[CREATE] Decision for LGM 2011 venue — Action required

[Yuval Levy]

> We need the data to analyse it and come up with a recommendation so act
> now, please! :)

Cher Louis, dear all,

I've been away from almost everything Free graphics for too long and don't
expect my availability to improve soon :(

I saw a lot of traffic on this ML, my apology for following it only with
the DELETE key.  Here my 2 cents to the wiki pages linked, hoping they are
helpful to you.


*1* Guidelines http://create.freedesktop.org/wiki/Conference_2011

the guidelines mostly make sense to me, with exception of three issues:
A. reinvention of the wheel
B. politics
C. ueberburocratization

Details below.  Beyond these three issues I see a discussion about venue
alternation.  I consider venue alternation to be a mildly political topic.
 Alternation, or rather variety, is desirable.  But it should not be a
determinant factor in itself.  More important are the quality of the
venue; and the time and money factors.  Variety in this context does not
mean change for change sake.  It means sharing the burden of travel so
that it is not always the same group of people that has the "home
advantage".


A. reinvention of the wheel

Over the past few years the wheel has been reinvented too often / too
much.  One of the main points of Free software is not to rewrite code. 
Fine-tuning is OK, but after six editions there is enough LGM code that
can be re-used / adapted to future LGM.  IMHO the "LGM code" got rewritten
too much / too often with no obvious/tangible benefit.


B. politics

We all have opinions and they belong in the appropriate forums.  Not here.
 While the guidelines identify serious factors and risks, they fail IMHO
to clearly state that politics, including politics toward Free software,
has nothing to do here.  Drop the hot potato before it burns your hands. 
The people involved in LGM / Free Graphics can't be held responsible for
the political issues in their countries.  And since there are political
issues in every country, and they are relative / a matter of perspective,
we better focus on what unites us (Free Graphics) than on what divides us
(political issues).


C. ueberburocratization

The two years process is a good idea and I like that the "LGM code" gets a
little bit more stability / continuity through the board envisioned in [0]
but a 9-members board is IMHO excessive bloat.  There is enough discussion
and consultation at the public (ML and project teams) level.  Keep the
board focused on decision, and on passing down the DNA that we know works
to avoid re-invention of the wheel.  I would suggest 3 to 5 permanent
board members. add 1-2 representative of the local org each year.

[0] http://create.freedesktop.org/wiki/Ideas_for_a_LGM_Board


*2* Evaluation of proposals

the above said, looking at the three proposals and given the information
provided in the proposals, my pecking order would be:
1. Canada
2. Vietnam
3. Brazil

It was a difficult choice - I feel I am lacking some critical information,
and of course I am biased.  As much as I would like to visit Vietnam or
Brazil as a tourist, I think this is first and foremost about getting
things done (conference) and not about leisure & tourism.

@Brazil: how much for a hotel room?  how much for a meal?  how much for a
flight from Europe? from Asia? from North America ?  how would we be
clustered locally / distance between hotels and conference? local traffic?
 I feel uncomfortable with the not yet secured venue.

@Vietnam: realistically, do you think we'll sleep in the 10-15$/night
place, or in the 100$/night place in "district 1"?  I don't want to guess,
I do want "developed country" level budget comfort (e.g. no cockroaches). 
Allergy from airco does not bode well for health... and having a long
commute from the hotels to the conference venue does not appeal to me.

@Canada: OK, you've hosted LGM twice, you have the advantage of "better
the devil you know" from my perspective.

a rather longish 2cents.
HTH
Yuv