DebConf7/Meetings/Minutes/2006-11-27
Chair: Moray Allan
Minutes: Peter Nuttall
Attending:
- Moray Allan
- Andreas Barth
- Joerg Jaspert
- Jon Dowland
- Neil McGovern
- Holger Levsen
- Mark Brown
- Simon Richter
- Peter Nuttall
Other People:
These are people who were mentioned, but were not attending.
- Nattie Mayer-Hutchings
- Martin Wuertele
- Gunnar Wolf
- Anthony Towns
- Steve McIntyre
- Phil Hands
- Patty Langasek
- Subhi S Hashwa
1) Report on CFP/registration
Moray reported that the CFP has been sent, though it was late and that so far 180 people have registered. He also noted that around 60% of them wanted sponsorship for accommodation and that 60% wanted sponsorship for food. While he didn't know if they were the same 60%, he did assume there was a large overlap.
He reported that so far 15 hours and 30 minutes of talks have been submitted. Joerg stated that that included things like the keysigning. Andreas asked who was selcting the talks, Joerg stated that there would be a team, and that the members hadn't been decided. He offered to help. Andreas enquired about asking the City of Munich to offer a talk, and Joerg asked if it could be done outside the meeting. Andreas postponed it.
Jon asked how registation this year compares to last year. Moray stated he didn't have the data to answer that.
Moray suggested thinking about closing sponsorship eariler this year. He wants a mostly-hard (sic) deadline for applying. Joerg sugggested posting to the list about it
Joerg noted that the technical side of the CFP/registration is working great. Moray thanked him and raised two points:
usability/people not reading info. (After meeting discussion: the account creation confirmation link sends you to a useless page rather than the Registation page.)
Doesn't work in Epiphany. Joerg stated this was a rendering bug in Epiphany.
Jon asked if the figure for registrations was unexpected this year. Joerg pointed out that there was an initial surge and there will be a late surge. Moray noted that it hasn't been advertised outside d-d-a.
Jon asked if the team should register. Moray stated that they should, and should read the notices.
Action Points: Joerg to look up stats from last year. Team to register discuss earlier closing of sponsorship
2) Press team report
Moray noted that the press team had been dormant, but they had a meeting yesterday. There is now a press team mailing list. Nattie Mayer-Hutchings is the primary contact and Patty is primary press release writer. Nattie will have final word on releases.
Holger asked why there was a single point of failure. Moray said that people would not work independently. Joerg said that these people just had the final word.
Andreas said that not all people were invited and that it wasn't a proper meeting. He also stated that he didn't know about the meeting beforehad. Moray said that the situtation hadn't been fixed yet and that Joerg had only told Patty and Nattie. Joerg applogized for not informing more people.
Moray stressed that it would be useful for more people to get involved, and pointed out that without Nattie and Patty the meeting should move on.
3) Accommodation team report
Jon reported that he had contacted 8 hostels on Moray's list. Subhi has faxed the rest. Jon noted that the status data in SVN is out of date and that he is merging Subhi's progress. Jon reported 6 offers, and Moray commented that they varied in price. Jon thinks there are 1 or 2 compelling offers. Moray reminded people about the issues: cost, distance and how much to reserve now.
Peter asked how prices matched expectations. Jon reported that one offer was for 200 beds over three hostels at 12 pppn. Jon noted that that offer included a hostel further afield than the other two, and that it wasn't linked to desposit size and timing. He suggested trying to get it a pound lower, and only going for the two in the city centre (160 beds). He stated that they had hoped for 10pppn, and Moray stated that the expectation was 11-12pppn.
Jon stated the other offer, from Subhi, was 80 beds at 10pppn in Belford. He stated that that was 20 minutes walk minimum. He stated that negotiations needed to continue.
He also stated that Subhi got a reply that wasn't an offer but suggested that 10pppn was doable in another hostel. It is also a fair distance from Tevoit.
Moray said that of the 180 registrations, 80 have asked for a sponsored hostel bed and 8 for an unsponsored hostel bed. He expects more people to ask. He suggested booking 200 beds asap, depending on money issues. He asked for people's opinions. Jon said that 200 was mangeable, and that it would need 3 or 4 hostels. He stated that more would be labourous and agreed the 200 was the correct number. Joerg stated that the larger the number, the cheaper the cost. Jon pointed out that all but one hostel were sub-200 beds.
Jon said that there was one 600 bed hostel, who had offered 22pppn. It was felt that this was too expensive. Jon stated that that was for 200 beds, and 300 with an option for 400 might be cheaper. Moray said they had already reduced their price and that he didn't feel they would go any cheaper.
Jon stated that he was going to continue contacting hostels, and renegotiating with them. He said that all the hostels would be contacted by monday (4th Dec 2006). He said he planned to contact smartcity (600 bed hostel) again and contact the good offer and ask about dropping the outlining hostel.
Hotels: Moray stated this was for non-sponsored people or maybe wheelchair users. He wants a deal to hold a number of rooms at a reduced price until some date. Jon stated he was doing hostels first. Everyone agreed this was the correct thing to do.
Neil was reminded to chase up the cowgate hostel. Jon stated that he and Neil found it to be fine. Jon said he had an offer for 12pppn from them.
Neil stated that the budget for hostels was 12.50 pppn.
Jon also suggested having people take a look at hostels and taking photos. Moray offered to do it but is away for a week.
Action Points:
Jon: continue contacting hostels Jon: renegotae with hostels Jon: Hotels Neil: chase up cowgate hostel 4) Sponsorship team report.
Neil stated that he wouldn't mention specifics of companies who haven't confirmed, incase they don't want it to be public yet.
Neil stated that there are two large international companies mainly based in the UK have offered sponsorship. He did state that US-based sposorship was losing value wrt to the british pound. Two Major ISPs are interested, one of which is offering bandwidth. Moray reminded him work with Teviot on the bandwidth so it happens. The other has offered 10k. Black Cat Networks have also pledged sponsorship. He also stated that 5 local smaller sponsors have offered between 5 and 10k. He said that he has planned for needing more money this year. He summerized by saying that sponsorship was looking good and was on track.
He reported on debconf Ltd. It has been set up, but there is a problem with the bank account from the bank. They want a business plan, which should be done by the end of the week, Niel also said it would mean posting paperwork to the other directors, but the account should be ready by Christmas.
Neil stated that dc6 money needed to be sorted out, and that he and Gunnar would meet to finsh it off.
Moray and Jon eniqured about money for acommadation. Neil said that 1k could be get within a week. Moray said that wouldn't cover a hostel deposit. Jon and Moray thought about 3k would be needed to book 200 beds. Jon did say he didn't know when the deposit would be needed nor the size, though 20% was guessed at.
Moray asked if there was old debconf money handy. Joerg pointed to Neil's comment on dc6. Jon asked when it would be done. Joerg said that it be done this weekend.
Moray asked about Debian funds. Neil said that he would need to ask Anthony, Steve and Phil about it. Moray observed that it would be good to know where we stand. Moray also asked if a sponsor would be willing to give money sooner if explained why. Neil said that one would be willing to donate in a week but he doubted that other would be as willing.
Joerg asked how ledger SMB was working out. Neil said it was great and thanked Martin. He also said he had the only account and that those who wanted access would need to mail him.
Jon asked if SPI would be willing to loan money short term. Neil said that they have in past years. Acting as a repersentive of SPI, he said no. Acting as a debian developer, he said that if Anthony agrees then it could be done, but it must come from debian funds.
5) Any other Business.
Jon raised two points. After they were discussed he raised another point. Moray asked about meeting times and dates.
6) Holidays
Jon noted that he didn't know that Infrared was away, nor that Moray was away for a week. He asked that people say when they aren't going to be around. Peter reminded people that not everyoe read -private, so the normal vac messages are missed. Joerg suggested handing out debconf.org addresses and using a debian-style away system. Moray said that that doesn't solve the issue of people remembering to send them. Peter asked if it would be possible to tie it to the debian db, Joerg said that it was a different database, though the same software. Jon and Moray think that VAC messages to debconf-team will siffice.
Joerg reminded people that it should only be for breaks longer than a day or two. Moray stated that short breaks don't need a message. Neil declared himself to be taking a porcelain cruise.
7) IRC
Jon said that its too hard to monitor IRC backlogs, and that people should use the ML and SVN for arraging meetings and for any details. Moray agreed and reminded people to use the mailing list for things in progress as well.
8) Debconf site SSL Cert
Jon said that having the site on https was great, but the cert wasn't signed by anyone in the IE cert bundle. Joerg said he was unwilling to pay for a signed cert. Joerg said they would work on a way to have parts of it on http.
9) Meeting times
Moray asked about times again. Neil needs to get home from work before it starts. 8pm UTC was suggested and people agreed.
10) meeting dates
Moray observed that the normal four week gap would land a meeting on christmas. Jon suggested have one in two weeks, as stuff was about that urgent. Andreas pointed out that the QA meeting was in 14 days. Moray suggested one in two weeks and one in six weeks. these are the 11 Dec 2006 and the 8 Jan 2007, both at 2000 UTC. Everyone agreed.
Next meeting: 11 Dec 2006 2000 UTC Followed By: 8 Jan 2007 2000 UTC
Meeting Closed
