One note about what we're discussing: when we talk about just doing the
regional events (and I mean beyond 2017, which will be a special case if a
host city can't step in), we need to realize that we have a lot of members
who aren't in a Code4Lib region.
You might think I'm talking about Alaska, because that's where I lived when
I first came to a Code4Lib conference. And that's certainly one place,
along with Hawaii, that would be left out.
But even living in Pittsburgh, I'm not in a Code4Lib region, that I can
tell. Pittsburgh isn't in the midwest, and we also aren't part of the
tri-state region that Philly's in. I'm employed (part-time/remote) in the
DC/MD region, so if I can afford the drive and hotel, that's probably the
one I'd pick right now. I guess?
So, even landlocked in the continental US, it's possible not to have a
region.
More importantly, though: my understanding is that our international
members are fairly spread out -- maybe Code4Lib Japan being an exception?
-- so, even ignoring weird cases like Pittsburgh, we stand to lose some
really fantastic contributors to our community if we drop to regional-only.
Just something else to consider.
- Coral
On Thu, Jun 9, 2016 at 11:31 AM, Mark A. Matienzo <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> On Wed, Jun 8, 2016 at 6:40 AM, Eric Lease Morgan <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> >
> > Hosting a local/regional meeting is not difficult and relatively
> > inexpensive.
>
>
> While I find the intent to make code4lib more "distributed" through
> localized meetings, I find this statement incredibly belittling and
> disingenuous. There are a number folks in the community who have organized
> local, regional, national and international conferences. Some of the things
> that you claim are important, and perhaps easy (space, "strong wifi", etc.)
> can be quite difficult to obtain, even for small groups.
>
> Let’s forgo identifying a fiduciary for a while. What will they facilitate?
> > The funding of a large meeting space in a “fancy” hotel? Is that really
> > necessary when the same communication & sharing can be done on a smaller,
> > lesser expensive, and more intimate scale? DIY.
>
>
> Any of this organizing activity is a form of labor, and it's no wonder why
> people get exhausted and sometimes burnt out by organizing conferences. I'm
> all for DIY, but DIY is still labor and requires time, capital, and
> emotional energy.
>
> So yes, let's provide more opportunities for people to get together at a
> local level, but let's be honest about what it takes.
>
> Mark
>
> --
> Mark A. Matienzo <[log in to unmask]> | http://anarchivi.st/
>
|