Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
On Dec 3, 2007 3:16 PM, John (J5) Palmieri <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Would one of you guys like to put together a proposal including venue, > costs and dates? What do you say Adam? Are you in NC? Want to grab a cup of coffee and chat? Cheers, -- Og B. Maciel [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] GPG Keys: D5CFC202 http://www.ogmaciel.com (en_US) http://blog.ogmaciel.com (pt_BR) ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
On Mon, 2007-12-03 at 12:46 -0500, Adam Schreiber wrote: > On Dec 3, 2007 12:41 PM, Og Maciel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > How about North Carolina? We have a great place with big name > > companies, schools and exciting people. > > Seconded. > > Adam Schreiber > *cough*Clemson University, Clemson, SC*cough* Would one of you guys like to put together a proposal including venue, costs and dates? It might be too late for this year since I am pretty sure we can book the Stata Center in January but it would be nice to have people talking to other venues and getting estimates so we have backup plans and the ability to move fast when choosing a venue for the year after. Alternatively if you wanted to get your feet wet and start small you could organize a smaller event and apply for funding from the board. -- John (J5) Palmieri <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
On Dec 3, 2007 12:41 PM, Og Maciel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > How about North Carolina? We have a great place with big name > companies, schools and exciting people. Seconded. Adam Schreiber *cough*Clemson University, Clemson, SC*cough* ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
How about North Carolina? We have a great place with big name companies, schools and exciting people. -- Og B. Maciel [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] GPG Keys: D5CFC202 http://www.ogmaciel.com (en_US) http://blog.ogmaciel.com (pt_BR) ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
On Sun, 2007-12-02 at 14:53 +0100, Kjartan Maraas wrote: > > > Just a note... I can probably find some good space at the University of > > Toronto (Canada) if it was ever required. It is generally easier for > > folks in some countries (like China, and Russia) to get visas to come > > here, and it is a cheap flight for Bostonians. There is a Red Hat > > office here, not sure about other GNOMEy elements. > > > Sounds like a great idea to me. Do we have any numbers showing how many > non US attendants were there at the previous Boston summits? Don't think so. But I'm all in favor of Boston Summit in Toronto too. -- behdad http://behdad.org/ "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." -- Benjamin Franklin, 1759 ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
on., 28.11.2007 kl. 16.00 -0500, skrev David Bolter: > Hi Jeff, all, > > Jeff Waugh wrote: > > > > > > > >> > >> > >> > >>> Have the board paused and thought why the Summit has to be Boston? Is it > >>> because most hackers work around Boston? May be it was the case. > >>> > >> Because there's a critical mass of developers there -- most of both the > >> Red Hat and Novell desktop teams. > >> > > > > Dan Winship points out on IRC that while this was true when the Boston > > Summit was created, there aren't a lot of Novell desktop hackers left in > > Boston these days. Perhaps a roaming Columbus Day weekend conference (still > > in the USA) would be a good thing? > > > > Just a note... I can probably find some good space at the University of > Toronto (Canada) if it was ever required. It is generally easier for > folks in some countries (like China, and Russia) to get visas to come > here, and it is a cheap flight for Bostonians. There is a Red Hat > office here, not sure about other GNOMEy elements. > Sounds like a great idea to me. Do we have any numbers showing how many non US attendants were there at the previous Boston summits? Cheers Kjartan ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
On Thu, 2007-11-29 at 07:53 +1100, Jeff Waugh wrote: > Perhaps a roaming Columbus Day weekend conference (still > in the USA) would be a good thing? s/USA/North America/ Canada do exist. And in that case Columbus day is Thanksgiving in Canada so it might be wise to move the date a bit. Hub ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
Hi Jeff, all, Jeff Waugh wrote: > > > >> >> >> >>> Have the board paused and thought why the Summit has to be Boston? Is it >>> because most hackers work around Boston? May be it was the case. >>> >> Because there's a critical mass of developers there -- most of both the >> Red Hat and Novell desktop teams. >> > > Dan Winship points out on IRC that while this was true when the Boston > Summit was created, there aren't a lot of Novell desktop hackers left in > Boston these days. Perhaps a roaming Columbus Day weekend conference (still > in the USA) would be a good thing? > Just a note... I can probably find some good space at the University of Toronto (Canada) if it was ever required. It is generally easier for folks in some countries (like China, and Russia) to get visas to come here, and it is a cheap flight for Bostonians. There is a Red Hat office here, not sure about other GNOMEy elements. cheers, David ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
> > > > Have the board paused and thought why the Summit has to be Boston? Is it > > because most hackers work around Boston? May be it was the case. > > Because there's a critical mass of developers there -- most of both the > Red Hat and Novell desktop teams. Dan Winship points out on IRC that while this was true when the Boston Summit was created, there aren't a lot of Novell desktop hackers left in Boston these days. Perhaps a roaming Columbus Day weekend conference (still in the USA) would be a good thing? - Jeff -- linux.conf.au 2008: Melbourne, Australiahttp://lca2008.linux.org.au/ "The only people still using Microsoft IIS are those who don't even know it's there." - Larry Ellison ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
> Have the board paused and thought why the Summit has to be Boston? Is it > because most hackers work around Boston? May be it was the case. Because there's a critical mass of developers there -- most of both the Red Hat and Novell desktop teams. - Jeff -- GNOME.conf.au 2008: Melbourne, Australia http://live.gnome.org/Melbourne2008 "The FFF policy: File a bug, Fix it, or F*ck off." - pwhysall on gnomedesktop.org ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
On Wed, 2007-11-28 at 17:44 +, Ghee Teo wrote: > > Part of the issue is the Boston Summit is always in Boston where as > > GUADEC can always get fresh enthusiastic teams to help out. This is > > because in order to become a host city for GUADEC you already have to > > have a team assembled to make and sell a bid. This is helped by the > > fact that host cities and organizers often see prestige in hosting > > GUADEC. > > > Have the board paused and thought why the Summit has to be Boston? > Is it because most hackers work around Boston? May be it was the case. > Is it still true now? Are there other locations that substantial number of > hackers are around? > > Just some thoughts :) It is called the "Boston" Summit. All joking asside cost is the main issue. The Boston Summit is supposed to be a more informal and efficient gathering where GUADEC is the big bang go all out conference so budgets are handled accordingly. Having it in one city allows us to theoretically keep costs down and make sure the quality is still there. There is also historically a large contingent of GNOME hackers in Boston. We did have it in New York one year. In fact that was the first year I went since being in NY meant I just had to hop a couple of trains to get there. The venue was, shall we say, less than desirable, though it worked out for me. So there are always pros and cons to the equation. Right now I think the pros still outweigh the cons in keeping it in Boston but who knows what the future brings. If someone wanted to organize in some other city and could put together a detailed proposal there is nothing stopping the board from considering it. -- John (J5) Palmieri <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
> Part of the issue is the Boston Summit is always in Boston where as > GUADEC can always get fresh enthusiastic teams to help out. This is > because in order to become a host city for GUADEC you already have to > have a team assembled to make and sell a bid. This is helped by the > fact that host cities and organizers often see prestige in hosting > GUADEC. > Have the board paused and thought why the Summit has to be Boston? Is it because most hackers work around Boston? May be it was the case. Is it still true now? Are there other locations that substantial number of hackers are around? Just some thoughts :) -Ghee ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
On Wed, 2007-11-28 at 05:57 -0500, Behdad Esfahbod wrote: > On Mon, 2007-11-26 at 12:46 -0500, John (J5) Palmieri wrote: > > Even if not elected I am an available Boston resident and would > > be more than happy to help out. > > I'm sure you do, and you alredy showed that by organizing the poub night > this year. Thanks for that. But if you look, I asked for help about > Boston Summit on the boston-social list as early as June: > > http://mail.gnome.org/archives/boston-social/2007-June/msg0.html > > and got no reply. I mailed at least three Boston residents directly and > got no reply either. And I gave up and Jeff ended up doing it all the > way from Australia. It was going well until the *reserved venue* got > canceled... > > The point being, while most of our community is willing to help, more > often than not the very people that can help most are already overbusy > with their own schedules and rightfully don't volunteer for new work. > Many of them do accept it though when asked directly. That's what we've > started doing on the board: pick someone we know can do the job and ask > just him/her. > > That has an inherent limitation though, that we end up getting help from > those people we know closely. This is where the main problem with > delegation in the board is. Asking on mailing list has its own problems > too. Sometimes the cost of delegation ends up exceeding the cost of > Just Doing It! I think you have identified why mailing lists just don't work for these types of tasks - at least without first having critical mass. It also shows why the board needs to have a more direct relationship with members. Mailing lists are great for topics which have a constant relevance to the reader but if it is a once or few times a year thing people often forget to check. Compound this with all the other mailing lists and the ability to hold a readers attention just dwindles. What needs to happen is active lobbying of people at the summits and gatherings. Let them know what to look for and people will help out. Look at GUADEC. The past years GUADECs have been masterfully managed. There were hiccups here and there but when we look at it compared to the Boston Summits we can see the difference. Part of the issue is the Boston Summit is always in Boston where as GUADEC can always get fresh enthusiastic teams to help out. This is because in order to become a host city for GUADEC you already have to have a team assembled to make and sell a bid. This is helped by the fact that host cities and organizers often see prestige in hosting GUADEC. However there is an advantage in having a summit in one place every year. It allows us to build relationships with venues and people in the area who might not necessarily be part of the GNOME community but could be helpful none the less. We need to start doing that and booking venues way in advance so that we can announce a definite date at GUADEC. We also need to bring the prestige back into helping out. Sometimes that is a simple thank you or different colored shirts to distinguish those who went above and beyond the call of duty. I know for me, organizing the Beer Summit it was simply the ability to throw a party that allowed me to overlook the stress of having to do it in a week. Everyone has their motivations whether it be money, a pat on the back or recognition from their peers. We need to figure out what motivates individuals and excite them to lend a hand. So to summarize: 1) Advertise in every medium you've got - mailing lists, blogs, conferences or even cold calling. 2) Get commitments early 3) Organize specific tasks 4) Reward all those who helped out 5) Figure out what worked and what didn't and apply them to the next event making sure to accept and analyze constructive criticism -- John (J5) Palmieri <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
> But if you look, I asked for help about Boston Summit on the boston-social > list as early as June: > > http://mail.gnome.org/archives/boston-social/2007-June/msg0.html > > and got no reply. I mailed at least three Boston residents directly and > got no reply either. And I gave up and Jeff ended up doing it all the way > from Australia. It was going well until the *reserved venue* got > canceled... Thanks for pointing that out - but I do want to stress again that Zana and Owen saved the day when all else failed, and we should be very grateful to them (not that you're forgetting them, I just wanted to say thanks again). We have to wait until January to book the usual venue at MIT, so I hope J5 (elected or not - formalities, formalities) can adopt that task and pursue it vigorously! :-) - Jeff -- GNOME.conf.au 2008: Melbourne, Australia http://live.gnome.org/Melbourne2008 "On Tuesday I saw Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with Zack and two ladies whom I presume are gracious." - Seth Schoen ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
On Boston Summit organization and delegation [was Re: A question to candidates]
On Mon, 2007-11-26 at 12:46 -0500, John (J5) Palmieri wrote: > Even if not elected I am an available Boston resident and would > be more than happy to help out. I'm sure you do, and you alredy showed that by organizing the poub night this year. Thanks for that. But if you look, I asked for help about Boston Summit on the boston-social list as early as June: http://mail.gnome.org/archives/boston-social/2007-June/msg0.html and got no reply. I mailed at least three Boston residents directly and got no reply either. And I gave up and Jeff ended up doing it all the way from Australia. It was going well until the *reserved venue* got canceled... The point being, while most of our community is willing to help, more often than not the very people that can help most are already overbusy with their own schedules and rightfully don't volunteer for new work. Many of them do accept it though when asked directly. That's what we've started doing on the board: pick someone we know can do the job and ask just him/her. That has an inherent limitation though, that we end up getting help from those people we know closely. This is where the main problem with delegation in the board is. Asking on mailing list has its own problems too. Sometimes the cost of delegation ends up exceeding the cost of Just Doing It! Cheers, -- behdad http://behdad.org/ "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." -- Benjamin Franklin, 1759 ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
