[Eg-oversight-board] Hack-A-Way Proposal

[Rogan Hamby]

Here is the proposal I promised a way back.  Things have been so
hectic for members in the discussion group that we haven't had much
discussion of this yet but with the Oversight Board's blessing I'm
still willing to pursue it.  The event will probably be pretty small
scale this first year.  Frankly, time is our enemy but if we can do
something then we can plan on something larger for next year.

Proposing the 2012 Evergreen "Hack-A-Way"

As we closed out the last Evergreen conference the Oversight Committee
discussed looking at new ways to promote the common interests of the
community.  As everyone knows, the Evergreen community is fairly young
and as it grows the Oversight Committee is finding it's way.  The
Oversight Committee began as a way to put Evergreen's assets in the
community's hands and facilitate the local hosting of the annual
conference.  Today, I would like to introduce a proposal for another
task we would like to take upon ourselves and for which I volunteer
myself.  But, I need both feedback and a blessing from the community.

I call it the Hack-A-Way, both because the goal is to facilitate
hacking away at the code and as a pun off a getaway.  In short, the
goal is to provide an opportunity, at the midway point each year
between conferences, for developers to meet in person and to continue
the momentum they develop at the conference.  This goal came directly
out of the developer community, who find in person collaboration is
extremely useful.

And frankly, promoting this labor benefits everyone.  This can not be
under stated.  I speak for the Oversight Committee when I say this is
a good idea.  I speak for myself when I say this is a wonderful idea.

So, how do we make this happen?

I'm proposing a combination of use of community funds and soliciting
funds for this project.  Thanks to good stewardship, the community
funds are in the black and we have had some donations, but donations
are small and most of the funds go to paying expenses for next year's
conference.  So, we need community blessing to use funds which are
there.  Then, we need the community's blessing to proceed with setting
up the event and soliciting funds.

So, is this like a developer conference?

No.  This will be much more low key, more motel than hotel and more
take out than fine dining.  There won't be seminars or classes, unless
they spontaneously come out of the developers themselves.  However, I
will ask for a local coordinator and ask for proposals from those
willing to host it.  The most qualified hosting site will be selected
and we will work with them to select dates.  Costs will be kept to a
bare minimum with meeting facilities and internet connections provided
by the host if possible.

How big are we talking?

We're talking fairly small at first, though the more developers who
can attend on their own dimes and the more grants we can give out will
increase it's size I'm sure.  Hopefully, in future years with more
time to prepare we can grow it a little bit and I'm sure ideas will
come out of the developer community to use the event to it's fullest
advantage.

Isn't this basically a hackfest?

Yes.  I'm suggesting a name because as we go for sponsorships having
an identifiable name is useful and the term hackfest is used very
generically.

So, what would funds go to?

Everyone able to afford their own expenses would be expected to.
Ideally, otherwise grants would be given out to help cover travel,
food and lodging.  However, because of the short time frame involved
that may be a "we do it this way next year" thing.  Instead, for this
first year I propose that we use funds to pay for lodging.  This
reduces the infrastructure needed to administer the event since rooms
can reserved as a group and paid out to one vendor and we can do
something more intricate next year with more time to plan.

How would we qualify people?  Well, other than requiring that it be
developers, we haven't figured that out yet.  But doubling up on rooms
is encouraged.

What else will money be spent on?

Not much, but I do hope to supply them with copious amounts of
caffiene so assume a snacks and refreshment budget.  Awake coders are
productive coders.

Can non-developers attend?

This is something we really need feedback from the development
community on but the goal at this time is for this to be an event for
those who contribute code to Evergreen and perhaps others active in
the technical community, not to make it a mini conference.

So, where will this money come from?

Our goal is to seek sponorships for the event.  Individual donors can
certainly give small amounts but we also hope that Evergreen related
businesses and large institutions will be willing to buy sponorships
since this work directly benefits them.  The hat will get passed
around.   We will provide sponsorship levels and I will be working on
finding ways to provide exposure for those willing to pay for higher
level sponsorships and thus provide an incentive for donors to dig
deep.

Who would do the work?

Myself.  Anyone else I can pull in.  The local hosts.  Somehow we'll
make it happen.  Our goal is to aim for the mid year point, so that
puts us in the September / October timeframe.  We need to move
quickly, but it is doable and very much worth doing.


- Rogan Hamby