2011/1/19 Delphine Ménard <notafishz(a)gmail.com>om>:
On Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 1:13 PM, Finne Boonen
<hennar(a)gmail.com> wrote:
However, most other fields have several
conferences a year where
people meet each other. I'm not sure we have enough events that allow
real international 'mingling' to take place. In my experience most
conferences we have are very local events, and there is real benefit
from interacting in person with a wider community then the local one.
I am a bit with Harel on this one. However, I agree with you Finne.
To me, the solution would be to have a rotating (yes, the big R word)
international event every other year (ie. it would be decided _in
advance_ which continent wikimania is happening on) and allow/foster
more regional international meetings the year in between. This would
allow for the following:
<snip>
*This would actually strengthen the ties between
communities of big
regions (such as the US, for example), by allowing people to
participate in an event close to home at least once every other year.
I'm still not totally sold on biennial idea, but this is the one
compelling reason for me. With two weeks of vacation per year, most
Americans have to carefully decide how to use it. Do I attend
Wikimania? Wiki-Conference NYC? And forget about me attending any
non-Wiki conferences, if I do that.
(Thankfully, the socialist country in which I now live (;)) guarantees
me a lot more free time, but I still appreciate the issue.)
Austin