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Re: [Debconf-team] [RFR] Please check the DebConf13 sponsoring brochure English version



Luca Capello wrote:
> Would it be possible to proofread the attached file aimed at potential
> DebConf13 sponsors (in Switzerland and elsewhere)?  The attached
> DC13-brochure_r3739.en.pdf gives you an idea on how the brochure would
> look like and the attached DC13-brochure_r3739.en.tex is the actual file
> to be translated.

Okay... patch attached.

[...]
> \subsection{Video}
> 
> We have a dedicated team of volunteers recording all talks at DebConf.
> The sessions are streamed live via the Internet for remote
> participants. All videos are also archived for further benefit of the
> community. \textbf{We thank our Platinum and Gold sponsors by
>   inserting their logos in all video transmissions}.

Maybe that should be "for ^the^ further benefit of the community".

> 
> \section{DebConf and Debian}
> 
> \subsection{The Bigger Picture}
> 
> The benefits that DebConf brings to the Debian Project as a whole, and
> the larger Free Software community, are best summarized by the
> following comment by Newsforge's Robin 'Roblimo' Miller:

The PDF has ’Roblimo’ (with apostrophes) - say ``Roblimo''?
 
> \DCquote{
>   This is the kind of peer-to-peer networking that makes open
>   source conferences like DebConf6 worthwhile. It wasn't a teacher /
>   student relationship. It was two hackers sharing knowledge with each
>   other. (...) \textbf{The knowledge they shared will, no doubt,
>     improve Debian --- and by extension will help improve GNU/Linux
>     for everyone}, whether they use Debian (or a Debian derivative),
>   SuSE, Fedora, Gentoo, Mandriva, or any other distribution.
> }{~}

I'd consider correcting "teacher / student" to "teacher/student" and
"(...)" to "[...]", but that feels really pedantic.  Besides, I
wouldn't be surprised if TeX knows the correct amount of whitespace to
put around a slash better than I do.

> \subsection{Knowledge Sharing}
> 
> DebConf helps share the knowledge and experience of individual
> developers with the entire community. It also helps promote enthusiasm
> for specialized areas of development, and encourages
> \textbf{discussions about Debian's future}.
> 
> % <http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/publicity/announcements/en/drafts/biggest-debconf-achievement.txt?view=markup&pathrev=3229>
> \DCquote{
>   My first DebConf I got to really know what the Release Team was
>   about. Not long after I joined the Release Team.  Later DebConfs we
>   recruited other team members.
> }{Luk Claes, \DDm}

Are we allowed to correct material inside direct quotes?  I'd put a
comma between "Not long after" and "I joined the Release Team", though
it's a bit of a borderline stylistic issue so I'll leave it for now.
 
> \DCquote{
>   At DebConf3 in Oslo, I finally met the other Debian Installer
>   developers gathered together in person, and after a week of
>   challanging work, we achieved the first successful installation of
>   Debian with it.  This reinvigorated our team, leading to many new
>   members, more rapid development, and many more developer gatherings.
>   The resulting program has since been used to install Debian, and
>   derivative distributions, on tens of millions of systems.
> }{Joey Hess, \DDm}

On the other hand I definitely want to fix s/challanging/challenging/
 
> \DCquote{
>   In DebConf4, I spent days and nights improving the Debian
>   Installer localization infrastructure.  Eight years after, most of
>   these achievements are still used to help translating the
>   installation system in more than 70 languages.
> }{Christian Perrier, \DDm}

Sorry, Christian, I'm going to misquote you quite a bit:

    At DebConf4, I spent days and nights improving the Debian
    Installer localization infrastructure.  Eight years afterward, most
    of the results are still being used to help in translating the
    installation system into more than 70 languages.

[...]
> % <http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/publicity/announcements/en/drafts/biggest-debconf-achievement.txt?view=markup&pathrev=3229>
> \DCquote{
>   During DebConf 5 we discussed the idea of a packaging team for
>   Perl libraries; together with the GNOME team this effort was
>   pioneering the idea of collaborative package maintenance that showed
>   to be very effective.
> }{Joachim Breitner, \DDm}

For branding consistency that should be "DebConf5".  And "show"
doesn't work like that; s/showed/proved/.
 
> \DCquote{
>   During DebConf11 I've met my new, permanent, sponsor (Guido
>   Trotter) and we have a great collaboration since then!
> }{Karolina Kalic, Debian Contributor}

Interesting tense/aspect problems.

    During DebConf11 I met my new, permanent, sponsor (Guido
    Trotter) and we've had a great collaboration since then!
 
[...]

> % <http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/publicity/announcements/en/drafts/biggest-debconf-achievement.txt?view=markup&pathrev=3229>
> \DCquote{
>   During Debconf8, I wrote some improvements to piuparts.  It
>   doesn't appear those changes are actually in the main piuparts tree
>   (!? aw well), but it introduced me to Lucas Nussbaum, QA
>   extraordinaire, and gave me the confidence that people in Debian
>   trusted my contributions.''
> }{Asheesh Laroia, \DDm}

Surplus TeXticks.  Oh, and "DebConf8".

> 
> \DCquote{
>   Even though I was a DD for two years when I attended Debconf 0 I
>   felt that this event was the start of a big friendship.
> }{Andreas Tille, \DDm}

Unless that DebConf lasted for two years this needs to be:

    Even though I'd been a DD for two years when I attended DebConf0 I
 
> \DCquote{
>   As Debian Account Manager, Debconf is a priceless opportunity to
>   handle sensitive matters face to face, in an appropriate setting.
>   Over time there are several such issues accumulating that cannot
>   easily be handled via email.
> }{Enrico Zini, \DDm}

DebConf is Debian Account Manager?

    As Debian Account Manager, DebConf is a priceless opportunity for me to

And then "there are issues accumulating" is odd for something you're
stating as a general tendency... I think maybe the smallest edit to
make it sound like plausible native-speaker English is:

    Over time there will be several such issues accumulating that cannot

[...]
> The Debian Project does not engage in commercial activities and
> depends solely on donations from users and well-wishers. A modest
> amount of sponsorship would not only help Debian, but would gain a
> huge dividend of goodwill in the Free Software community at large.
> % edrz: this wording still feels awkward ... maybe something like
> % "but also pay back dividends in goodwill with the larger Free 
> % Software community for years to come."

Last time I saw the word "dividend" in one of these it was "reap"
rather than "gain", but let's not have the mixed metaphor back.
"Repay" or "pay back" definitely works, but "earn" might require less
editing.  (Mind you, it also means we aren't promising anything!)

[...]
>   Description &
>    Supporter & Bronze & Silver & Gold & Platinum \\
>   Logo on the sponsor web page &
>    $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
>   Provide corporate materials in conference bags &

"Corporate materials provided" would make the listed items more
syntactically consistent...

>  Contribution in CHF &
>   <2'000 & 2'000 & 6'000 & 12'000 & 25'000
          
Apostrophes as thousand-separators?  Not even with CHF!  (Is there a
TeX trick to make them localise automatically?)

[...]
> We also invite sponsors, in addition to their basic sponsorship, to
> sponsor a specific part of the conference.  These are some of the
> opportunities available, please contact the sponsorship team to
> discuss prices and other details:

Comma splice; upgrade it to semicolon.

[...]
> \DCquote{
>   Sponsoring DebConf helps us to get the recognition we need from
>   inside the Debian Project. It is astonishing how many potential
>   employees, partners and even customers are aware of our sponsorship
>   activities at DebConf. We even got a couple of exciting job
>   applications only through DebConf.
> }{Peter Ganten, Univention GmbH}

Editing sponsor quotes is a step too far, so I'm not going to add a
comma there.
 
> \subsection{The Value of Sponsorship}
> 
> Many of DebConf's high profile attendees are well known around the
> world and their opinions and views are followed by many individuals
> and businesses. Debian is a democracy of its developers where smaller
> voices can be easily heard. Participating through sponsorship is one
> of the many ways to help the project achieve its full potential. The
> knowledge that Debian, its community and what it represents, is of a
> certain value to companies and individuals is the best show of
> appreciation to the volunteer efforts of many Debian members.

Is that three separate things ("1: Debian, 2: its community, and 3:
what it represents") or one thing with two aspects in apposition
("Debian - 1: its community and 2: what it represents - ")?  If we're
using the Oxford/Harvard convention here (which we have been) then the
former interpretation would need an extra serial comma.  Fortunately
the latter interpretation is also good.
 
> \section{Budget}
> 
> \subsection{The Need for Sponsorship}
> 
> % <http://wiki.debconf.org/wiki/DebConf13/Switzerland/Bid#Rough_budget_calculations>
> DebConf has evolved from humble beginnings in Bordeaux, France (2000)
> with 30 attendees and virtually no budget, to recent years where we
> accommodate an average of 250 attendees and calculate with a budget of
> around 215,000.00 CHF.  DebConf13 is a challenge, as Switzerland is a
> demanding destination in terms of cost. \textbf{We have secured
>   lodging for 22.00 CHF a night} and we are working on arranging
> catering at 14.00 CHF a meal.

"Calculate with a budget of"?  Is that "are basing our calculations on
a budget of"?  I would suggest just:

  accommodate an average of 250 attendees, with a total budget of

-- 
JBR	with qualifications in linguistics, experience as a Debian
	sysadmin, and probably no clue about this particular package
--- DC13-brochure_r3739.en.tex	2012-10-05 12:38:31.159046411 +0100
+++ DC13-brochure_r3739.en.tex.jbr	2012-10-05 12:44:55.786723800 +0100
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@
 
 We have a dedicated team of volunteers recording all talks at DebConf.
 The sessions are streamed live via the Internet for remote
-participants. All videos are also archived for further benefit of the
+participants. All videos are also archived for the further benefit of the
 community. \textbf{We thank our Platinum and Gold sponsors by
   inserting their logos in all video transmissions}.
 
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@
 
 The benefits that DebConf brings to the Debian Project as a whole, and
 the larger Free Software community, are best summarized by the
-following comment by Newsforge's Robin 'Roblimo' Miller:
+following comment by Newsforge's Robin ``Roblimo'' Miller:
 
 \DCquote{
   This is the kind of peer-to-peer networking that makes open
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@
 \DCquote{
   At DebConf3 in Oslo, I finally met the other Debian Installer
   developers gathered together in person, and after a week of
-  challanging work, we achieved the first successful installation of
+  challenging work, we achieved the first successful installation of
   Debian with it.  This reinvigorated our team, leading to many new
   members, more rapid development, and many more developer gatherings.
   The resulting program has since been used to install Debian, and
@@ -306,10 +306,10 @@
 }{Joey Hess, \DDm}
 
 \DCquote{
-  In DebConf4, I spent days and nights improving the Debian
-  Installer localization infrastructure.  Eight years after, most of
-  these achievements are still used to help translating the
-  installation system in more than 70 languages.
+  At DebConf4, I spent days and nights improving the Debian
+  Installer localization infrastructure.  Eight years afterward, most of
+  the results are still being used to help in translating the
+  installation system into more than 70 languages.
 }{Christian Perrier, \DDm}
 
 \subsection{Work Groups}
@@ -321,15 +321,15 @@
 
 % <http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/publicity/announcements/en/drafts/biggest-debconf-achievement.txt?view=markup&pathrev=3229>
 \DCquote{
-  During DebConf 5 we discussed the idea of a packaging team for
+  During DebConf5 we discussed the idea of a packaging team for
   Perl libraries; together with the GNOME team this effort was
-  pioneering the idea of collaborative package maintenance that showed
+  pioneering the idea of collaborative package maintenance that proved
   to be very effective.
 }{Joachim Breitner, \DDm}
 
 \DCquote{
-  During DebConf11 I've met my new, permanent, sponsor (Guido
-  Trotter) and we have a great collaboration since then!
+  During DebConf11 I met my new, permanent, sponsor (Guido
+  Trotter) and we've had a great collaboration since then!
 }{Karolina Kalic, Debian Contributor}
 
 \subsection{Project Synergy}
@@ -342,22 +342,22 @@
 
 % <http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/publicity/announcements/en/drafts/biggest-debconf-achievement.txt?view=markup&pathrev=3229>
 \DCquote{
-  During Debconf8, I wrote some improvements to piuparts.  It
+  During DebConf8, I wrote some improvements to piuparts.  It
   doesn't appear those changes are actually in the main piuparts tree
   (!? aw well), but it introduced me to Lucas Nussbaum, QA
   extraordinaire, and gave me the confidence that people in Debian
-  trusted my contributions.''
+  trusted my contributions.
 }{Asheesh Laroia, \DDm}
 
 \DCquote{
-  Even though I was a DD for two years when I attended Debconf 0 I
+  Even though I'd been a DD for two years when I attended DebConf0 I
   felt that this event was the start of a big friendship.
 }{Andreas Tille, \DDm}
 
 \DCquote{
-  As Debian Account Manager, Debconf is a priceless opportunity to
+  As Debian Account Manager, DebConf is a priceless opportunity for me to
   handle sensitive matters face to face, in an appropriate setting.
-  Over time there are several such issues accumulating that cannot
+  Over time there will be several such issues accumulating that cannot
   easily be handled via email.
 }{Enrico Zini, \DDm}
 
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@
 
 The Debian Project does not engage in commercial activities and
 depends solely on donations from users and well-wishers. A modest
-amount of sponsorship would not only help Debian, but would gain a
+amount of sponsorship would not only help Debian, but would earn a
 huge dividend of goodwill in the Free Software community at large.
 % edrz: this wording still feels awkward ... maybe something like
 % "but also pay back dividends in goodwill with the larger Free 
@@ -397,7 +397,7 @@
    Supporter & Bronze & Silver & Gold & Platinum \\
   Logo on the sponsor web page &
    $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
-  Provide corporate materials in conference bags &
+  Corporate materials provided in conference bags &
    $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
   Logo on all web pages and link back to company homepage &
    & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@
    & & & & $\surd$ \\
 \rowfont{\bfseries\color{DebConf_tableheader}}
   Contribution in CHF &
-   <2'000 & 2'000 & 6'000 & 12'000 & 25'000
+   <2,000 & 2,000 & 6,000 & 12,000 & 25,000
 \end{tabu}
 }
 \pagebreak
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@
 
 We also invite sponsors, in addition to their basic sponsorship, to
 sponsor a specific part of the conference.  These are some of the
-opportunities available, please contact the sponsorship team to
+opportunities available; please contact the sponsorship team to
 discuss prices and other details:
 
 \begin{multicols}{2}
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@
 % <http://wiki.debconf.org/wiki/DebConf13/Switzerland/Bid#Rough_budget_calculations>
 DebConf has evolved from humble beginnings in Bordeaux, France (2000)
 with 30 attendees and virtually no budget, to recent years where we
-accommodate an average of 250 attendees and calculate with a budget of
+accommodate an average of 250 attendees, with a budget of
 around 215,000.00 CHF.  DebConf13 is a challenge, as Switzerland is a
 demanding destination in terms of cost. \textbf{We have secured
   lodging for 22.00 CHF a night} and we are working on arranging
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% po4a: separator tabu "(?:&|\\\\)"

\usepackage[
    pdfauthor={DebConf Team},
    pdftitle={DebConf13 sponsoring brochure},
    pdfsubject={Sponsoring the 14th Debian annual Conference},
    hidelinks
]{hyperref}

% Standard margins; left is bigger because titles are "-1 cm"
\usepackage[top=2cm,bottom=2cm,left=2.5cm,right=1.5cm]{geometry}

\newlength{\titlesmargin}
\setlength{\titlesmargin}{-1cm}

\usepackage[english]{babel}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
\usepackage{dejavu}
\usepackage{fancyhdr}

%% Better tables
\usepackage{tabu}

%% Wrapped figures
\usepackage{wrapfig}

%% Multiple columns
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%% Bottom shade
\usepackage[all]{background}
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%% Coloured titles
\usepackage{titlesec}
\usepackage{color}

\definecolor{DebConf_Section}{RGB}{213, 43, 30}
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\definecolor{DebConf_tableheader}{RGB}{213, 43, 30}
\definecolor{dcshade}{RGB}{213, 43, 30}

% Extra spacing is needed to permit non-translation
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\setlength{\headheight}{3.5cm}
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\newcommand{\DCShade}{
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% Extra spacing is needed to permit non-translation
\lhead{~}

\chead{~}

\rhead{\includegraphics[height=0.8\headheight,keepaspectratio=true]{img/Dc13-leogg-03}}

\lfoot{\color{black}DebConf13 | Vaumarcus, Switzerland - August 5-18, 2013}

\cfoot{~}

\rfoot{\color{white}\bfseries~\\~\\\url{http://debconf.org} | \href{mailto:sponsors@debconf.org}{sponsors@debconf.org}}

\renewcommand{\headrulewidth}{0pt}

%% Automated newpages before sections:
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%% graphics support
\usepackage{graphicx}

\newcommand{\DCquote}[2]{
\begin{quote}
#1
\begin{flushright}#2\end{flushright}
\end{quote}
}

% DD (man)
\newcommand{\DDm}{ Debian Developer}

% DD (woman)
\newcommand{\DDw}{ Debian Developer~}

\begin{document}

% Disable standard headers
\thispagestyle{empty}

\NoBgThispage % Disable the red shade below

\begin{titlepage}
\begin{center}
\addcontentsline{toc}{section}{DebConf13 - Sponsoring brochure} % For the PDF outline
\includegraphics[width=0.2\textwidth]{img/debian-openlogo}
~\\[1cm]


\begin{huge}
\textsc{14th Annual Conference}
\end{huge}
~\\[3cm]

\includegraphics[width=0.8\textwidth,keepaspectratio=true]{img/Dc13-leogg-text}
~ \\[3cm]

\begin{huge}
Sponsoring Brochure
\end{huge}

\begin{tikzpicture}[remember picture, overlay]
    \node[above] at (current page.south) {%
        \includegraphics[width=1.05\paperwidth]{img/Dc13-leogg-mountains}%
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\end{center}
\end{titlepage}
\newpage

\section{Debian}

\subsection{Free Operating System}

Debian is a free and open operating system, consisting entirely
of Free and Open Source Software. Its strict guidelines serve as an
example for many other projects. The Debian project is dedicated to 
remaining 100\% free and to being a responsible ``citizen'' of the Free 
and Open Source Software ecosystem. Its key priorities are Free Software 
and its users.

\subsection{Debian is Choice}
Debian is known for its adherence to the Unix and Free Software
philosophies, and for its coverage -- the current release includes
over 20,000 software packages for more than ten computer architectures,
ranging from the more common Intel 32-bit and 64-bit architectures to
ARM (cellphones and tablets) and the IBM s390 (mainframes). Besides
the well-known Linux kernel it also supports the FreeBSD kernel.
Debian is the basis for several other distributions, including Knoppix
and Ubuntu.

\subsection{A Large Scale, Non-profit, Distributed Project}

% from <http://www.debian.org/devel/developers.loc>
\begin{wrapfigure}{r}{0.5\textwidth}
  \centering
  \includegraphics[width=0.9\linewidth]{img/developers_map}
  \label{fig:Map_Debian_Project_members}
\end{wrapfigure}

The Debian Project's key strengths are its volunteer base, its
dedication to the Debian Social Contract, and its commitment to
providing the best operating system possible. Debian is produced by over
a thousand active developers spread around the world, many of whom
volunteer in their spare time. Apart from DebConf most communication
takes place on the Internet in mailing-lists and IRC chat-rooms.
Unlike all other Linux distributions of similar size Debian is an
independent non-profit organization not backed by a commercial
company.

Debian's dedication to Free Software, its non-profit nature, and its
open development model make it unique among Free Software
distributions.

\section{DebConf}

\subsection{Debian Annual Conference}

DebConf is the annual conference for Debian contributors and
interested users. Previous Debian Conferences have featured speakers
and attendees from around the world (DebConf11 had about 300 attendees
>From more than 50 different countries). Thanks to our sponsors,
\textbf{participation, accommodation, and meals are free of charge} to
Debian developers and contributors.

DebConf13 will take place in August 2013 on the shore of Lake
Neuchâtel in Vaumarcus, Switzerland. The conference venue, ``Le Camp'',
offers an idyllic, yet affordable environment for informal workgroup
meetings as well as more formal discussion sessions and technical 
presentations. Accommodation for most participants will be on-site.

\subsection{Three distinct parts}
\textbf{Sponsoring the Debian
  Conference} will help cover the costs of the Conference, as well as
enable three distinct sub-events:\\

{
\tabulinesep=6pt
\begin{tabu} to \linewidth{@{}X X X}
\rowfont[c]{\bfseries\color{DebConf_tableheader}}
DebConf & DebCamp & Debian Day \\

Hands-on coding, workshops, and talks -- all highly technical in nature.
&
The week prior to the conference is reserved for development teams to
participate in undisturbed collaborative work.
&
An open day for users and decision makers to discover the benefits of
Free Software. \\
\end{tabu}
}
\subsection{Video}

We have a dedicated team of volunteers recording all talks at DebConf.
The sessions are streamed live via the Internet for remote
participants. All videos are also archived for the further benefit of the
community. \textbf{We thank our Platinum and Gold sponsors by
  inserting their logos in all video transmissions}.

\section{DebConf and Debian}

\subsection{The Bigger Picture}

The benefits that DebConf brings to the Debian Project as a whole, and
the larger Free Software community, are best summarized by the
following comment by Newsforge's Robin ``Roblimo'' Miller:

\DCquote{
  This is the kind of peer-to-peer networking that makes open
  source conferences like DebConf6 worthwhile. It wasn't a teacher /
  student relationship. It was two hackers sharing knowledge with each
  other. (...) \textbf{The knowledge they shared will, no doubt,
    improve Debian --- and by extension will help improve GNU/Linux
    for everyone}, whether they use Debian (or a Debian derivative),
  SuSE, Fedora, Gentoo, Mandriva, or any other distribution.
}{~}

\subsection{Knowledge Sharing}

DebConf helps share the knowledge and experience of individual
developers with the entire community. It also helps promote enthusiasm
for specialized areas of development, and encourages
\textbf{discussions about Debian's future}.

% <http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/publicity/announcements/en/drafts/biggest-debconf-achievement.txt?view=markup&pathrev=3229>
\DCquote{
  My first DebConf I got to really know what the Release Team was
  about. Not long after I joined the Release Team.  Later DebConfs we
  recruited other team members.
}{Luk Claes, \DDm}

\DCquote{
  At DebConf3 in Oslo, I finally met the other Debian Installer
  developers gathered together in person, and after a week of
  challenging work, we achieved the first successful installation of
  Debian with it.  This reinvigorated our team, leading to many new
  members, more rapid development, and many more developer gatherings.
  The resulting program has since been used to install Debian, and
  derivative distributions, on tens of millions of systems.
}{Joey Hess, \DDm}

\DCquote{
  At DebConf4, I spent days and nights improving the Debian
  Installer localization infrastructure.  Eight years afterward, most of
  the results are still being used to help in translating the
  installation system into more than 70 languages.
}{Christian Perrier, \DDm}

\subsection{Work Groups}

\textbf{DebConf enables some of the most productive sessions that
  Debian has experienced}. To have everyone in one place, at the same
time, working on the same system allows people to bounce ideas off
each other instantly.

% <http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/publicity/announcements/en/drafts/biggest-debconf-achievement.txt?view=markup&pathrev=3229>
\DCquote{
  During DebConf5 we discussed the idea of a packaging team for
  Perl libraries; together with the GNOME team this effort was
  pioneering the idea of collaborative package maintenance that proved
  to be very effective.
}{Joachim Breitner, \DDm}

\DCquote{
  During DebConf11 I met my new, permanent, sponsor (Guido
  Trotter) and we've had a great collaboration since then!
}{Karolina Kalic, Debian Contributor}

\subsection{Project Synergy}

DebConf gives contributors a chance to meet face to face, socialize,
and brainstorm new ideas. As a result people leave DebConf with a
renewed sense of enthusiasm for Debian and its goals. \textbf{The
  latest ideas and systems that Debian implements often start as an
  informal session at DebConf}.

% <http://anonscm.debian.org/viewvc/publicity/announcements/en/drafts/biggest-debconf-achievement.txt?view=markup&pathrev=3229>
\DCquote{
  During DebConf8, I wrote some improvements to piuparts.  It
  doesn't appear those changes are actually in the main piuparts tree
  (!? aw well), but it introduced me to Lucas Nussbaum, QA
  extraordinaire, and gave me the confidence that people in Debian
  trusted my contributions.
}{Asheesh Laroia, \DDm}

\DCquote{
  Even though I'd been a DD for two years when I attended DebConf0 I
  felt that this event was the start of a big friendship.
}{Andreas Tille, \DDm}

\DCquote{
  As Debian Account Manager, DebConf is a priceless opportunity for me to
  handle sensitive matters face to face, in an appropriate setting.
  Over time there will be several such issues accumulating that cannot
  easily be handled via email.
}{Enrico Zini, \DDm}

\section{Benefits}

\subsection{We Appreciate Your Sponsorship}

The Debian Project does not engage in commercial activities and
depends solely on donations from users and well-wishers. A modest
amount of sponsorship would not only help Debian, but would earn a
huge dividend of goodwill in the Free Software community at large.
% edrz: this wording still feels awkward ... maybe something like
% "but also pay back dividends in goodwill with the larger Free 
% Software community for years to come."

Within the Debian community there is a strong sense of loyalty and
brand awareness. Sponsoring a large conference is a good method of
gaining favor for your brand with the attendees. % Kevin: this sounds
% weird, chumming up to the sponsors. I'd delete this first sentence
% and add a bit to the next one. Speaking about past experience sounds
% much more competent than making assumptions about the reader and
% attendees.
Past DebConfs have also offered great opportunities for contact 
building and recruitment. % Kevin: add examples from the DebConf12 survey

\subsection{Sponsorship Levels}
DebConf sponsors are classified according to the amount of money put
into the organizing of the conference. Each sponsorship level is
defined by donation levels and by benefits of sponsorship (in-kind
donations are also taken into account to determine benefit levels):

{
\small\tabulinesep=4pt
\begin{tabu} to \textwidth{@{}X[1] X[-1,c] X[-1,c] X[-1,c] X[-1,c] X[-1,c] }
\rowfont{\bfseries\color{DebConf_tableheader}}
  Description &
   Supporter & Bronze & Silver & Gold & Platinum \\
  Logo on the sponsor web page &
   $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
  Corporate materials provided in conference bags &
   $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
  Logo on all web pages and link back to company homepage &
   & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
  Logo in full-page ``thank you'' ad in Linux Magazine worldwide &
   & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
  Logo printed on conference T-Shirts &
   & & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
  Logo printed on conference bags &
   & & $\surd$ & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
  Logo printed larger and in superior position &
   & & & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
  Logo on all video streams, during breaks &
   & & & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
  Logo on banner in conference lobby &
   & & & $\surd$ & $\surd$ \\
  Logo on banner behind talk podiums &
   & & & & $\surd$ \\
  Name and description of sponsor in all press releases relating to
  the conference &
   & & & & $\surd$ \\
  45-minute slot for giving a Free Software-related talk &
   & & & & $\surd$ \\
\rowfont{\bfseries\color{DebConf_tableheader}}
  Contribution in CHF &
   <2,000 & 2,000 & 6,000 & 12,000 & 25,000
\end{tabu}
}
\pagebreak
\subsection{Sponsorship Notes}

We also invite sponsors, in addition to their basic sponsorship, to
sponsor a specific part of the conference.  These are some of the
opportunities available; please contact the sponsorship team to
discuss prices and other details:

\begin{multicols}{2}
\begin{itemize}
  \item Hardware infrastructure
  \item Lecture and meeting rooms
  \item Conference dinner
  \item Attendee travel bursaries
  \item Sponsored meals for attendees
  \item Sponsored accommodation for attendees
  \item Coffee or snacks
  \item Day trip (social event for the whole group, without computers)
\end{itemize}
\end{multicols}

\section{Reasons}

\subsection{In the Words of Our Past Sponsors}

There are as many reasons to sponsor DebConf as there are reasons Debian
developers spend their time to fix bugs, improve the overall system,
and help its installed base. In the words of our past sponsors:

\DCquote{
  Sponsoring DebConf has benefited Bytemark in two ways: 1) it puts
  our brand in front of exactly the right crowd and 2) it allows
  Steve, the Debian developer on our staff, to keep in touch with the
  project that we rely on so heavily. We support DebConf because it
  supports us.
}{Matthew Bloch, Bytemark Hosting}

\DCquote{
  Sponsoring DebConf helps us to get the recognition we need from
  inside the Debian Project. It is astonishing how many potential
  employees, partners and even customers are aware of our sponsorship
  activities at DebConf. We even got a couple of exciting job
  applications only through DebConf.
}{Peter Ganten, Univention GmbH}

\subsection{The Value of Sponsorship}

Many of DebConf's high profile attendees are well known around the
world and their opinions and views are followed by many individuals
and businesses. Debian is a democracy of its developers where smaller
voices can be easily heard. Participating through sponsorship is one
of the many ways to help the project achieve its full potential. The
knowledge that Debian, its community and what it represents, is of a
certain value to companies and individuals is the best show of
appreciation to the volunteer efforts of many Debian members.

\section{Budget}

\subsection{The Need for Sponsorship}

% <http://wiki.debconf.org/wiki/DebConf13/Switzerland/Bid#Rough_budget_calculations>
DebConf has evolved from humble beginnings in Bordeaux, France (2000)
with 30 attendees and virtually no budget, to recent years where we
accommodate an average of 250 attendees, with a budget of
around 215,000.00 CHF.  DebConf13 is a challenge, as Switzerland is a
demanding destination in terms of cost. \textbf{We have secured
  lodging for 22.00 CHF a night} and we are working on arranging
catering at 14.00 CHF a meal.

DebConf organizational teams are made up of volunteers to keep costs
at a minimum. However, as we expect a turnout of 300 attendees, there
is a real need for substantial sponsoring. \textbf{There is no minimum
  amount for sponsorship and we're also interested in material
  sponsoring} (contact us for details).

\textbf{Sponsorship will be paid to the ``DebConf13 association'', a non-profit
  association} under Swiss law. Donations in excess of value received
may be tax-deductible depending on your own situation; check with your
tax advisor for details.

\subsection{More About DebConf}

For more information about DebConf, the final reports from our past
conferences illustrate the broad spectrum, quality, and enthusiasm of
the community at work: \url{http://media.debconf.org/reports/}.

For further details, feel free to contact us through
\href{mailto:sponsors@debconf.org}{sponsors@debconf.org} or visit our website at
\url{http://debconf13.debconf.org}

Thank you for reading this proposal. We hope to hear from you soon!

\vfill
\addcontentsline{toc}{section}{See you soon!}
\begin{center}
  \begin{Huge}
   \textbf{\color{DebConf_Section}See You in Vaumarcus!}
  \end{Huge}
\end{center}
\vfill

\end{document}

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