[wos] WOS 3: Panel Overview

[Atul Chitnis]

On Mon, 12 Apr 2004, Volker Grassmuck wrote:

> * Economy of Free Software
> I've asked Rishab Ghosh to maintain this panel, no response, yet
> An option would be to include (not yet approached):
> - Michal Tiemann, Red Hat, formerly Cygnus

If neither of them is available, you might want to try Jon Corbet, the
editor of Linux Weekly News (http://lwn.net). Not only is he quite
well-versed and well-known in this context, but hey - it can't hurt to
have the editor of an extremely widely read and respected FOSS site
reporting from the heart of things at WOS3.  ;-)

Unter anderem...

Hallo, ich heisse Atul Chitnis, und bin einer der internationalen Sprecher
fuer WOS3, und wohne in Bangalore, Indien. (Mehr ueber mich hier -
http://atulchitnis.net) 

Wollte mich mal kurz vorstellen und fragen, ob ich irgendwie helfen
koennte.

While I have been conducting FOSS events for years, I haven't attended any
in Germany before, so am not sure how things are done there, but I intend
to learn.

For Linux Bangalore (http://linux-bangalore.org/2003 - which we have now
organised for the past three years, and which has about 3000 delegates
each year, from across the world) we had developed a number of web-based
tools, including for scheduling (96 talks for LB/2003 - nightmares
anybody?), speaker and delegate registration, etc. Do you have anything
like that for WOS3 (and if not, do you need them)? Lots of spagetti
PHP+MYSQL code, but it works, and I could get the original coders help
customise them for WOS3.

A couple of things I have been looking for on the WOS3 site but havent 
found yet are

1- Speaker instructions (style, duration, slide guidelines, etc.) I know 
most of the people speaking are seasoned speakers, but it helps giving 
some framework to work with - something like our 
http://linux-bangalore.org/2003/guides/speakers.php (more guides available 
on the site).

2- I assume Internet-access is a given at the event, including WiFi, but 
wasn't able to find any reference to that on the site. Instructions (how 
to register your laptop, WiFi card rentals, security instructions, etc.) 
and general guidelines would help delegates prepare themselves *before* 
they land up.

3- general instructions for delegates (where do you go to do or hear what, 
security arrangements if any that people should be aware of - we, for 
example, didn't allow any bags)

4- International publicity - I have been searching around and there 
doesn't seem to be much excitement yet out there on the net and 
international media - time to heat things up? Ideas available.

These are just a couple of things that came to mind. 

I agree with Volker that you may want to reduce things by a panel or two 
to make room for a couple of last-minute entries that you hadn't counted 
on (I am sure someone or the other, including me, would jump in if you 
find yourself facing a "hole" in the schedule). 

I don't mind (s/don't mind/insist on/) helping out with anything I can do
remotely - I land in Berlin on the 1st of June , so can also help out with
stuff on the spot. My abilities lie mainly in the area of writing, coming 
up with weird ideas (and executing them), apart from plenty of experience 
with free software systems (Linux user since 1994).

So if there is anything I can do to help - please feel free to holler.

Atul

-- 
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Atul Chitnis       | achitnis at exocore.com
Exocore Consulting | http://www.exocore.com
Bangalore, India   | +91 (80) 2344-0397
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