[Industry] Introduction to the list

[Andrea Giacomelli]

Dear all,

Thanks to Peter Baumann for flagging the initiative of this new list!

Seeing that the subscriber list is a small family for the moment, and
knowing only a couple of you, I'd like to take the opportunity of the new
list to introduce myself

a) My core background is GIS for environmental engineering/research.
Currently working as a free-lance, in a mix of consulting and marketing
work, based in Southern Tuscany.
More info on http://www.pibinko.org

b) first step with geographic FOSS: end 1993, with GRASS. Using various
parts of the OSGEO stack since then.

c) founding member of GFOSS.it (the Italian OSGEO chapter), operating
between 2007 and 2010 as media relations/communications+marketing guy for
GFOSS.it.

Among other initiatives I developed in that phase I like to recall a
promotional video some of you may have seen [1], and the m(')appare Milano
campaign [2]

d) In early 2010 I quit GFOSS.it, as I felt it had been an excellent
startup phase, but did not find an ideal context to develop my initiatives
in terms of awareness raising.
Anyway, we're still friends with GFOSS.it folks ;)

e)  in 2011 I eventually created a new association called Attivarti.org,
which is all about intertwining culture, environment and open innovation.
This is a "micro-organization" which typically networks with other
non-profit organizations to develop its projects. You may check out our 1st
semester activity report, issued just a few days ago:
http://www.attivarti.org/?p=1954

 One specific issue we approached with Attivarti.org, is the relationship
of non-profit activism projects and for-profit (I like to say: for income)
projects...maybe this could be a topic of interest for the list (or maybe I
will ask you about your experiences).

f) To date unfortunately I never had the chance of attending a FOSS4G
event...I recall sending an abstract  which was rejected as "too policy
oriented" ;) ...but eventually that's still where I'm standing.

I have been working as a senior technologist in a corporate environment, a
facilitator for one of the working groups for the INSPIRE Directive, and
currently acting as  Italian representative in the management committee for
a European research network on light pollution...

in these different settings I tend to find myself constantly bridging the
GFOSS/Open data/Open Knowledge communities to other communities (i.e.
clients, from a GFOSS standpoint), and I keep seeing the value of working
on policies, while in parallel other folks see the value of growing the
code base.

Code on its own won't work, nor will policies...so some balance is needed
in these two types of effort...this sounds like a truims when you write it
in an e-mail, but in practice it's not.

g) I have been following with interest recent discussions on the general
discussion list, with reference to potential evolutions for OSGEO and to
the relationship to local chapters, but I am quite in a busy period so I
tend to be in listening mode...
I'll be glad to follow this addtional list and contribute when possible.

h) Last but not least: if you happen to travel to Italy/Southern Tuscany,
and like the idea of having a chat in person, please let me know...I have
always promoted the value of live interaction, and having the possibility
of proposing meetings in the Tuscan hills South of Siena is not a bad
setting ;)


Thanks for getting through this long introduction, and regards!

Andrea Giacomelli
http://www.pibinko.org
info at pibinko.org
+39 347 15 33 857


[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZOQSn5tyqQ
[2] http://www.pibinko.org/mapparemilano/
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