Re: Another teleconference partial edited transcript

Havoc Pennington writes:
 > 
 > Really, what's to lose by having a phone conversation? An hour of
 > time? We've already spent a lot more time than that on these emails.
 > 

Havoc,

there is nothing to say against a phone conversation or a telecon
per se. 

I see two problems with telecons in open source projects:

1. OpenSource projects like XFree86 are global:
   XFree86 used to have contributors spread out form Australia/Japan 
   in the east to the west coast of the US in the west. (Well, after 
   the contributors form Japan have become more or less inactive and 
   those from Australia have moved to the US or Europe we currently 
   range from Russia (+6 hours) to the west coast of the US 
   (-8 hours to UTC)).
   Furthermore open source projects are volunteers projects. 
   Therefore people may have a daytime job that determines
   their schedules and a family to care for. So even people
   living in North America telecons may have difficulties to 
   attend when these conferences take place during business hours.

   One should not forget the aspect of cost: Only people calling in
   form within the US can enjoy the services of the generously 
   sponsored toll free lines. Depending on where one lives telephone 
   costs to the US can be quite high - especially if people have 
   to pay for the call from their own pockets.
   What appears to you as a fast and effective way to resolve 
   matters can be an insurmountable hurdle for others.
   Do you want to exclude someone from participating just because 
   she or he lives in the 'wrong' part of the world or has the 
   'wrong' profession? 
   You may have to admit that email conferencing is much less 
   'segregational'.

2. I cannot help it but I have noticed that telecons give
   considerable advantage to those who are experienced 
   in conferencing and skilled in directing these in their 
   favour and who can do so in the language they are used
   to form everyday life.
 
These are just my personal impressions and opinions.

Egbert.