[Foundation-l] Wikimania 2006 : general meeting & getting involved

[daniwo59 at aol.com]

Some points here:

Before answering what might be duplicated or wasted, let me ask:
1. Do you have a list of what tasks need to be done?
2. Since some of these tasks involve representing the foundation to 
potential donors and making snap decisions regarding funding, do you 
know who is authorized to make these decisions?
3. Have said people come aboard on this?
4. Are there any tasks which require professional assistance, and do we 
have any professionals within the community who are willing to assume 
these responsibilities?
5. What channels of communication are there to avoid contradictory 
messages to potential sponsors, supporters, suppliers, etc. -- for 
instance, if I am in the process of negotiating a price of $500 for 
food, and someone else had already told them we will pay $700, my 
position is weakened considerably.
6. Who are the on-the-ground people who will be conducting these 
negotiations? What are their relations to the community? Have they 
attended the previous Wikimania or other, similar events?
7. Why are we changing the name? How does that help in our effort to 
brand our product?
8. Who is qualified to allow the use of our logo without it becoming a 
trademark violation? Allowing people to use it freely is a surefire way 
to lose our rights to it.
9. WHO IS KEEPING RECORDS OF ALL COSTS, RECEIPTS, ETC. HOW WILL THEY BE 
KEPT? (intentionally caps)

Wikimania is an event that will cost tens of thousands of dollars. It 
is very easy to blow that kind of money without even noticing it. 
Certain key decisions will have to be made in a top-down manner, 
considering the financial, legal, and other implications of the 
decision.

Danny

-----Original Message-----
From: SJ <2.718281828 at gmail.com>
To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List <foundation-l at wikimedia.org>
Sent: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 11:00:57 -0400
Subject: Re: [Foundation-l] Wikimania 2006 : general meeting & getting 
involved

  Which tasks and efforts might be duplicated or wasted?  The purpose of
a meeting is to encourage discussion, so that people interested in
Wikimania can throw out ideas or volunteer to help organize the event.
 I don't see how anyone can know who would be coordinating the event,
or what it would involve, before these conversations have started.

Right now the larger problem seems to be the lack of public discussion
about Wikimania, replicated or otherwise.  July seems like a long way
away, but it isn't truly that far off.

--SJ


On 10/27/05, daniwo59 at aol.com <daniwo59 at aol.com> wrote:
> These are all very valid points. However, before we have a meeting, it
> would seem rather sensible for the board to decide who the organizing
> committee is. In that way, tasks will not be replicated, and efforts
> will not be wasted. Do we know who the coordinators for this event 
are?
>
> Danny
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: SJ <2.718281828 at gmail.com>
> To: Wikimedia Foundation Mailing List <foundation-l at wikimedia.org>;
> Wikimedia Translators <translators-l at wikimedia.org>
> Sent: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 08:11:38 -0400
> Subject: [Foundation-l] Wikimania 2006 : general meeting & getting
> involved
>
>   Dear all,
>
> Wikimania this past August was a joyous and wonderful event.  It was
> remarkable above all for the geographic diversity of its attendees.
>
> Help make the next Wikimania just as wonderful, and even more
> international and multilingual.  Please translate this message and
> pass it on to your respective mailing lists and wikis.
>
> How to get involved :
> 1. Come to an IRC meeting next week.  We will be discussing conference
> dates, among other things.  Note what times you can make it, or add to
> the agenda, here:
>     http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2006:Planning#Meetings
>
> 2. Volunteer your time, language skills, and enthusiasm:
>     
http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2006:Planning#Volunteering
>
> 3.  Sign up for yet another mailing list (wikimania-l).  It is
> currently low-traffic and primarily English-language; two things you
> can help change.
>     http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimania-l
>
> 4. Plan carpools or offer crash space for the event.  (harder to do
> before the date is fixed, of course)
>     http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2006:Venue#Attendees
>
>
> Organizing Wikimania is at once demanding and rewarding; and a chance
> to learn about the inner workings of a large conference.  Please join
> us on IRC, or on the wiki, to find out more.
>
> ++SJ
> _______________________________________________
> foundation-l mailing list
> foundation-l at wikimedia.org
> http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> foundation-l at wikimedia.org
> http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>


--
++SJ
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