[Foss4g2008loc] draft call for workshops for FOSS4G2008

[Cameron Shorter]

For the labs,
Have you determined what computer resources will be provided?
Will there be a computer for each attendee?
Will each computer be pre-installed with a standard environment?
Are you considering using a Live CD or similar?
With a standard environment be made available before the conference for 
attendees to install on their computer during the plane flight to the 
conference?

Gavin Fleming wrote:
> 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 
> </exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=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 
> <mailto: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 </exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.foss4g2008.org/> 
> 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 
> <mailto:gavinjfleming at gmail.com>
> Skype: phlemingo
> 27.9782E 26.0896S
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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> FOSS4G2008LOC at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/foss4g2008loc
>   


-- 
Cameron Shorter
Geospatial Systems Architect
Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254

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