Re: [CSSWG] Minutes and Resolutions 2011-03-30

On Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 2:27 PM, fantasai <fantasai.lists@inkedblade.net> wrote:
> Summary:
>
>  - Discussed location of F2F. Most people seem to be OK with Kyoto/Osaka,
>    but we need a meeting room June 2-4.
...
> F2F meeting
> -----------
>
>  plinss: got an email from Koji this morning
>  koji: That's all the info I have.
>  koji: If there are many concerns, we can look for locations in Osaka area
>        which is safer
>  plinss: Everyone read the email?
>  glazou: Personally I prefer avoiding Japan at this time.
>  jdaggett: Could you explain?
>  glazou: First I have a veto from my family.
>  glazou: Second, flights are chaotic at this time. E.g. Air France is
>          diverting flights to Tokyo
>  jdaggett: they're diverted to Osaka, though
>  glazou: Lastly, we need to decide asap, otherwise my flight will be
>          too expensive
>  jdaggett: I have a feeling prices won't be going up
>  glazou: I checked prices recently, and they're more expensive than they
>          used to be
>  glazou: at least from France
>  sylvaing: There are a lot of people attending those meetings.
>  sylvaing: I don't think it's fair to change the meeting because it will
>            be more expensive for one person.
>  sylvaing: We cannot predict airline prices, especially for Japan at this
>            time.
>  sylvaing: I don't understand why we need to make this decision today.
>  jdaggett: I don't understand urgency. Sure better to decide quickly as
>            possible, but not convinced it needs to be today.
>  glazou: Because we're almost 60 days before the trip
>  sylvaing: I always book my trips 30 days before
>  glazou: You have a rich company behind you
>  dbaron: Flight prices often go /down/ between 8wks and 4 wks. (Not always.)
>  <Bert> (I'd be OK with Osaka or Kyoto. Offer of hosting at W3C/ERCIM in
>          France also still stands. But please decide soon.)
>  jdaggett: I would be interested in hearing from people who were originally
>            coming to Japan and are now concerned.
>  glazou: I am
>  Bert: Me too. I'm concerned about Tokyo. Could go to Osaka or Kyoto.
>  Steve: I'm concerned because I expected things to get better over this
>         last week, and in fact they've gotten worse.
>  Steve: So I haven't seen things getting better.
>  sylvaing: Have you heard from the news, or from people actually there?
>  sylvaing: I hear one thing from the news, but another from the people I
>            know there.
>  jdaggett: The actual radiation numbers are going down around the plant.
>  jdaggett: No predictor of what could happen tomorrow, but there isn't
>            actually a lot of stuff that's going right now that is an
>            immediate concern for people living in Tokyo.
>  jdaggett: I'd be concerned if I was living near the plant.
>  jdaggett: But Tokyo is far enough away
>  kojiishi: Not sure appropriate comparison, but Chernobyl escape zone was
>            100km, and Tokyo is more than 250km
>  kojiishi: If you take Osaka, you have 500km more distance
>  sylvaing: I'm fine with Tokyo, I'm fine with Osaka, I'm fine with Japan
>  sylvaing: I would like it if we could find a way to keep that workshop
>            going for our Japanese friends to attend
>  sylvaing: So if not in Japan, then somewhere nearby
>  sylvaing: But I'm fine with Japan.
>  <alexmog> vladivostok?
>  <bradk>
> http://news.discovery.com/earth/japan-nuclear-reactors-worst-case-110329.html
>  sylvaing: Wrt prices, I think the airfare might go up, but we're staying
>            for awhile and hotel prices are likely to be very low.
>  sylvaing cites case of his last trip
>  jdaggett: But we need to outline a path to making a decision.
>  jdaggett: i"m not comfortable with the idea of just deciding today
>  jdaggett: But I think we need to set a scope for when the venue is defined
>  jdaggett: Unfortunately Tab is not on call today
>  jdaggett: And he was sponsor of venue
>  jdaggett: Not sure from Koji's message that we have a solid meeting place
>            there
>  jdaggett: Google just has a small sales office in Osaka
>  SteveZ: My concern is whether we have a sponsor if we have to rent.
>  jdaggett: Kyoto would be a better place, there's much better accommodation
>            etc.
>  <kojiishi> http://www.consortium.or.jp/contents_detail.php?frmId=1608
>  kojiishi: Current candidate is in Kyoto
>  kojiishi: This is a candidate for the forum. Unfortunately the room is not
>            available for June 4th, so we're looking for other places for
>            the F2F
>  kojiishi: Kyoto and Osaka are very close. Possible to have workshop in
>            one place and meeting in the other without changing hotels.
>  jdaggett: Japan has two electrical grids, and Osaka is in a different one
>            from Tokyo
>  jdaggett: The blackouts don't apply to Osaka
>  sylvaing: We should check with Tab about hosting situation
>  fantasai: We could decide on Japan, and then figure out the venue later.
>            Then people can book their flights now, and find their hotels
> later
>  Steve: As long as someone is dedicated to sponsoring the venue, in case it
>         costs something, then we're ok
>  kojiishi: Wrt rental offices, ICT group in Japan is willing to pay for
> that.
>  Steve: Think we should spend 2 weeks to settle on the venue
>  plinss: So, sounds like most people are ok with Osaka/Kyoto aside from
> glazou
>  plinss: I think 2 weeks is reasonable
>  plinss: Meanwhile try to nail down a venue
>  plinss: make a final call then
> -jdaggett

It's not a problem to cancel the hosting, but I don't know if I can
still sponsor the meeting if we have to rent a venue.

I think there is no reason to move the meeting, though.  My coworkers
in Tokyo, along with Koji and John, all believe it's okay, and they're
the ones who are *currently* dealing with the bad effects.  All of us
across the ocean are only getting news reports, which obviously tend
towards sensationalism.  I think we should keep the meeting in Tokyo
as originally planned.

If we absolutely MUST be outside of Tokyo, I say we do Osaka.  But I
would *greatly* prefer we stay in Tokyo.  I trust the eyewitness
assurances much more than I trust outsider paranoia.

~TJ

Received on Thursday, 31 March 2011 03:53:05 UTC