[okfn-hu] Planning for open data workshop in Budapest, 20th May

Mon May 2 23:48:57 UTC 2011

Sorry for the confusion, Dem! I think Peter joined the mailing list
and had some questions about/issues with the workshop we're organising
on 20th May [1]. Hopefully we can try to answer his questions and to
resolve his issues. Are you planning to come to the workshop?

I hope you remain subscribed to the list. It would be great to hear
more about your interest in open data!

All the best,

Jonathan

[1] http://ogd-budapest.eventbrite.com/

On Mon, May 2, 2011 at 9:35 PM, dem <demy.mail at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello all!
> I just subscribed to the list, because I am interested in open data and the
> conference itself and I don't know too much about it. Gervai Péter, were you
> asked to speak at the event and are you declining right now? Are you one of
> the organizers? I am only asking these questions, because your rant about
> the event seems very strange to me, but I guess it is only because I am a
> new subscriber to the list, so I don't know what the context of the rant is,
> could you maybe enlighten those of us on the list who feel the same way?
> All the best,
> --
> dem
>
> On 2 May 2011 22:04, Peter Gervai <grinapo at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> On Mon, May 2, 2011 at 21:12, Jonathan Gray <jonathan.gray at okfn.org>
>> wrote:
>>
>> > The event was always intended to be a [...]
>>
>> I cannot really emphasize on the point that I haven't been had the
>> faintest idea what this event _is_. I get invited to much more events
>> than I have time to attend and I do not really like events where
>> nothing happens apart from smart people telling other smart people
>> what a wonderful world this could be if people were doing nice things
>> instead of stupid things. Of course there is a place for political
>> chitchat at a coffee but ... I would rather let others to do that. I
>> often have to waste my time on people in key positions who act like
>> they cared while they clearly don't, and trying to change the world
>> while the world clearly resists. It makes pretty annoying to attend
>> events where it isn't even planned to try to have any effect
>> whatsoever.
>>
>> This "unconference" isn't described as such, at least it wasn't, and I
>> still don't really get what it's about apart from telling each others
>> what we already know. Look at the document you opened in etherpad,
>> where I have appended just really a few thoughts on the topic, which
>> could easily fill a 3 days "real" conference with people in the
>> position who could do about it and won't.  I can tell you these, I can
>> easily talk about it for hours, and it wouldn't change anything.
>>
>> So I hope you know what you're doing.
>>
>> > small informal 'unconference' or
>> > 'Barcamp' for developers, NGOs, journalists and others interested in
>> > open government data in Hungary. We are going to see who is there on
>> > the day and what they are interested in doing and making.
>>
>> We had recently a mass protest on the streets every week about various
>> things, sometimes even famous people out there. Nothing's changed, not
>> even a bit. Nobody gave a poo up there. I guess I just got tired to
>> see those who's interested and cannot do a thing about it.
>>
>> > several people have requested information about an agenda, I thought
>> > we could do a bit of planning in advance so we can hit the ground
>> > running! :-)
>>
>> Now imagine my little insignificant myself. Sometimes people ask me to
>> meet them, to go to events they nurture or worry about, and I have my
>> family, job and pretty time consuming hobbies. I usually try to go out
>> as few as possible because most of these events do not give me
>> anything valuable, while they definitely take away my precious time.
>> So when someone doesn't even tell me what it's about and I don't know
>> why should I go there... what's the point? Only those will attend who
>> have plenty of time, or like to go out and meet people no matter
>> whether it's about the right to have sex for sweetwater fish or the
>> coal mining association's annual meeting. I try to pick events I do
>> care about and try to pick those which offer expected results for my
>> time spent.
>>
>> This unconference or whatever you call it is a big, ugly black hole. I
>> may go because I wonder who's there or rather in the hope that
>> regardless of the lack of information and visible purpose it may
>> actually be something useful. Or I'll sigh and say to myself "oh well,
>> another wasted day, again".
>>
>> > This is not to be confused with the event the day before (on the 19th)
>> > with Hungarian civil servants, representatives from the European
>> > Commission and EU member states - which is a more structured, formal
>> > affair with presentations and talks.
>>
>> This event is a fscking SECRET. Don't tell me it's not to be confused
>> with because I do not even know about it. It has been mentioned as
>> some great thing beyond the blue event horizon. Something which
>> actually aim at being having some purpose. And I heard it's AFTER
>> 20th. And that maybe 20th could provide INPUT to this secret useful
>> event. But now I see it's about to be a complete waste, since key
>> people are already done, and civil puppets' talk isn't good for
>> anything. We can happily tell each other how great we are, how stupid
>> the government is, and that better luck next time, insert coin.
>>
>> *shrug*
>>
>> > All the best,
>>
>> Indeed. Somehow.
>>
>> Have a nice day,
>> Peter
>>
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>
>
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-- 
Jonathan Gray

Community Coordinator
The Open Knowledge Foundation
http://blog.okfn.org

http://twitter.com/jwyg
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