SPUG: Let's host a YAPC (Or at least start a discussion)

[Michael R. Wolf]

While staffing the booth for The Perl Foundation at OSCON this year, I got to chatting with Chris Prather.  He's hosted a few Perl Oasis conferences and is working on  YAPC::NA 2011 (in Asheville, NC).  He knows a *LOT* about what it takes to propose a YAPC and make it happen, and I had a good conversation with him about it.

I started thinking that since Seattle is such a great place, that we could share some of that SPUGilishness with the rest of the wider Perl community.

My scheming went something like this.  Instead of us making a bid with no expertise (completely cold), perhaps we could create a "sister city" arrangement where we could assist the Asheville team as "interns" so that we'd warm up and know what we needed to know when it comes to Seattle.

My modeling is akin to the joke about how surgeons get qualified to do an operation
 1. Watch one
 2. Assist one
 3. Do one

There are plenty of folks in SPUG who have achieved step 1.

And there are even folks who have achieved step 2.  (And even a newcomer to the area with significant experience.  Welcome new SPUGer.)

Are we ready for step 3?

It also models the organizational structure where there's not only a President, but an Incoming President and Past President.  It's a great organizational pattern that promotes continuity and succession of power/knowledge/leadership.  It also helps prevent some anti-patterns that lead to burn-out.

We've got a deep Perl culture here, and a great destination city.  Anyone want to share it?

Augustina said she'd welcome the opportunity to couple another talk with hers at the next meeting.  I'll volunteer to lead a discussion at the meeting, sharing what I learned about how to pitch, manage, finance, and run a YAPC.  Please come with some ideas.  No commitments necessary now.  I'm ust looking to see what interest there may be and start a community conversation.

Post to the list or just come to the meeting.  I'll summarize the meeting's discussion back to the list for those who aren't there.

Michael

-- 
Michael R. Wolf
   All mammals learn by playing!
       MichaelRWolf at att.net