DAVENPORT: Open Source Documentation Gathering (?), 17-22 October, Berkeley

[Nik Clayton <nik@nothing-going-on.demon.co.uk>]

Hi folks,

I've sent this to the SGML Tools, Open Source Writers Group, and DocBook
mailing lists -- please be careful when replying, and ensure that your
reply goes to the correct list.  Alternatively, reply directly to me, and
I'll summarise responses in a week's time.

As http://www.freebsdcon.org/ explains, the first FreeBSD conference
starts on the week beginning October 18th 1999.  As the FreeBSD
Documentation Project Manager, I've been asked to think about organising
a workshop for members of the FreeBSD Documentation Project.

I don't think there's going to be a lot that can be discussed at this
sort of workshop that's actually very specific to FreeBSD.  A lot of the
open source documentation projects are using similar tools (whether
it's SGMLTools, or calling the underlying tools directly) and the vast
majority of us are using DocBook, or an extension of DocBook.

I think it would be invaluable if some of the members of the mailing lists
this has been sent to would be able to come along to the convention. 
Those of us that are using the tools (and writing the front-ends, and the
work arounds) can swap hints and tips, and the insight and experience of the
people who were involved in (and continue to be involved in) the creation
and maintenance of DocBook should be fascinating.

It also provides an excellent opportunity to put faces to names, and for
some of us to buy the virtual beers that we've been offering.

Would anyone be interested in going to something like this?  I should 
stress that at the moment this just the beginnings of an idea, however,
a rough idea of number of people interested would be very valuable.

Also, I'm not yet sure of the best way of running something like this --
perhaps a series of presentations from members of different groups is in
order, or maybe a less formal structure would be better?  Or we decamp to
the nearest bar and spend 8 hours chatting. . .  Again, suggestions would
be very useful.

Cheers,

N
-- 
 [intentional self-reference] can be easily accommodated using a blessed,
 non-self-referential dummy head-node whose own object destructor severs
 the links.
    -- Tom Christiansen in <375143b5@cs.colorado.edu>