Thanks Rich for all the spirit of the Community Over Code (AKA ApacheCon). Sharing my personal experiences, I am not sure how much you were the "Spirit" of the EU conference in Berlin, that was my first "ApacheCon" experience - but that is where I got the "Community" vibes. This is where (and because of what I experienced at the conference) I decided to dedicate a lot of my effort, time into getting involved with the ASF more. Simply because I saw why the people who were there - actually wanted to be in the same place. Not because the number of attendees, amount of money raised, number of sponsors or amount of sponsorships, quality of the food etc. These are absolutely necessary, But I think what was the most important "spirit" of the event and true passion of the organizers to build thriving communities of people who genuinely want to be together, grow and especially - bring new people in and feel them both welcome and creating the space for those new people to bring their own vision and be absolutely opened to help those people to realise their vision (like me in 2019).
I have not been even PMC member yet in 2019, yet I was thrilled by organizers willing to add me to "pre-event" schedule (where I talked about how we are starting to build welcoming community in Apache Airflow - I remember the surprise that people actually showed up in big numbers - it's been a full house with people sitting on the stairs - a day before the actual conference and opening. That was mind-boggling - as a long time conference organizer, I've never seen anything like that. Also another experience from 2019 - when I found a place/company that helped us to organize "first time contributor's workshop", the organizers of the ApacheCon Berlin added information about the workshop and prominently displayed and announced it in all possible channels (no questions asked, no sponsoring or any other discussions involved - simply seeing the value in the community spirit, cooperation and building various communities - by partnership, cooperation, accepting ideas and leadership of others in running those and most importantly open mind). Thanks to that I had - together with a dear friend of mine who is also a committer - a full house again with some of the relations and contributors who are part of the communiity of our project till today. I read your word in other threads and planners about you not "running" the conference personally and passing it to those who actually "do" run it for a few years". But at least from my experience - and I think out of modesty - I believe you vastly underestimate the "spirit" of the event you personally created. At least from my past experience, logistics, organisation, etc. can be easily "bought". The spirit, willingness of cooperation, true passion for building communities and letting people grow around you is somethign that can never be "bought" for any sponsorship money and cannot be "marketed". I am - sadly and for personal reasons - not involved in organizing the EU event next year, but I hope the fantastic team of organizers that started it will have an opportunity to realise their vision and put the "spirit" in the conference next year. I am curious to see how it plays out without you as the VP conferencing and how your "spiirt" space will be filled. J. On Wed, Nov 8, 2023 at 11:42 PM Kanchana Welagedara <kanch...@opensource.lk> wrote: > Dear Rich, > > With reminiscing of helping out to organize ApacheCon Asia 2006 Asia ( Sri > Lanka ), my first ever ApacheConf experience, let me write this you . > > Your dedication, guidance and tireless efforts have made a profound impact > on Apache community . Apache conferences have flourished and have become > not just events but vibrant gathering of like-minded individuals passionate > about Apache software . > Your commitment to fostering the an inclusive and environment has created > an atmosphere where participants are formed and knowledge is shared . > Thank you for outstanding services as the VP of conferences. > > Cheers, > Kanchana > > > > On Wed, Nov 8, 2023 at 10:18 AM Dave Fisher <w...@apache.org> wrote: > > > > > > > > On Nov 8, 2023, at 8:06 AM, Owen Rubel <oru...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > "So rather than worry about these sort if artefacts of > > institutionalisation > > > or what bad KPIs \& wrong incentives can drive in a corporate world -- > > lets > > > just make sure together that these conferences are what we want." > > > > > > I kind of figured that was the point of speaking up; to let you know > how > > > vendor based conferences end up pushing out engineers. > > > > You are not “wrong”, but within the ASF ecosystem this large problem > > already exists with some of our projects having vendor run “Summits”. > It’s > > a different problem than who is managing Community over Code production. > > It’s a community health problem and an example of Foundation educational > > and governance improvements. > > > > How can ComDev help ASF PMCs improve on that existing, very complex, and > > thorny issue? > > > > Best, > > Dave > > > > > > > > Owen Rubel > > > oru...@gmail.com > > > > > > > > > On Wed, Nov 8, 2023 at 8:04 AM Dirk-Willem van Gulik < > > di...@webweaving.org> > > > wrote: > > > > > >> On 8 Nov 2023, at 13:03, Rich Bowen <rbo...@rcbowen.com> wrote: > > >> > > >>> Fyi, effective yesterday, I have stepped down as VP conferences. The > > >>> responsibility for that role has passed to VP marketing, but > > >> communication > > >>> around conferences will still happen on the planners mailing list, as > > it > > >>> has for many years. > > >> > > >> Thanks for many years of undying service and making this event a > > community > > >> one ! > > >>> > > >>> It's my hope to get a little more engaged on the side of the house, > > >> which, > > >>> of course, I've been trying to do for the last couple of years. > > >> > > >> Amen to that. And as to those that worry about this marketing > `takeover' > > >> -- in the end of the day - the ASF, as a fully volunteer ran > > organisation, > > >> relies on us, as individuals, to strike that balance that makes these > > >> conferences so attractive to us volunteers & our community. We, > > volunteers > > >> vote with our feet ! > > >> > > >> So rather than worry about these sort if artefacts of > > institutionalisation > > >> or what bad KPIs \& wrong incentives can drive in a corporate world -- > > lets > > >> just make sure together that these conferences are what we want. > > >> > > >> :) > > >> > > >> Dw. > > >> --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > >> To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscr...@community.apache.org > > >> For additional commands, e-mail: dev-h...@community.apache.org > > >> > > >> > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: dev-unsubscr...@community.apache.org > > For additional commands, e-mail: dev-h...@community.apache.org > > > > >
