[Osmf-talk] should OSMF AGM include time for discussion debate?

[Frederik Ramm]

Hi,

On 09/12/2011 08:01 PM, derrick nehrenberg wrote:
> its a poor replacement for face-to-face venues like the AGM.   The AGM
> is one time where the most OSMF members are in one room...at least as
> far as I know.

The AGM might perhaps be the time where the largest group of OSMF 
members are in one room, but it is very unlikely that any AGM will 
actually see anything close to a majority of OSMF members present.

Giving higher prominence to in-person discussion could perhaps work for 
your local party chapter but we cannot do it in OSM because that would 
cut out all those who cannot afford to travel.

My personal experience with in-person discussions at AGMs is not too 
good anyway, especially if the AGM is expected to vote on the issue 
after the discussion. Such things usually favour not the rational 
argument but the better orator (or the one with the dirtiest tricks), 
and at the end everyone is eager to get it over with and get their 
lunch, or beers.

> Given OSMF's budget and revenue potential, it is fairly ridiculous that
> OSMF doesn't have paid staff to manage practical things, like planning
> SoTM for example.

Yeah, why not simply rent out our name to a professional conference 
organiser, let them handle everything from call for papers to ticket 
pricing and sponsors up to the auction at the end, and simply as for a 
cut of the revenue. I mean, that's what it's all about, right?

Sarcasm aside, it is certainly not ridiculous to try and have a 
community conference for a community-driven project. The success that 
our project has cannot be substituted by cash or else Google would have 
done that long ago.

Bye
Frederik

-- 
Frederik Ramm  ##  eMail frederik at remote.org  ##  N49°00'09" E008°23'33"