[Viscom-dev] Merger with WebCom?

[Michael P. Gerlek]

I'm not so sure we do have the volunteer resources to staff as many
non-small events as we'd like -- aside from Arnulf and Intergeo, I'm not
sure we're well-off.  I know Josh could use more help for Where, and I
feel like you (Tyler) sort of got stuck with both AU and Location
Intelligence by default.  I certainly don't think it should have to be
the ED role to *run* all the events!

I guess what I meant my separating out the Big Events to the ED role is
precisely because it requires so much work up front to figure out where
the money is coming from; I don't see many of us being able to do that
well, and in fact I'm not sure such a financial responsibility ought to
be distributed.  Furthermore, by saying "we will do N big shows" implies
that we *will* do them -- and then if no one can readily commit to a
full-on effort to seeing each one through, I feel like it falls to
VisCom to "make sure it happens".  I'd almost rather see the ED be able
to say to the world "we have $ for the X event, is there anyone willing
to run it?" -- and then it gets run as a a mini-task-force, not VisCom
proper, kind of like we're treating FOSS4G.  Could VisCom fill that
role?  Yes, probably, but I (speaking for myself) don't feel I've been
successful at managing that.

And on other hand, of course, yes, VisCom will always have to help out
somehow, as we have the collateral, booth (maybe), etc.

*sigh*

I know we've gone around and around on this, but I think I myself am
lately still not comfortable with our general approach [which is why in
part I'm stepping down, I think we need some new blood and fresh
perspectives].

-mpg

 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: viscom-dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org 
> [mailto:viscom-dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of 
> Tyler Mitchell
> Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2007 1:40 PM
> To: Visibility Committee Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [Viscom-dev] Merger with WebCom?
> 
> On 21-Mar-07, at 12:09 AM, Michael P. Gerlek wrote:
> 
> > Events are also a problem because the Big Ones seem to require a  
> > significant amount of up-front planning and committment, 
> and that's  
> > hard to do with volunteer labor.
> 
> I think we're doing okay on this so far, but having a budget will  
> help with this by providing more resources to the volunteers.
> 
> > - move the Big Event question over to the ED (sorry, Tyler),  
> > because for now it requires substantial up-front planning and  
> > monetary committment; if the Board and ED don't want to do any Big  
> > Shows this year, then great; all other Events should be 
> only of the  
> > form "we'll give you small grant" and handled by ComCom -- unless  
> > someone volunteers for more (again on a case by case basis, like  
> > Intergeo)
> 
> I see it as really being up to VisCom to decide what events/types of  
> events to aim for.  I think we've laid out the vision/plan 
> for VisCom  
> pretty well - at least on the event side.. now it's just a budget  
> question.  That's why we went through the event brainstorming and  
> budgeting exercise.
> 
> It seems to me that others on the committee are happy to take 
> on some  
> of the bigger events as long as adequate support is available.  How  
> much financial support the board approves is another matter, but  
> don't let it confuse you.  Perhaps we need to have this discussion  
> again, but thought we ironed this out a while back.
> 
> I'm not sure exactly what you are thinking I could do better 
> than the  
> committee, but I don't think it will help.  I can really only handle  
> 1 at a time max. and am not so perfectly attuned to the community to  
> be able to know what events are best or most important, etc.  It  
> gives a false sense that I am "in charge" of something that 
> is really  
> the mandate of a committee that is more than adequate to handle it.
> 
> Back to Jason's question... when I say I think event 
> management could  
> subsume the new committee, I mean that when we have a meeting about  
> events they tend to take a long time or require high energy.   
> Sometimes you have little time/energy left after going through it -  
> but that could just be me :)  Also they have such real timelines/ 
> deadlines associated with them that events tend to take 
> priority over  
> everything else.
> 
> Is that a showstopper or major concern to others?  Still, if 
> there is  
> significant overlap between the people on both committees, perhaps  
> working closer together on the whole visibility side would make sense.
> 
> I'm not sure either way...
> Tyler
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