[Webcom] Re: [Marketing] osgeo web site

[Tim Bowden]

On Thu, 2007-10-18 at 14:47 +0200, Arnulf Christl wrote:
> Jacolin Yves wrote:
> > Tim,
> > 
> > There is a WebCom (Web Committee) who manage all the OSGeo website.

Ah, now I know.  Haven't been involved with that side of things thus
far.

> > 
> > The name of VisCom changed for this reason : too close of WebCom (with some 
> > other good reason).
> >
As my obvious confusion just demonstrated.

>  
> > Y.
> > CC : webcom mailing list.
> > 
> > Le Thursday 18 October 2007 12:44:29 Tim Bowden, vous avez écrit :
> >> Not sure who runs the web site now that we no longer have a visibility
> >> committee, but the osgeo.org web site is returning a MySQL error page.
> >>
> >> Not sure I like the idea of marketing getting hold of it though...
> >> Marketing departments seem to do shocking things to web sites.  Lots of
> >> flash animations, marketing-droid-speak, no substance etc...
> >>
> >> <grin>
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> Tim Bowden
> 
> Hehe, 
> as long as I chair Marketing you will never ever see a Flash animation on osgeo.org and WebCom will probably efficiently prevent us from talking no substance. 
> 

Good, though I'm not in the least surprised.  In fact, I think I'd
almost die of shock if the OSGeo site went that way.  My mistaken
assumption that the successor to the old visicom was responsible for the
web site let to what was for me a rather amusing situation of talking to
the "marketing department" about web site performance issues...

> But. It would be helpful to get hints at what you think can be done better. Suggestions should be realistic, Marketing is volunteer based, practically unfunded and I am just a sorry command line hacker.
> 

Command line hacker?  At least marketing in in hands I understand...
Not used to that!
> Currently Marketing focus is on producing printable promotion material for OSGeo software in high quality (standards have been set by GeoNetwork opensource) and to enhance the SPD. If you don't even know what the SPD is then we really did a bad job so far. 
> 

FWIW, perhaps we should be able to link relevant parts of the SPD into a
suitable page in local chapter wiki sites.  Not sure how and some
chapters may not be interested or able to take advantage of that, but I
know the Aust-NZ chapter would like to get around to promoting local
GeoFOSS contractors and vendors.  I imagine the SPD might make a good
base to build from.  Just a thought.

> 
> If something technically is amiss with the OSGeo website, environment, etc. then the right place to holler is the chat on irc.freenode.net#osgeo
> 
Noted.

> 
> Regards, 
> Arnulf. 

Regards,
Tim