[Scale-planning] Free Software Representation at SCaLE

Lori Barfield itdirector at gmail.com
Tue Jan 24 22:09:48 PST 2012


On Tue, Jan 24, 2012 at 7:22 PM, Mark Holmquist <marktraceur at gmail.com> wrote:
> [...]
> This brings me to a question: Is the Free Software community so
> diminutive that no speakers wanted to address them? Or is this a
> preference of the SCaLE planners that is manifesting in policy? Another
> question: Is it wise, given this conference's need for attendees, to
> systematically exclude any community that would otherwise want to
> attend? I hope to discuss this further upon replies.
>
> I, for one, refused to attend for those very reasons, so I hope that you
> will consider changing these policies, or maybe asking for term-agnostic
> presentations, before next year's conference. Thanks.

Mark, if you chose not to attend the conference because it didn't have
the content you wanted in concentration, it seems to me that the
principles of choice and marketplace were in operation here.  This is
why all conferences publish their schedules in advance.  But I know
you were disappointed and I'm sorry we missed you.  I think you know
that SCaLE does not have a policy of exclusion, but there certainly
_is_  a policy that facilitates whatever communities may not have been
fully represented in the body of talks:  Those are the BoFs.  And
those are cost free because they are supported by everyone else.  Next
year I hope that you come and run a BoF that promotes those critical,
overlooked activities in your community.  I want to be around
passionate people who work hard contributing to open source efforts,
so please shoot me an email, and I'll join you in the front row.  With
cookies.

...lori


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