Re: [Debconf-team] [Debconf-discuss] Travel sponsorship BoF: minutes
Ana Guerrero wrote:
> We need to:
>
> - determine a very clear guideline about the process:
> - *who* can ask money,
> - *why* you can ask money
> - *how* much money you can ask (*).
- *when* you can ask for it (hopefully compatible with a range
of cheap ticket availability dates)
- *when* and *where* it will be paid
> - determine how split the money between all the people who ask and who we
> reject.
>
> Traditionally, we have not known if we have money for travel sponsorship very
> close to debconf dates, so people has paid very expensive tickets. One of many
> complains was: if I would have known this at least 1 month ago I could have bought
> cheaper tickets.
Actually, my timing complaint the one time I tried to get sponsorship
was that the ticket cost was requested too *early*, before the booking
horizon (and well before debconf would pay out any money anyway), so
only expensive "open" ticket prices were known.
Also, I felt that at that time, the sponsorship process seemed very
opaque and personalised, which is why I didn't show any interest in
helping it. If the framework looks unworkable, why throw good work at
it? I think things look a bit more open to change now and although
I'm not interested in helping a system which encourages unnecessary
air travel, I'm willing to help in principle, so let's see how these
discussions unfold.
> In every debconf, the first goal has been being able to pay food and lodging,
> and they if there is enought money, then give travel sponsorship.
This is news to me! I think back when I applied, I applied for only
travel sponsorship because food is a smaller cost and I wasn't
confident that the sponsored food would meet my dietary requirements.
I wonder if that counted against me.
I didn't see this priority stated clearly on
http://debconf10.debconf.org/register.xhtml
- did I overlook it?
It looks like food and lodging sponsorship has a relatively early
application closing date, again causing applicants ethical concerns:
do they apply for sponsorship and risk denying someone else a place if
they cannot obtain sufficient travel funding. I think they won't even
have heard about debconf's travel sponsorships by the time they have
to apply for food+lodging?
Intuitively, it seems like one would worry about getting to the
conference, then worry about somewhere to stay, then worry about food.
If it's being done in another order, a little explicit guidance would
go a long way.
> (*) I see the money you get to help paying your travel is a bit like when
> you get an university grant. You are usually given less money than you need
> and you need to make it work... However, I have always seen very differents views
> here.
Well, I was one of the last wave of students to get full grants at
university... and I feel that the current general sponsorship craze
for 50% and less grants limits access. I've been proud to spend the
last six months helping to choose recipients of awards paid from the
profits of co-operative.coop, in part because it favours 100% grants.
So yes, a different view :-)
Regards,
--
MJR/slef
My Opinion Only: see http://people.debian.org/~mjr/
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