KohaCon09 Planning Meeting, 30 January 2009

1:51 PM Dianne: I'm here, but I can only participate until 2:30 or so today. 1:52 PM Tina: Hi Dianne! 1:56 PM Any concerns Dianne? just to make sure we cover them before you have to leave...

Dianne: Hi Tina! Since registration is going slowly, do we & the developers who will be presenting have a minimum # of attendees that are necessary to make the conference happen?
Tina: why don't you pose that to the manage-list

1:57 PM i mean that would be a good place

Dianne: Which list do you mean?
Tina: good question, Dianne :)
 David: since you have access to that, could you post Dianne's question?
me: From my experience with a "conference" this is really early I don't really expect registration to pickup until the end of February. People still have to get approval etc...
Tina: that will let Chris and the French guys weigh in

1:58 PM i other words, I don't want to speak for the group on that-- I will ask LibLIme

me: OK - Can do.. Again it's only been a week for registration actually 5 days.
Tina: what minimum would make it worth it for us to send staff

1:59 PM Dianne: Another concern is getting the program list set. Some people may want to see the final agenda before deciding to attend.

me: Yes Tina I think that is the correct question. Depending on registration and seeing that 3 of the 14 are "interested observers" and knowing there are probably 2 more on the way as a sales issue it could be very beneficial.
Tina: yep-- makes sense well, i wasn't thinking of sales

2:00 PM just raw numbers to make sure conference is worth those who are flying in etc

Vicki has joined
Tina: but as david says, we are still early in registration i think after a formal PR goes ot out we'll see registration pick up :)

2:01 PM me: Howdy Vicki... Dianne has to leave about 2:30 her question was what numbers do the developers want to see in attendance before they actually commit.

Dianne: I know it's early and I am glad to see some who are evaluating Koha signing up.

2:02 PM me: I really think it will pick up and with the "post" conference agenda for developers I think they are committing financially - it helps them to get together face to face especially with a release around the corner.

Dianne: Agreed
Tina: yep david-- i'll send Paul, Chris, Galen and Josh your question about minimum
Vicki: OK.
Tina: FYI
me: OK I forgot to attach the minutes from the last meeting, but will send them with this meetings minutes. And then will have Chris post them on the wiki.

2:03 PM Vicki: Can you post them as a Google doc too?

me: OK thank Tina. I didn't know if I was officially on the manage list or just temporarially on it..  In your google account there should be a chat's section if you open that do you all get a copy of the chat saved there? I suspect you do.

2:04 PM Vicki: Oh yeah. I forgot about that.

me: OK on to the agenda... Registration for 5 days is at 14! That's pretty good and we haven't published it to the LibLime customers directly yet.

2:05 PM Tina - I don't know if you have a "prospects" list that you want to send it out to from sales but you are more than welcome to do that as well.

Tina: ok-- thanks David on that topic, would you prefer I send the 'formal' announcement to clients
me: any questions regarding registration?
Tina: or forward an email from koha-list from you announcing/which would be more effective/would you prefer?

2:06 PM me: That is up to you Tina - if you want to send it... I don't have access to that file any more so it would probably make more sense if they see it coming from you that it is "Sanctioned" 2:07 PM Tina: so, you vote for sending the approved 'formal' announcement? some modified version of the draft I had sent?

Vicki: That sounds fine to me.
me: Oh you are talking about the PR statement you sent me?
Tina: will do yes-- that's what i'm referring to (knowing it needs modification)

2:08 PM i'm just clarifying your preference--

me: Discussion point - for the agenda... Press Contact - if someone has questions before they "print" something.
Tina: Nicole has offered to be the press contact for that if you wish
me: Tina do you have other thoughts on that? Dianne or Vicki?? thoughts?? It would make sense it would be me since we are "hosting" 

2:10 PM Tina: one advantage is that Nicole is known by the Koha community

Vicki: Do you mean press contact for the conference?
Tina: and i'm sure they'd feel fine having her be a contact for an 'official' koha announcement
me: Yes Vicki..
Vicki: I think it would be fine if Nichole handled this.
Tina: vicki: yes, the question is for a formal PR announcement of the conference, who should be the 'press contact' in case there are questions
Vicki: We aren't even on Koha yet.

2:11 PM Dianne: Neither are we-- so I am ok with Nicole handling it.

me: OK Nicole it is!
Tina: ok-- i'll let her know

2:12 PM i would do, but i don't hold any 'official' role in the community and nicole does :)

Vicki: Great!
me: From registration there have been a couple of suggested programs as well - Dianne have you caught those?
 OK thanks Tina.

2:13 PM Dianne: Yes-- do you want them added as definite programs if the suggested has offered to present?

me: Yes I think so...
Vicki: I think that would be fine too. I haven't seen any really whacky suggestions.

2:14 PM me: Most of them are things we had already even talked about.

Dianne: Do we plug them in and move programs for which there are no presenters and add those to the suggested programs list?
me: OK one thing to keep in mind is the number of "prospective" interest people in Koha. I see one person is coming from Australia as a "interested"...

2:15 PM Go ahead and plug them into maybe where we had duplicate programs for starters.

Vicki: You may want to start by slotting them in to the duplicate sessions. Then the ones with no presenters can get bumped.

2:16 PM me: or put at the bottom as possibles if we get takers.

Dianne: OK-- I'll do that on the google doc and everyone can let me know if they approve the changes to go on the wiki
me: I'm ok with you just doing it on both.

2:17 PM I think that by the end of February we will have a better idea of attendance. I was going to wait one more week before sending anything out to our Texas "systems" to see how registration goes. 2:18 PM Texas Systems - we have like 7 regional service centers for public libraries and they may be able to send out info to the "locals" for us. 2:19 PM Dianne: My library is likely to have 2 additional attendees and another NJ library told me they would be sending 2 attendees-- none of those are registered yet

me: I was also going to send something to an administrator list for School Libraries that I am on along with the Regional Services centers for Education here in Texas.
 I'm thinking we will get at least 50 people - everyone is just slow to register. Vicki do you remember how the numbers worked in the "other" conferences we worked with?
Vicki: That's an interesting idea David. We could send and announcement to some lists in our respective states.

2:20 PM Dianne: I can publicize to the NJ state regional library cooperatives.

me: I think there are lots of people "looking" but they may not be on "Koha"lists...
Vicki: Registration was always slow until the deadline. As the deadline approached, things picked up rapidly. We don't really have a deadline and there is not registration fee, and hence no early bird registration so there is no real incentive to register early.

2:21 PM me: I think if Tina sends out the press release to the customers of LibLime that too will generate interest among active users.

Vicki: I agree.
Tina: yep
Dianne: Tina can you encourage some of those active users to consider presenting?

2:22 PM me: I may put out on the lists that the hotel rates will most likely go up 2 weeks before the conference... Currently they are $95, but will probably jump$ 20-30 as they release the rooms we don't make. Room blocks and all of that... There are no penalties if we don't make the block FYI...

 yes-- david i can

2:23 PM me: OK - we have plenty of room so publicize it far and wide...

Vicki: I think that's a good idea. Also, if the room gets full, people should reserve early.

2:24 PM Tina: Hi david-- i was distracted for a moment with the call-- did we decide what changes need

 to be made to the formal announcement?
me: The general meeting room should seat 250 and in talking with the facility manager if we need the space she can arrange it so we would have more of the space.

2:25 PM Press contact 2:26 PM Tina: will do i'll send the revised version to this group and to the koha community people

me: There are some more technical things coming down the pike with requests - but I need to talk with the powers that be before offering anything. IE videoconferences and recording sessions etc...

2:27 PM I've had a few people ask if we could do that, but am not offering anything as I would prefer the seats filled!

Vicki: Yes, I was wondering if any of that would be possible. People should be able to blog sessions I would think. I'm not sure that videoconferencing the sessions is necessary.
me: yes they can blog - we would just have to see about assigning people to make sure things are covered.

2:28 PM Yep this is about getting together and networking. - ok only other question I want you all to ponder is how we build our lists for the sponsorship session... 2:29 PM Homework... I was thinking we could put butcher paper up on walls with different modules and have people write suggestions - along with mining the enhancements from bugzilla. 2:30 PM I don't know how open the Development wish list from LibLime is or PTFS's list... I know Patrick indicated they were going to "publish" them at one point, but I suspect it is going to be too late for our purposes.

Dianne: PTFS can publicize their much development list.

2:31 PM Vicki: I think it is important that all development projects be out in the open.

me: I know there is some concern with the management groups about how that session will be organized and "managed"...

2:32 PM Dianne: PTFS is leaving that up to their customers-- and I am sure that several of the customers will be happy to make the lists public

Vicki: Can we share our development projects? I mean once we are actually having some development done?
Dianne: I am more than willing to share the EBPL list

2:33 PM Vicki: I think SCLS would be willing to share its list. Waldo has shared a lot of theirs already.

me: In my situation my enhancements once done will be part of code. If individual libraries submitted what they have on their development project list then the companies are off the hook.
Dianne: I agree
me: The only concern about development projects - is when will the development actually be done...
Tina: I'm sure LibLime is willing to share lists as long as the client is ok with that
Vicki: It would be helpful to have someone consolidate this lists.

2:34 PM Dianne: How do development lists relate to the RFCs?

Vicki: I'm envisioning one master development list that includes all projects that individual libraries have shared.
me: I am open to starting this session, but I want some guidance on how we will structure it.
Vicki: Sorry, what's an RFC?

2:35 PM me: Yep I see that too Vicki - and then we can "publicize" it before the conference for people to look over and make additional comments/suggestions.

 Development talk - RFC - recommended and working on for the release.  Tina do you know what it stands for?
Vicki: I'd be willing to work on consolidating lists.
Tina: Hmmm.... let me ask Debra

2:36 PM who wrote that?

Vicki: Diane did.
me: RFC is all over the 3.2 roadmap.  On the wiki.
Tina: i'm not in on the development talks, so i'm asking now
Dianne: Wiki url for RFCs: http://wiki.koha.org/doku.php?id=en:development:rfcs3.2

2:37 PM Tina: Request for Comment

me: OK Vicki - I'm good with you starting it. We just will have to check with development folks prior to the conference to make sure to mark things in progress or??? I also had a problem in reading the LibLime Development lists - as they were vague requests so things that I would ask about didn't match based on the scope for that client.

2:38 PM Ah thanks Tina!

Dianne: I think we need Galen to do a session on the development cycle and what's coming in 3.2 before the sponsorship session
Tina: in practice a more or less detailed proposal for a new Koha feature history: RFCs were how a lot of technical standards for the Internet were distributed
 says Galen :)
me: Good point - He has offered to do one, so if you want to move things around on the schedule to accomodate that wonderful!
Tina: so there ya go! :)

2:39 PM Dianne: ok-- will do on schedule

me: wealth of information!
Vicki: We spent a good deal of time winnowing through the LibLime lists. As we do this, we will want to make sure we have the status of proposed enhancement clearly defined.
me: yep may even need to go back to a library for clarifications...

2:40 PM Vicki: I think a session on 3.2 is great, but I think the community still needs to talk about sharing development especially as there are multiple ways to have development done. Yes, I agree David.

me: That's all I have... I was told that in the next 2 weeks my Development projects will be in my hands for testing...

2:41 PM Vicki: We have tons of projects that we have identified as core development for us.

me: I also know that the companies are curious how this is going to work with 5 different groups wanting to sponsor somethingsomthing and Me not a client of that company...

2:42 PM I also know that some companies have "promised" development, but we don't know where that is or how long it will be for it to get to the main code.

Vicki: Right. I'm also very concerned about development by more than one company or library on the same piece of functionality. Libraries only have so many resources and this seems a waste to me.
Tina: I don't feel I can speak to that, not being on the development or operations team. (Not sure if any of that was directed at me :)
me: OK I'm done talking before I get in trouble.

2:43 PM Tina: was there some specific question

Vicki: Nope! I think we are speaking strictly from the user perspective.
Tina: you'd like me to pass on to LibLime development ?
me: No I think we are just trying to get our heads around "group" sponsorship.
Tina: ah
Dianne: I agree with Vicki and hope libraries can work together to prevent duplicate development
Vicki: I think it's up to us to cooperate and sort things out. The vendors have to protect their customer's confidentiality.

2:44 PM Dianne: I have to leave now

me: you hit it on the head Vicki, but it is also up to us as clients to make sure the companies perform and provide what is promised.  Ok thanks Dianne great discussion.
Dianne has left
Vicki: Bye Dianne. I'm guessing we are about done for today.
me: Anything else Vicki?
Tina: Thanks Dianne!

2:45 PM Vicki: No. I think I've said my bit!

me: Tina?
Tina: nothing more from me  :)
Vicki: I'm glad we are all on the same page with this.  And by the way, I love the development exchange at LibLime. You can pass that on. :)

2:46 PM Tina: ok-- thanks Vicki :)

me: OK Nicole knows this is a standing meeting now so I think we're a wrap. I'll send out notes in a little bit and get that to the Wiki. I also think if I post to the different lists weekly that will prompt registration.
Vicki: I agree David.
me: You will hear about XXX if you come to the conference...
Tina: k-- i will send out the revised PR to you all and also to the koha project management for another pair of eyes