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List:       suse-linux-uk-schools
Subject:    RE: [suse-linux-uk-schools] Flossie again
From:       ian <ian.lynch2 () ntlworld ! com>
Date:       2003-12-13 11:58:21
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On Sat, 2003-12-13 at 11:00, chris_thing-e wrote:

> Perhaps now is a good time to go back to basics and reaffirm the
> objectives of this conference, the outcomes desired, the audience
> required, the agenda and the methods for achieving the desired results
> (why should people want to go to this conference?).....venue, lunch is
> important for the comfort of the audience and to establish the
> credibility of the conference and it's organisers,(unfortunately it is
> also a differentiator too high up some audiences list too - do you
> really want thos people? - but there is a minimum accepted level too)
> and of course time and date re availability of audience, but only after
> the basics are agreed....( the IOE is a good choice, albeit not easily
> reachable on a national basis) - (school halls are serious on a DOE or
> scout meeting level!)-( if the choice of organic is critical then the
> battle is lost!)

The main function of holding such a conference is to establish a regular
annual conference for FLOSS in education. It leads on from the one
organised in April. It provides opportunities for those working in
education who have been using FLOSS extensively for some time now to
communicate there experiences with others and for those who want to find
out more, the opportunity to do so. There will be opportunities for
hands on for those who haven't experienced things like KDE/Gnome
desktops etc. There will also be attendance by people with political
influence who can be shown why FLOSSIE makes political and economic
sense.

> Apart from all else time is running out for organising to the currently
> chosen date.

I think there is enough time, I was just a bit concerned about
attendance but I'm a lot less so now. Mind we don't want to become
complacent.

> Please get your act together and stop this spurious chat.......for good
> or bad I will stop recomending that policy makers use this email list as
> a measure of the grass roots interest in OSS while this chatter
> continues...I hope we all have more serious things to do.

I can't see the problem here. This "chat" has probably increased the
number of people confirming that they are coming 10 fold and given me
many other recruitment leads. Let's not be too mechanistic about this.
People like to chat and word of mouth is the most powerful marketing
tool there is.

> If I'm off track please let me know and I will disengage from this
> list....

Why do people have to disengage because they have a different view or
think other people's comments are irrelevant? The whole point of
discussion and debate is to get different views! Let's be tolerant,
FLOSS is a broad church!

I think people also need to understand that this is a voluntary effort
that has to be fitted in with work and we have decided and are committed
to the date and venue. If that turns out to be a duff decision we'll
have to take that into account next year. There was a rationale behind
the decision based on a lot of experience of this type of thing. If I
have it wrong, its my money at stake! If we do do better than break
even, excess money goes to AFFS and Schoolforge to further the FLOSS
cause in education, if we make a loss, I take the hit.

-- 
ian <ian.lynch2@ntlworld.com>


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