[Foss4g2009] OCS/Events Conferencing software integration meeting minutes

[Dave Patton]

On 2008/08/03 2:43 AM, Cameron Shorter wrote:

> Meeting minutes below:
> 
> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4G_2009_Meeting_2008-08-30


> We discussed OCS and Tour Host's Event software.
> 
> Key aims are to have continuity of presentations between FOSS4G years.
> 
> OCS doesn't support all features required by Tour Hosts, like Finances, 
> Accommodation booking, and a number of others.

> Next steps:
> 
> Either:
> 
>    1. OSGeo Board to commit money to sponsoring OCS integration. This could be
>       factored into the FOSS4G budget and will add ~ $50 / person to the
>       conference.
>    2. A team of OSGeo volunteers take on the OCS development and reduce the cost
>       per delegate.

I wasn't able to attend the meeting, so apologies if these
concerns were already raised and dealt with, but:
A)
To me the first step would be that the OSGeo Board
and the OSGeo Conference Committee confirm via a vote
that the OCS software will be what is used for the
FOSS4G conferences "for the foreseeable future".
Perhaps that has to wait until at, or after, the
FOSS4G2008 conference?
B)
How much of this discussion is "only about FOSS4G2009",
vs about "the big picture"? I accept that OCS doesn't
do everything needed by Tour Hosts. The question is,
does that matter? Even if it was modified to integrate
with Tour Hosts' systems, is that the goal? Such work
might be 'wasted' if it has no application for FOSS4G2010.
So is the goal to 'work on OCS / Tour Hosts integration'
(so as to support FOSS4G2009) or to 'work on adding
capabilities to OCS so that it contains features usually
required by Professional Conference Organizers' (i.e.
so that in the future only OCS itself is needed as the
conference software, even if PCO services are used)?

-- 
Dave Patton
CIS Canadian Information Systems
Victoria, B.C.

Degree Confluence Project:
Canadian Coordinator
Technical Coordinator
http://www.confluence.org/

OSGeo FOSS4G2007 conference:
Workshop Committee Chair
Conference Committee member
http://www.foss4g2007.org/

Personal website:
Maps, GPS, etc.
http://members.shaw.ca/davepatton/