SotM 2020 FAQ

 

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions. If you have further questions, don't hesitate to ask the team via email to sotm@openstreetmap.org. If you're feeling comfortable, head over to github and file a pull request to extend this list.

For the audience

Do I have to pay/register to attend SotM Online?

No, SotM2020 Online is free to attend and no registration is required.

How can I watch the talks?

The talks from the main track and the academic track will be streamed on streaming.media.ccc.de. You’ll find the link prominently displayed at the top of the SotM Homepage.

How are the sessions structured?

Sessions will start with a 20min talk, then Q&A (see below), and a transition into the next talk. 45min in total.

How can I interact with the speakers and other members of the audience?

You can interact with the speakers by asking questions in the Question & Answer sessions. You can interact with others in the self-organized sessions and in the community channels.

How can I participate in the Question & Answer sessions?

In all talks, you can ask questions to the speaker while the talk is running. The detail page of each talk will link to a hackpad we have prepared for that particular talk. You can access the detail page for a talk by clicking on the name of the talk in the schedule at the SotM Homepage. After the talk, the session host and the speaker will run through the questions of the pad and discuss everything mentioned in the pad.

Will the talks be recorded?

Yes, the talks will be recorded. The recordings will be published on media.ccc and on YouTube.

Are there lightning talks?

There will be lightning talks. Check the schedule, you will find two sessions.

Can I hold a lightning talk?

For holding a lightning talk in the main track you have to prepare a 5 minute video. The deadline for this is 28 June 2020. Find details about lightning talks here:

Can I give a lightning talk spontaneously?

It is not possible to give a spontaneous lightning talk as part of the main track. But feel free to open a self-organized session and present your topic there to the SotM audience. Find details about self-organized sessions here:

How can I hold a workshop during SotM?

We have planned space for panels, workshops and breakout sessions in the self organized sessions section. You can reserve a channel at any Jitsi or BigBlueButton server mentioned in the list on the wiki page. The schedule of the self-organized sessions will be promoted on the SotM homepage.

How can I hold a panel during SotM?

We have planned space for panels, workshops and breakout sessions in the self-organized-sessions section. You can reserve a channel at any Jitsi or BigBlueButton server mentioned in the list on the wiki page. The schedule of the self-organized sessions will be promoted on the SotM homepage.

How can we make a breakout session during SotM?

We have planned space for panels, workshops and breakout sessions in the self-organized-sessions section. You can reserve a channel at any Jitsi or BigBlueButton server mentioned in the list on the wiki page. The schedule of the self-organized sessions will be promoted on the SotM homepage.

How can I get in contact with SotM sponsors?

In past years during the in-person conferences we had offered booths to platinum, gold and silver sponsors. This year during the virtual conference we have prepared BigBlueButton channels for the sponsors to hold sessions with the SotM audience. Find these virtual sponsor booths on the website of SotM and also on the wiki page:

How can I get a SotM t-shirt?

We provide artwork for t-shirts and stickers at the SotM hompage. You can download the SVG files and use them in your local printing shop. Also have a look if someone in your region is coordinating shirts and/or stickers, for possible cost/effort savings.

How can I help?

There are several roles where you can volunteer: Infodesk, Session Host, Technical Assistant, Broadcasting. More information and sign up slots are on the wiki.

Where can I ask for help?

Tweet @SotM, Telegram channel: https://t.me/sotm2018, IRC channel: #osm-sotm-ct or Email: sotm@openstreetmap.org.

For Speakers and Session Hosts

How is my talk presented?

There will be an introduction session shortly before the conference for all speakers and session hosts. We will use the following workflow during your talk: 10 minutes before the talk the speaker and the session host test their equipment and connectivity with the video team. The talk takes place in a Jitsi session which will be streamed publicly. In the first 2-3 minutes the session hosts gives a short introduction about the speaker and the talk. Then the pre-recorded video is broadcast. During the broadcasting of the video the audience has the opportunity to ask questions on the Q&A pad of the talk. After the video the session host and the speaker go through the questions of the talk. We have allocated about 20 minutes for that.

How can I participate it the Question & Answer session of my talk?

You have to join the Jitsi session of your talk and talk with the session host about the questions from the audience. You can watch all incoming questions in the Q&A pad (hackpad) linked in the detail page of your talk. It is the task of the session host to make a kind of pre-selection of the questions, sorting them and leaving out those that are inappropriate.

For Sponsors

How do sponsor booths work?

Platinum, gold and silver sponsors will have promoted channels on a BigBlueButton server. There is very good documentation and tutorial videos available.

How do sponsors communicate their availability?

The sponsor maintain their section in the wiki at this URL:

The sponsors section of 2020.stateofthemap.org will point to the corresponding Wiki heading of the sponsor. So that the sponsor can maintain content, URL, and schedules by themselves.