Re: EmacsConf format and date

[Amin Bandali]

Hi Sacha, Karl, all,

emacsconf@Karl-Voit.at writes:

> Hi,
>
> Sacha Chua (sacha@sachachua.com) wrote:
>
>> Hi Amin, all! (Moved to the list, seems publicly discussable).
>> 
>> For the interview/panel live sessions, we can either do video (using the
>> > FSF's Jitsi or BigBlueButton instance) or only voice (using Mumble).
>> > Even if we go with video, I'm still thinking of setting up Mumble this
>> > year, as an alternative to IRC.  Thoughts?
>> >
>> 
>> Definitely video, since it's much easier to talk about Emacs if we can show
>> Emacs as needed. :) I'm not sure how an audio channel will work without
>> visual cues, but it might be fun to experiment.
>
> Yes, I share the very same opinion.
>
> Besides: IRC/chat does have the advantage that it does not require
> real-time interaction or drags away attention that much.
>

True.  I'm thinking of adding a small poll of whether people would be
interested in potentially be hanging out on a mumble server on the
day(s) of the conference, in addition to our usual IRC channels.

>
>> We also need to decide on a date for EmacsConf 2020.  I'm leaning
>> > towards mid- or late-November.  I'm thinking of setting aside two days
>> > this year, in case we have as many awesome submissions as we did last
>> > year, to lighten the load on us organizers and on viewers as well.
>> 
>> I'm not sure I can do a full weekend, as my kiddo will probably not be cool
>> with that. Maybe someone else can do the tech checks and running around on
>> the second day, or we could try two half-days?
>

That's completely understandable, Sacha.  I'm thinking of announcing two
days tentatively, with the possibility of folding over the second day if
we (everyone) run out of things to do or say. :-)  And please feel free
to step aside at any time and/or take off whenever you need to, to tend
the kiddo or to take a break for yourself!  Please don't feel pressured
to spend any more time than you reasonably can.

>
> What about one day with pre-defined schedule and another (half-) day
> with spontaneous lightning talks that aren't necessarily
> pre-scheduled or pre-defined?

That sounds like a good idea.  I hope we can do it in a way that's
non-discriminatory to people's sessions.  I'm both excited and kind of
scared to receive this year's submissions and set up a schedule, if
it'll be anything like last year with *so* many (awesome) submissions.

                                 * * *

To help us decide date(s) for EmacsConf 2020, I'll paste my little
plaintext calendar of November and December of this year again:

,----[ $ cal nov -n2 ]
|     November 2020         December 2020   
| Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa  Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
|  1  2  3  4  5  6  7         1  2  3  4  5
|  8  9 10 11 12 13 14   6  7  8  9 10 11 12
| 15 16 17 18 19 20 21  13 14 15 16 17 18 19
| 22 23 24 25 26 27 28  20 21 22 23 24 25 26
| 29 30                 27 28 29 30 31
`----

SeaGL is on Nov 14 and Nov 15, and David is also away around that time.
I also think we're a bit late for holding things early in November like
last year.

So, I think our reasonable options are:

- November 21 and 22
- November 28 and 29
- December 5 and 6
- December 12 and 13

I would most likely personally be fine with Dec 19 and 20 as well, but I
think that would caught it way too close to holidays where people might
be travelling (well, if at all possible, with the current madness), or
just take it easy.  Perhaps even Dec 12 and 13 would be pushing it.

Thoughts?  Should we rule out the ones which don't work for any of us?
Or would it be easier if we directly decide on an option?  Would you all
please chime in?

In the mean time, I will start putting together a CFP so we can get it
out as soon as possible.  You are all more than welcome and encouraged
to help out with that.  Let's start with 2019's CFP and go from there.

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