[Foss4g2012] [Board] RE: [OSGeo-Conf] FOSS4G Beijing - a regional event

Sat May 26 07:32:52 EDT 2012

Hi,

As a community we need to demonstrate that we can "invent" ways to make 
this an important event! We can, better than anyone else, find ways to 
communicate and work together towards the FOSS4G 2012 preparation.

We need to demonstrate that we can reach remote places, beyond any 
cultural and communication issues. Why Google failed in China? Probably 
for the same reason we are failing. We are using the same spreadsheets 
used in Sydney, Barcelona, Denver to run the FOSS4G in China. We also 
trying to use the same invited speakers, the same committees and so on. 
And we are also expecting the same results! How to compare a successful 
conference in NA with a successful conference in Beiijng? Number of 
foreigners giving talks?

I'm completely against the motion. WE ARE FAILING and WE ARE NOT 
FUNCTIONING as a global community.

Please reverse the motion's effort towards the conferencing. We can do 
much better than this.

If people ask about the conference, we should say: we need help! Please 
come on and help us!

Regards,

Jorge

Em 26-05-2012 12:25, Jachym Cepicky escreveu:
> Hi,
>
> I might not be considered fully disinterested at this place (see lower)
> but think about this:
>
> Year 2012 seems to be the year of "local" events: FOSS4G-NA, FOSS4G-CEE.
> The "downgrade" of FOSS4G in Beijing to "regional event" would certainly
> mean loss from some point of view. On the other hand, it can produce
> profit from different point of view. Having "regional" event
> (FOSS4G-Asia) can be considered as big benefit and fully compliant with
> the mentioned objective.
>
> Matter of fact is, there is as much as no sign about any activity. If I
> want to join the event that far away, I need to submit my presentation -
> at least. I was asked by member of the Beijing team, if I could be
> member of the technical committee. I got no response since March.
>
> Downgrade does not necessary mean to loss credit of the conference
> committee or BOD. I can fully understand their decision and the Beijing
> proposal looked very good to me as well. But situation seems to have
> changed and naming it with proper words and finding proper solution is
> sigh of maturity of OSGeo to me.
>
> So bag to my first paragraph: If the year 2012 will be "the year of
> regional events" and 2014 would be "the year of global event", some
> issues we need to discuss would be started in a natural way.
>
> I wish FOSS4G 2012 in Beijing will be successful event!
>
> Jachym
>
> FOSS4G-CEE org. team member and FOSS4G 2012, 2013 selection participant
> for the Prague team
>
> Dne 26.5.2012 04:53, Shin, Sanghee napsal(a):
>> Hi all,
>>
>> I totally agree with Dave.
>>
>> If OSGeo downgraded FOSS4G 2012 to regional event, this decision will
>> lead to the eventual failure of FOSS4G 2012 and will impair the
>> credibility of OSGeo seriously as well. AGM, Sol Katz award should be
>> held there in Beijing and those event will also increase the
>> attendance.
>>
>> Finally, if OSGeo downgraded FOSS4G 2012 to regional event, the
>> conference committee that selected Beijing as host city and the BOD
>> that approved the selection should take the responsibility at the
>> same time.
>>
>> With regards,
>>
>> Sanghee
>>
>>
>> 2012. 5. 26., 오전 10:19, Dave McIlhagga 작성:
>>
>>> Something to keep in mind - the logic behind choosing to host the
>>> FOSS4G event outside North America and Europe every three years was
>>> to promote adoption of OSGeo technologies in parts of the world
>>> that might not otherwise have such opportunity.
>>>
>>> Canceling the International component of this event flies in the
>>> face of this objective.
>>>
>>> I think the risks of not having an annual international event would
>>> significantly outweigh the risks with continuing to go ahead.
>>>
>>> At this point OSGeo has no financial risk at stake if I understand
>>> the situation correctly, so that's not the issue.
>>>
>>> Clearly there have been communication issues here and delays
>>> getting everything launched ... But is that enough to actually
>>> pulling support of the event?
>>>
>>> There's a credibility issue at stake here too - to suddenly
>>> withdraw from a previous commitment makes the organization seem
>>> unreliable and unprofessional in how we conduct ourselves.
>>>
>>> Unless there's a financial risk that I'm unaware of, I say plough
>>> ahead and try to make the event as successful as it can be. A
>>> significant adoption of open source Geospatial in China and
>>> neighboring countries as a result is surely worth some short term
>>> pain.
>>>
>>> Dave
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from mobile dmcilhagga at dmsolutions.ca
>>>
>>> On 2012-05-25, at 6:55 PM, Cameron Shorter
>>> <cameron.shorter at gmail.com>  wrote:
>>>
>>>> Bo, (speaking as a community member, not on behalf of the
>>>> board),
>>>>
>>>> OSGeo Board needs to think about the long term viability of both
>>>> OSGeo and all current and future FOSS4G conferences. To date,
>>>> FOSS4G conferences have built up a reputation for openness,
>>>> enthusiastic presenters and audiences, and lots of smart OSGeo
>>>> related people, drawn from around the world, all congregating
>>>> together. Due to a number of concerns already voiced, many of us
>>>> with prior FOSS4G experience expect a low international
>>>> engagement. It would be greatly detrimental to the future of
>>>> FOSS4G events if there were are number of people attending the
>>>> FOSS4G Beijing conference under false impressions of what to
>>>> expect. It would be even more detrimental if it became apparent
>>>> that the board had serious concerns prior to the event, and
>>>> either voiced false confidence, or implied confidence by saying
>>>> nothing. The board should still be supporting FOSS4G Beijing as
>>>> much as possible, by encouraging people to attend, but it should
>>>> be done with realistic expectations about what to expect. These
>>>> are the reasons behind my previous suggested email noting the
>>>> categorising of FOSS4G Beijing as a Regional event, then
>>>> explaining the value of regional conferences.
>>>>
>>>> On 26/05/2012 8:12 AM, bo.guo at gisticinc.com wrote:
>>>>> I do not understand what is accomplished by this motion.
>>>>>
>>>>> I met and communicated with some key LOC members earlier this
>>>>> week in Beijing. They had the full intention to make the
>>>>> conference an international event. However, they acknowledged
>>>>> that they were not as experienced in organizing such event and
>>>>> they were particularly short on members who could reach out to
>>>>> the international communities.
>>>>>
>>>>> I think our priority is to help make the event international,
>>>>> as opposed to marking the event un-international.
>>>>>
>>>>> Bo Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message----- From: Cameron
>>>>> Shorter<cameron.shorter at gmail.com>  Sender:
>>>>> conference_dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org Date: Sat, 26 May 2012
>>>>> 06:31:33 To:<mpg at flaxen.com>  Cc:
>>>>> 'conference'<conference_dev at lists.osgeo.org>; 'OSGeo
>>>>> Board'<board at lists.osgeo.org>; 'FOSS4G
>>>>> 2012'<foss4g2012 at lists.osgeo.org>  Subject: Re: [Foss4g2012] RE:
>>>>> [Board] RE: [OSGeo-Conf] FOSS4G Beijing - a regional event
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________ Conference_dev
>>>>> mailing list Conference_dev at lists.osgeo.org
>>>>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/conference_dev
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -- Cameron Shorter Geospatial Solutions Manager Tel: +61 (0)2
>>>> 8570 5050 Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254
>>>>
>>>> Think Globally, Fix Locally Geospatial Solutions enhanced with
>>>> Open Standards and Open Source http://www.lisasoft.com
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________ Conference_dev
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>>
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-- 
Jorge Gustavo Rocha
Departamento de Informática
Universidade do Minho
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