DebConf travel sponsorship (was: Re: [Debconf-team] Budget status - travel sponsorship)
Richard Darst writes ("DebConf travel sponsorship (was: Re: [Debconf-team] Budget status - travel sponsorship)"):
> But there is something we could do: "Summon Bigger Bank". We would
> basically want something to even out the year to year uncertainty, and
> average out the travel sponsorship over years. And we do have a
> bigger bank: Debian.
It is astonishing to me that we have this problem every year. And
every year people (me included) make the same suggestion.
But for some reason it doesn't happen. Debian have a huge amount of
money in the bank. We could easily underwrite the Debconf travel
sponsorship budget.
If at the end of Debconf there's a deficit we could afford to make it
up, and just be more cautious next year; correspondingly, if there's a
surplus we could be less cautious next year. This is the way that any
normal or sane organisation would do things.
> So, there's a better plan than the current travel sponsorship system
> [travel-system]. Fiscally speaking, it could work. I know Debian and
> DebConf can work together to share their expertise in the related
> areas to make sure to avoid major disasters. We just need people to
> stand up and say "if DebConf is part of Debian, then Debian should be
> part of DebConf".
Yes, please.
> If people are interested, I can research more details and present a
> better report on the practicality of this scheme, and of course, to
> help make it so next year.
Please.
I'm sure our DPL would be very happy to make the relevant
authorisations, assuming the arrangements are reasonable, and SPI
would be very happy to implement whatever is decided on.
The current travel sponsorship system is not fit for purpose. Someone
who can't go unless they get travel sponsorship can't book their
travel unless either they get the sponsorship in time to do so, or
they find someone to underwrite it.
Not just to keep costs down, but also to allow potential sponsorees to
plan their lives without having to decide at zero notice whether to
fly to Nicaragua for a week and a half, almost all of these decisions
should be made 4-6 months in advance.
Ian.
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