On 2016-07-12 07:46 AM, Harry Mitchell wrote:
but or future organisers who find that they can't hold down a job, get a healthy amount of sleep, *and* organise Wikimania.
My (very new) employer has been made aware of my plans for the next year during the hiring process and specific allowances were negotiated for that reason - but it's unlikely that many/most people who want to organize a Wikimania are in as flexible a position.
I'm al for professional hep, but I'm a little concerned that entirely professionalizing the setup and design of a Wikimania would remove its soul. I certainly would not have done things the way they did in Esino Lario - but it very much *was* a Wikimania in soul and heart. Montreal is going to have its own flavour - quite distinct from the previous 12 - but it is going to be recognizable as a Wikimania because it's ultimately the community driving it.
I'm not saying we couldn't do better at organizational memory, or logistical support - but farming out Wikimania to contractors would kill it I believe.
-- Marc