Conference details

BOF sessions: Find the carefully curated data on the OSGeo wiki.

Code of Conduct: Important (binding) rules on playing well with others; contact any volunteer or LOC member with violations or concerns.

Session schedule: Eight tracks plus invited speakers!

Livestream: For those at home and abroad. All will be recorded and available later.

Boots-on-the-ground: Volunteers will be wearing yellow t-shirts, LOC will be in red (at least until they have to do laundry).

Beyond the Convention Center

Social events: A list, here.

Public transit: Bus / streetcar / MAX (light rail) all managed by TriMet.

Places to eat / drink / walk / rent bikes / watch birds: our (partial) PDX Survival Guide

Crowdsourced map: Thanks to y’all. (Also, contribute your finds.)

Communication

Follow us on Twitter: @foss4g

Hashtag for conference: Yep, just #foss4g ; save those extra characters for awesome, because why say amazing when you mean amazeballs?

The post Don’t panic: FOSS4G cheat sheet appeared first on FOSS4G 2014.

Welcome to PDX, FOSS4G! Here’s a little hint for making your stay even more enjoyable: get away from the Convention Center. There is a lot to be seen close by. The MAX light rail stops right outside and can whisk you to more exciting parts of town in just a few minutes. If you’re feeling like a walk, head down to the Eastbank Esplanade, and cross the river on the Steel Bridge’s pedestrian path – it takes you right into Old Town. From there it’s a short walk to the Pearl District (home to Powell’s Books), the beautiful Waterfront Park, and the bustling Downtown area. Trust us, it’s worth the trip. Here’s a crowdsourced map of good things in the city — add your favorites!

Getting around Portland: Transit, bikes, and feet

You can find information on public transit via TriMet; one ticket will cover you for the MAX (light rail), buses, and the streetcar. If you expect to be crossing the river multiple times a day, you can get a weeklong pass that will pay for itself over the course of the week.

Biking* is a wonderful way to get to know Portland. Bike rental options include Portland Bicycle Tours, Pedal Bike Tours, and Waterfront Bikes, as well as the PSU Bike Hub. If you’re looking for a stroll, strike out on the Eastbank Esplanade (waterfront) or follow this tour of the Willamette and some of the city’s bridges.

But first I need coffee.

Good call. Again, you have myriad options: we offer you a roastery map or two and one more highlighting “independent coffeeshops and their walkingshed communities”. Grab a cup of something locally-made and I bet you won’t be disappointed.

Help! I’m hungry!

Congratulations, you have come to the right city. (And while Voodoo Doughnuts is a standard when-in-Portland visit, it is perhaps not the best of lunch options…) Remembering that getting away from the Convention Center is an fantastic first step, we encourage you to strike out and see the city by fork. Some local foodie opinions can be found at EaterPDX and foodcartsportland, as well as Travel Portland. (And when you must depart, our airport has pretty good food, too.) Portland has become well known for its food carts, and “pods” are all over the city. The biggest takes up an entire city block, at SW 10th and Washington, just two blocks from Powell’s.

Nurse! I’m thirsty!

We do have some of the best-tasting** tap water in the nation (thanks, Bull Run!) — but you are also surrounded by good wine country (the Willamette Valley, extending south from Portland) and in a city that features an abundance of great microbreweries. Beer lovers, here’s three to start: Bailey’s Taproom downtown is a good option for those seeking stronger beers (if you’re serious about strong beer, head to SE to Hair of the Dog, whose “visit” directions include lat/long.). Also in SE, Green Dragon (map) has 50 (yes, fifty) taps, and is one block away from the sour beer haven of Cascade Barrel House (map). And if beer’s not your thing, then there’s always Distillery Row. (More of a wine person? You’re covered, too.)

Still thirsty? Here are one, two attempts at complete lists, and some thoughts from Travel Portland on brews. And that doesn’t cover the bottleshops…

Some destinations that aren’t food or drink

• Put a bird on it: You’re lucky enough to be here during the flight of the Vaux’s Swifts at Chapman School – they are incredible. Grab a picnic and enjoy of the great wonders of urban nature. (Background from the Audubon Society)

• Read: Powell’s Books, spacious and delightful. (See also: their nerdier, less popular sibling, Powell’s Books Bldg 2 [née Powell's Technical Books].) (both downtown)

• Gardens:  The Lan Su Chinese Garden (downtown) and Portland Japanese Garden (SW, accessible by MAX)

• Art: The Portland Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Craft, both downtown.

• Small things: The tiniest park in the world, Mill Ends (downtown PDX).

Thanks again for joining us in Portland for FOSS4G; we are excited to have you here.

*Two Portland biking tips: don’t ride on the sidewalks downtown (illegal) and beware train tracks (cross them at a 90 degree angle). Otherwise, follow the same rules you would when driving a car.

** Based on sampling done by the author. I mean, c’mon, don’t you agree?

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Speaking of things live (and soon to be), the livestream site for the conference is up and will soon* be filled with content from our keynotes and sessions. (Workshops will not be included.)

* once the conference actually starts, of course – Wednesday, 9/10, 8:00 am PDT.

The post It’s (a)live! – Map Gallery, livestream link appeared first on FOSS4G 2014.

Not all members of the open source geospatial community can attend FOSS4G, which is one of the reasons that conference content is recorded and streamed. However, there is no replacement for in-person engagement.

This year the organizing committee wanted to strengthen both the conference and the community by bringing people to FOSS4G who would not otherwise be able to attend. We took SOTM’s ⅓ goal and upped the ante a bit — we set aside 50% of our “travel grant” funding for self-identified minorities.

We budgeted $10,000 and then asked the FOSS4G community for more. More than 30 attendees contributed a total of more than $1,000. Our sponsors took up the fight as well; PGExperts contributed funds specifically to increase minority access to FOSS4G and Amazon AWS designated a significant portion of their sponsorship for travel grants.

The response to our call for applications was humbling, showing both the demand for open source GIS knowledge and the insufficiency of resources to meet that need. 84 people from 24 countries (and 20 states in the US) applied, requesting over USD $100,000 to cover registration fees and/or travel expenses.  Knowing we had resources sufficient to cover only a fraction of the need, we approached the selection process carefully.

A panel of four people (two men, two women) reviewed each application blindly, with no access to attendee information or the scores of the other reviewers. Reviewers ranked each application based on the applicant’s answers to questions about their current use of open source software and why they wanted to attend FOSS4G. Once reviews were complete, scores were averaged and ranked. The top-ranked applicants were offered full or partial funding based on the strength of their application and available budget. We made two passes through the applications, first awarding the designated 50% of our funding to members of underrepresented groups, with the remaining funds awarded to any applicant regardless of minority status. (All applicants were offered extended Early Bird registration and workshop discounts.)

15 applicants ultimately accepted funding. More than 60% of our funds went to support the attendance of 8 individuals from traditionally under-represented groups. We are excited to increase access to FOSS4G by bringing 15 people into the room who would not have otherwise been able to attend, and we are grateful to all those who donated to the Travel Grant fund for helping to make this possible.

We are proud of the 2014 FOSS4G Travel Grant program, and see it as a good step along the long path to a more diverse (and therefore stronger) geospatial community. We hope to see a similar program, focused on increasing access and diversity, replicated at FOSS4G 2015 in Korea and at other regional conferences.

I’m happy to share more about our experiences, especially if will help you implement your own program. Feel free to get in touch at the conference or afterwards, and thank you for your support.

The post Increasing access to FOSS4G appeared first on FOSS4G 2014.

Right now: Map gallery reminder

Tick-Tock, tick-tock…. what was that one thing you were forgetting? Something about a map? Oh yes! Submissions to the FOSS4G Map Gallery are rolling in and the deadline of August 31st is looming large.

Have you toiled over a great map recently using open tools and/or data? Your map may be the result of a commercial venture or a personal challenge. Use whatever combination of technologies and data you choose. Map makers of all kinds are encouraged to participate, fame, glory and fabulous prizes await!  Submit your map now!

Tuesday, 9/9: FOSS4G Welcome Reception hosted by Ecotrust and Point 97

Kick off the 2014 FOSS4G conference like a local in the heart of Portland’s Pearl District. The Natural Capital Center offers visitors a first hand experience with convention challenging principles that put Portland on the map as a leader in creativity, design, and impact in a time of tremendous change and pressure on social and environmental resources.

Your hunger for maps, pre-conference conversation, and local flavor will be well satisfied. An assortment of beverages and food will be available. Guests are invited to connect with people and place through Ecotrust and Point 97 mapping technologies, which are shaping the long-term economic and environmental health of terrestrial and marine environments. Feel free to take a tour of the 120-year old Natural Capital Center — headquarters for Ecotrust, Point 97 and home to over two dozen social enterprises that are changing the way we live, work, and do business.

• Where: Natural Capital Center, 721 NW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
• When: Tuesday September 9th, 2014

Wednesday, 9/10: Maptime and Null Island! Party

Maptime is a conglomeration of hands-on, beginner-focused meetup groups for learning about web maps, open-source spatial analysis, and geographic concepts. They recently hit 30 (THIRTY!) meetup groups around the world, and figured it was time for a party! Come join them as they celebrate the growth of their organization, the first birthday of Maptime Null Island (with t-shirts), and the awesome community being creating. They’ll buy the first round…

• Where: White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
• When: Wednesday, September 10th, 8pm-11pm
• RSVP: http://maptimeparty.splashthat.com/

Wednesday (again): LocationTech BOF

Organized during FOSS4G week in Portland, this LocationTech Birds of a Feather Meetup is a chance to meet members, project developers, entrepreneurs, and other interesting people for an enjoyable evening of good food, drinks, and camaraderie.

• Where: Spirit of 77, 500 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97232
• When: Wednesday, 10 September 2014 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM
• RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/locationtech-meetup-portland-tickets-12165801239

Field trips and tours

You traveled all the way to Portland so be sure to take some time to relax and explore our beautiful little corner of the world with one of our field trips or tours:

• Sunday, Sept. 7th: Portland Timbers Soccer Match (football, cheering, chainsaws!)
• Friday, Sept. 12th: DIY PDX Walking Tour (crafty crafters!), Keep Portland Wired! Walking Tour (wired and weird!)
• Saturday, Sept. 13th:Willamette Valley Wine Tour (viticulture and sustainable farming!)
• Sunday, Sept. 14th:Portland Breweries Tour (Beer Bus!)

Space is still available, but limited. To register for an activity, visit the main registration page (scroll towards the bottom for tours etc). You can register for field trips separately from the main conference. If you need assistance or have questions, contact support at foss4g-info@osgeo.org.

Updated conference schedule

The schedule has been updated with the latest details and is full of great workshops, presentations, and events. Take a look and start sketching out your conference now to ensure that you don’t miss any crucial content.

Lodging Update

Our room blocks at the Doubletree and Staybridge have filled. However, the Staybridge is offering a limited number of additional rooms at the group rate based on availability. We recommend calling them ASAP to try and get a room. For a room at the Staybridge, contact Megan Black, (503) 262-8888, ext. 2004. Depending on availability, she may extend the rate.

If you are unable to find a room at either of those locations, there are numerous other hotels in the area around the Oregon Convention Center; many attendees have also had luck with AirBnB or one of a number of the guesthouses in Portland (search Portland Guesthouse).

Important Conference Dates

See the full calendar for more details.

• Sep 8th-9th: Workshops
• Sep 10th-12th: Main Conference
• Sep 13th: Code Sprint

The post Extracurricular adventures, don’t forget the Map Gallery, and schedule updates appeared first on FOSS4G 2014.

As you are planning your FOSS4G travel, here’s another excellent event to have on your radar.

Saturday, September 6th, is PostgreSQL Day, co-hosted by the Portland Postgres Users Group (PDXPUG)  and Portland State University. Attendance is free, but RSVP is required (RSVP here). See below for more details on the event.

Looking forward to seeing you in September!

Date: Saturday, September 6, 2014

Time: 9:30am through 5:30pm

Place: Portland State University, Room EB 102, 1930 SW 4th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97201. The venue is reachable by street car, bus or light rail, see Tri-Met for schedule and fare information.

Registration: Space is limited, please RSVP!

Food: Light snacks & beverages provided. Breakfast and lunch is on your own. There’s a wonderful cart pod right across the street; bring $10-15 for lunch.

Presentations: Organizers are looking for presenters for the PDXPUG Day. Talks should be about 45 minutes in length, and about any of the following topics:

• PostgreSQL administration and performance
• Case studies of interesting uses of PostgreSQL and PostGIS
• Interesting applications built on PostGIS or PostgreSQL
• Database and/or geographic application development
• Database-related DevOps
• SQL and stored procedure programming
• New Postgres/PostGIS features and hacking Postgres/PostGIS

Organizers will also be taking lightning talks of 5 minutes each, on similar topics. Email your talk proposal to Mark Wong at markwkm -at- postgresql.org.

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