Initial Members and Meeting

[mikeal]

Here's the deal. NodeConfs have been run by several people and groups around the world under various sub-brands. There hasn't been a lot of collaboration between these people yet and the administration of "what is a NodeConf" has been left to me personally, as has been enforcing the trademark when necessary.

I'd like to move the ownership of NodeConf from me to a collective of people representative of the organizers around the world that have been running events and helping to build the community. This group will likely move to the Node Foundation at some point (although that decision will obviously be made by this group once the time is right).

Agenda

• NodeConf & "Sub Brands" (ONE-SHOT, Summer-Camp, Adventure)
  • What are the goals of dividing these up?
  • Is this working?
  • Should we merge the github.com/oneshot with github.com/nodeconf?
• What are the hard parts of putting on an event?
  • How can we support each other's events?
• Should we join the new Node Foundation?

Date / Time

July 8th 12pm - 1pm PDT (UTC 19:00 - 20:00)

https://bluejeans.com/133167850
OR
Just want to dial in? (all numbers)

• Direct-dial with my iPhone or
  • +1 408 740 7256
  • +1 888 240 2560 (US Toll Free)
  • +1 408 317 9253 (Alternate Number)
• Enter Meeting ID: 133167850

[voodootikigod]

Sounds great! 👍

Chris Williams

@voodootikigod http://twitter.com/voodootikigod | GitHub
http://github.com/voodootikigod

The things I make that you should check out:
SaferAging http://www.saferaging.com/ | JSConf http://jsconf.com/ |
RobotsConf http://robotsconf.com/ | RobotsWeekly
http://robotsweekly.com/

Help me end the negativity on the internet, share this
http://jsconf.eu/2011/an_end_to_negativity.html.

On Wed, Jun 17, 2015 at 3:16 PM, Mikeal Rogers notifications@github.com
wrote:

Here's the deal. NodeConfs have been run by several people and groups
around the world under various sub-brands. There hasn't been a lot of
collaboration between these people yet and the administration of "what is a
NodeConf" has been left to me personally, as has been enforcing the
trademark when necessary.

I'd like to move the ownership of NodeConf from me to a collective of
people representative of the organizers around the world that have been
running events and helping to build the community. This group will likely
move to the Node Foundation at some point (although that decision will
obviously be made by this group once the time is right).

Ok, let's put together some initial members, a meeting time, and an agenda.

@voodootikigod https://github.com/voodootikigod
@cianomaidin https://github.com/cianomaidin
@gergelyke https://github.com/gergelyke
@hannesvdvreken https://github.com/hannesvdvreken
@kelkes https://github.com/kelkes
@digitalsadhu https://github.com/digitalsadhu
@PatrickHeneise https://github.com/PatrickHeneise
@bevacqua https://github.com/bevacqua
@anotheredward https://github.com/anotheredward
@dcbartlett https://github.com/dcbartlett
@kaushalparikh https://github.com/kaushalparikh
@Resonance1584 https://github.com/Resonance1584
@georgewills https://github.com/georgewills
@trygve-lie https://github.com/trygve-lie
@a0viedo https://github.com/a0viedo
@dscape https://github.com/dscape
@monkchips https://github.com/monkchips

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#1.

[gergelyke]

👍

[digitalsadhu]

Sounds awesome, @rexxars, @leftieFriele, @Andersos and @sveisvei from OneShot Oslo keen to participate

[anotheredward]

👍

[bevacqua]

👍

[PatrickHeneise]

👍

[iancrowther]

can you add me to the list

[trygve-lie]

Count me in!

[georgewills]

Thanks Mikeal, I'm keen.

It looks like we have a mix of awesome people spanning the USA, New Zealand and Europe (and I suspect many places in between)

Can I suggest that 7pm - 8pm GMT should cover most people on this list - apologies to those in Asia, it will be the very small hours...

That converts to:
Noon US Pacific Time
3pm US Eastern Time
7am New Zealand Time
5am Australian Eastern Time
9pm Norway / Hungary
6pm UK time

Dates...
Always going to be tricky with such a big group so here is a random date I happen to be available.
July 8th (that is July 9th in NZ and Aus)

I'm interested in discussing:

• What jobs, tasks & roles we might be able to lift off @mikeal (who has been doing a super job)
• Everyone's view on what NodeConf is and could be
• The NodeConf brand vs its OneShot sub brand.
• How best to share information with those wishing to organise a future conference
• How to encourage more people to run conferences
• Potentially collaborating on sponsor and speaker lists

[iancrowther]

I'm available for that meeting.

@martinheidegger, @alanshaw & @olizilla would be a good shout too

[martinheidegger]

@yosukefurukawa is currently head of nodejs-japan (hosting node-gakuen - which is actually a legal organisation for the purpose of organising events here). I can help to coordinate other japanese efforts.

[PatrickHeneise]

I'm traveling in this timeframe but should be able to get a connection somewhere.

[olizilla]

👍 and am free July 8th.

[digitalsadhu]

That date and time works for me 👍

[trygve-lie]

Works for me also.

[leftieFriele]

The date and time works for me.

[dscape]

Well done @mikeal — great initiative and in line with what the foundation is doing.

As I told you privately i would be very keen in having another event in london sometime, so seeing @iancrowther, @monkchips and @olizilla here brings tears to my eyes. GREAT WORK!

July 8th is tricky for me thought, since I might be on a plane at that time. Can we do the the 9th instead of maybe just do a doodle to see what date looses the least amount of people?

[mikeal]

On July 9th I'll be on a plane to Django's Birthday :(

[dcbartlett]

👍 Our's hasn't officially started yet, but will definitely help out with this.

Date and Time is good for me.

[georgewills]

So, At this stage the 8th is:
Good for:
@dcbartlett
@mikeal
@leftieFriele
@trygve-lie
@digitalsadhu
@olizilla
@iancrowther
@georgewills

Maybe:
@PatrickHeneise

Not good for:
@dscape

9th of July option is out due to @mikeal flying.

Who is left unaccounted for?

@dscape if you have an alternate date then lets run it through the 👍 👎 machine . Alternately is there an asynchronous way we can include you in the meeting?

[Andersos]

Works for me 👍

[martinheidegger]

Works for me too 👍

[dscape]

Please keep me in the invite anyway, I'm in NYC so it's hard cause of running around but will try if this is the best time for everyone

[voodootikigod]

I can do any of those dates.

Chris Williams

@voodootikigod http://twitter.com/voodootikigod | GitHub
http://github.com/voodootikigod

The things I make that you should check out:
SaferAging http://www.saferaging.com/ | JSConf http://jsconf.com/ |
RobotsConf http://robotsconf.com/ | RobotsWeekly
http://robotsweekly.com/

Help me end the negativity on the internet, share this
http://jsconf.eu/2011/an_end_to_negativity.html.

On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 11:17 AM, Nuno Job notifications@github.com wrote:

Please keep me in the invite anyway, I'm in NYC so it's hard cause of
running around but will try if this is the best time for everyone

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#1 (comment).

[iancrowther]

👍

[digitalsadhu]

👍

[kelkes]

count me in

[mikeal]

http://doodle.com/su7fqu6u7mt2sx68

[mikeal]

Please propose any additional Agenda Items.

• NodeConf & "Sub Brands" (ONE-SHOT, Summer-Camp, Adventure)
  • What are the goals of dividing these up?
  • Is this working?
  • Should we merge the github.com/oneshot with github.com/nodeconf?
• What are the hard parts of putting on an event?
  • How can we support each other's events?
• Should we join the new Node Foundation?

[thebergamo]

Maybe works pretty well, NodeConf are the main one, and other derivates something like chapters

[iancrowther]

I'm not even sure the one-day'ers they need to be differentiated as not the main ones, its kinda implicit via the format and the history of NodeConf. I expect the SF & EU events would remain known as the main one's by the community. I'd be interested to see NodeConf.asia etc as another massive conf.

[mikeal]

Ok, the time is set.

July 8th 12pm - 1pm PDT (UTC 19:00 - 20:00)

https://bluejeans.com/133167850
OR
Just want to dial in? (all numbers)

• Direct-dial with my iPhone or
  • +1 408 740 7256
  • +1 888 240 2560 (US Toll Free)
  • +1 408 317 9253 (Alternate Number)
• Enter Meeting ID: 133167850

Updated issue description.

[thebergamo]

Why not skype or hangout?

[mikeal]

Skype isn't good with this many people, Hangouts caps at 10.

[iancrowther]

@mikeal had a brief chat with @dscape - am happy to pass on the meeting points.

[mikeal]

So, BlueJeans was kind of a disaster when we tried to use it for the TSC meeting so let's fall back to using my UberConference line for this meeting.

https://www.uberconference.com/mikeal

We've found that dialing in is significantly better audio quality than the web based part.

[thebergamo]

Waiting... =D

[mikeal]

@thebergamo we aren't schedule to start for another hour and 20 minutes ;)

[thebergamo]

I don't understand @mikeal :/

[mikeal]

We are starting at 19:00 GMT.

[thebergamo]

Yeah! :p Here just 16:00 hehe

[olizilla]

Should we merge the github.com/oneshot with github.com/nodeconf?

+1, though no strong opinion

What are the hard parts of putting on an event?

Caring enough to make it good. Making it good. People wrangling. Lack of sleep. Physical exhaustion. Finding interesting, and ideally new speakers, managing to pay them something for their effort. Oh and the venue is a huge deal. No amount of hard work can fix a band venue. Too big can be as bad as too small.

How can we support each other's events?

Shared calendar, like the jsconf. We should probably integrate with that too.

Should we join the new Node Foundation?

Sounds nice. What would it mean to do so?

[olizilla]

Oh and I suck at timezones too. 🐼

[digitalsadhu]

NodeConf & "Sub Brands" (ONE-SHOT, Summer-Camp, Adventure)
What are the goals of dividing these up?
Is this working?

The OneShot naming is, I think, missing it's target audience. Experienced noders "get it" where as the aim of oneshots is to attract new people from local communities and NodeConf is much easier to understand immediately what to expect.

Should we merge the github.com/oneshot with github.com/nodeconf?

I'm for for the same reasons as above

What are the hard parts of putting on an event?

• Getting sponsors is hard
• Setting correct ticket prices is hard
• Predicting attendance is hard

All of these things are easier after having run a conference or 2. It would be great provide more advice in these areas to new conference organisers

Budget

There are also different difficulties depending on budget. It's actually kinda easier to have less budget. In Oslo, things were pretty easy since we kept the whole event extremely low budget. Less $$ = less to organise.

In Christchurch, we pulled out all the stops and had to work pretty hard as a group to coordinate everything. More polish = more time spent.

Providing higher budget resources such as pimp website templates, attendee badge templates, etc could help in some areas.

Location

New Zealand is a long way away from the rest of the world and the cost of flying speakers added up. Oslo was easy being in Europe and even easier piggy backing off Web Rebels conf in the 2 days prior.

Community experience level

In Oslo Node has a pretty decent adoption and consequently it was easy enough to attract attendees.
In Christchurch the community was very new to Node and we had to work crazy hard to attract people from other dev communities (eg. Ruby and .net) from University and from around the rest of the country via meetup groups etc. Even after that attendance was lower than we had hoped (though pretty decent)

How can we support each other's events?

Share experiences, could collect post mortems and include such an approach in guidelines. Could process post mortems into a common challenges and solutions FAQ.

Should we join the new Node Foundation?

Working group under the foundation sounds good to me. Easier to delegate tasks, meet discuss and improve resources.

[mikeal]

for anyone bad at timezones, we are starting right now ;)

[a0viedo]

I couldn't make it to the meeting, it would be awesome if someone took the time to write notes :)

[digitalsadhu]

the session was recorded!

[dcbartlett]

Sorry asbout missing this, google ate my meeting event, and i had gone out to look for a new apartment. Will watch the recorded event.

[mikeal]

@a0viedo I'll be logging a bunch of additional Issues to cover most the pending action items. Here's a brief overview:

• Merge ONE-SHOT in and stop using that sub-brand (I've already moved the repo and teams over)
• Write up requirements for being part of the collective and being "a NodeConf"
• Share access to twitter for better promotion.
• Consider starting a monthly email about upcoming NodeConfs to promote CFP and ticket sales.
• Consider a shared list of sponsor contacts and a monthly sponsorship solicitation email.
• We want to join the Node Foundation. We need to write up an open governance policy first.

[PatrickHeneise]

Just want to throw in the centralised planning for discussion. Having a website (nodeconf.org) with all upcoming conferences worldwide and a call for speakers system that asks the relevant questions could help 1st time organisers a lot. I imagine going to barcelona.nodeconf.org/cfs and submitting a talk for Barcelona, but all other organisers would be able to see the talk as well. Together set of tools for a website (speakers, agenda, sponsors) that could be a great start for smaller node conferences.

[kelkes]

Sorry that i did not make it but my 2 weeks old daughter needed me :)

[thebergamo]

@PatrickHeneise the domain nodeconf.org is mine and all repositories using Github Pages have a *.nodeconf.org just like br.nodeconf.org (For the NodeConf in Brazil we are using it!) in other issue I talk about this domain and all Confs can use it! Its for community =D

[mikeal]

:)

[PatrickHeneise]

@thebergamo that sounds good!

[PatrickHeneise]

@mikeal what's the status right now? Need help with the governance policy or anything?

@thebergamo we have barcelona.nodeconf.com now. Should we go for .org?

[mikeal]

You can use whichever domain you like but .org won't work with gh-pages for technical issues.

The governance stuff is on hold while I work out the foundation umbrella program. I need to document the stuff we've already agreed to (no more ONE-SHOT, just name them after a city, etc) but I'm lacking time :(

[PatrickHeneise]

well, beside you there are 18 participants here, just say what has to be done, maybe we can help ;)

[mikeal]

sure, take my last document about this, remove all the references to the node.js foundation, and send a new PR :)

[PatrickHeneise]

which last document?