 0866164820
> xmpp (Jabber, Google Talk, etc.): gavinjfleming at gmail.com
> Skype: phlemingo
> 27.9782E 26.0896S
> _______________________________________________
>  FOSS4G2008LOC mailing list
>  FOSS4G2008LOC at lists.osgeo.org
>  http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/foss4g2008loc
>
>


-- 
Tim Sutton
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