[19:30] <WM-Thunderhead> == Meeting Start == Anything Past This Point May Be Logged. Beware. ==
[19:30] <CraigSpurrier> WM-Thunderhead: yes we did, it looks as if it worked fairly well, and it is fairly similar to the type of programs I have written before so I am sure I can fix any problems we had last time around with it
[19:30] <uberpenguin> http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg774w/wikimania/
[19:30] <WM-Thunderhead> Alright then, very, very good.
[19:30] <uberpenguin> I should've scaled these down, but whatever
[19:30] <Hello32020> Beware?
[19:31] <WM-Thunderhead> Beware.
[19:31] <uberpenguin> there are shots of both halves of the ball room... the divider is currently in place, but presumably we'd use it with that thing retracted
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[19:31] <Majorly> is this one room?
[19:31] * Tarawneh has quit IRC (Read error: 104 (Connection reset by peer)�)
[19:31] <WM-Thunderhead> yeo
[19:31] <WM-Thunderhead> *yep
[19:32] <Mike_H> uberpenguin: I think that's a good sized room for what we need
[19:32] <uberpenguin> it's pretty large
[19:32] <uberpenguin> did you see the picture of LeCraw?
[19:32] <Mike_H> No.
[19:32] <uberpenguin> http://i3.tinypic.com/4qi495d.jpg
[19:33] <uberpenguin> LeCraw has the advantage of being full of presentation technology
[19:33] <Mike_H> what's the capacity there?
[19:33] <uberpenguin> I don't think the ballroom has much
[19:33] <uberpenguin> good question
[19:33] <uberpenguin> I didn't count
[19:33] <uberpenguin> at least 200, not exactly sure
[19:34] <Mike_H> well, that would do for a large speech
[19:34] <WM-Thunderhead> Keynotes and Opening
[19:34] <Mike_H> The opening?
[19:34] <WM-Thunderhead> Maybe even a press conference... lol...
[19:34] <Mike_H> I don't think it would be good for the opening.
[19:34] <Hello32020> Olympic games would be nice
[19:34] <uberpenguin> ah
[19:34] <uberpenguin> LeCraw is 344
[19:34] <uberpenguin> seats, that is
[19:35] <Mike_H> It may be pushing it, but we might be able to do an opening from there
[19:35] <Mike_H> it depends
[19:35] <CraigSpurrier> we will actually need a place for a press conference
[19:35] <uberpenguin> well, LeCraw is in the management building at tech square, so keep it in mind
[19:35] <Mike_H> oh, then no
[19:35] <Mike_H> not that we can't hold things there, but I don't think it's a good idea to have a keynote speaker or the opening ceremony there
[19:35] <uberpenguin> por que?
[19:36] <Mike_H> Shuffling people around and not having an anchor place for the big events...that's just not good to me
[19:36] <uberpenguin> *shrug*
[19:36] <CraigSpurrier> Boston had keynotes across campus and it was a bit of a mess
[19:36] <Mike_H> Right.
[19:36] <uberpenguin> it's not a long walk, but okay
[19:36] <Mike_H> As I said, I think we can use it
[19:36] <Mike_H> but not for the big things
[19:36] <Mike_H> maybe for seminars
[19:37] <WM-Thunderhead> We can have the press conference with the upper Venue Staff, and with all of the Organizers, maybe some of the Board
[19:37] <Mike_H> right, I think that's a good thing for LeCraw
[19:38] <uberpenguin> your call
[19:38] <uberpenguin> just throwing options your way
[19:38] <uberpenguin> it's a very nice auditorium
[19:39] <CraigSpurrier> would be very nice for the wikiworkshop
[19:39] <Mike_H> I just don't think, one, it's 100% big enough, and two, I just don't want it separated from the main events
[19:39] <Mike_H> yes, the WikiWorkshop, I like that idea
[19:39] <uberpenguin> I tried to take some nice aerial pictures
[19:39] <uberpenguin> but they locked the roof of the best spot on campus
[19:39] <uberpenguin> so I had to settle for Van Leer :(
[19:39] <CraigSpurrier> not great for the unconfrence and unuseable for hacking days
[19:40] <CraigSpurrier> but very good for the Wikiworkshop and press conference
[19:40] <WM-Thunderhead> Exactly. <nods>
[19:42] <Mike_H> So today I spent time talking to Dawn Curry from the ACCTB and recruiting volunteers, so I didn't get to change cosmetic things to the page like I would have liked
[19:42] <Mike_H> but I can do that tonight
[19:44] <Mike_H> uberpenguin: are you going to upload those pictures to commons for use on meta?
[19:45] <uberpenguin> possibly
[19:45] <uberpenguin> I'd like to get a picture of the ballroom with the divider gone, though
[19:45] <Mike_H> yeah, but those will do for the moment
[19:45] <Mike_H> they're illustrative
[19:45] <Mike_H> they should be uploaded tonight
[19:47] <uberpenguin> http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg774w/wikimania/dsc_0202.jpg
[19:47] <uberpenguin> the view from van leer isn't that great
[19:48] <Mike_H> It's still a good view of the surrounding buildings and the skyline
[19:48] <Mike_H> I'd add it anyway
[19:49] <uberpenguin> well, there are more coming
[19:49] <uberpenguin> I'm slowly processing them
[19:49] <uberpenguin> it takes a bit of time for me to adjust white balance and exposure compensation on each one
[19:50] <Mike_H> okay
[19:56] <Mike_H> so, anything new?
[19:57] <uberpenguin> not really... I couldn't find matt today
[19:57] <Mike_H> hm
[19:57] <Mike_H> I mean with the pictures
[19:58] <uberpenguin> give me a few minutes :P
[19:58] <uberpenguin> not every single shot is a winner
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[20:00] <Mike_H> Alkivar: http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg774w/wikimania/
[20:00] <Mike_H> some new pictures to be used on the bid
[20:00] <Mike_H> taken today
[20:00] <Mike_H> by uberpenguin
[20:00] <Alkivar> sweet
[20:00] <Alkivar> let me go look
[20:01] <Alkivar> wow server hates my guts
[20:01] <Alkivar> loads half the picture and then hangs
[20:01] <uberpenguin> that server hates EVERYBODY
[20:01] <uberpenguin> it's not just you
[20:01] <uberpenguin> only load one at a time
[20:01] <uberpenguin> once I finish sorting through these I'll upload a few to commons
[20:01] <WM-Thunderhead> Bye all
[20:01] * WM-Thunderhead has left #wikimania-atlanta
[20:03] <Alkivar> ok
[20:03] <Alkivar> i just have to do multiple requests to get the full image
[20:04] <Alkivar> it lets me get like 50-100k then stops sending packets
[20:04] <Alkivar> i was only requesting one image at a time btw
[20:04] <Alkivar> i just had to do multiple grabs to get hte image
[20:04] <Alkivar> dsc_0230.jpg = which room?
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[20:05] <LaMenta3> we still going?
[20:05] <Alkivar> same question dsc_0223.jpg
[20:05] <Mike_H> yes
[20:05] * Greeves is now known as Greeves|away
[20:06] <LaMenta3> k...I've been keeping a running list of things to discuss while I've been offline
[20:06] <Mike_H> We may have discussed them, we made a lot of progress last night
[20:06] <LaMenta3> I read through the logs, I didn't really see anything
[20:06] <Mike_H> any what?
[20:06] <LaMenta3> some were just some ideas I wanted to run by you all
[20:07] <LaMenta3> anything pertaining to what I'd been meaning to talk about
[20:08] <LaMenta3> first thing...while I know we want to keep the main page uncluttered, it might be to our advantage to place a list of sponsors who have made commitments or responded very positively on the main page
[20:08] <Mike_H> Yes, I think we can do that
[20:08] <Mike_H> but not in a table format
[20:09] <uberpenguin> 230 and 223 are the same room
[20:09] <uberpenguin> they are separated by a divider wall in those pictures, but that can be removed
[20:09] <LaMenta3> Just something as simple as "A,B and C have made commitments to sponsor the event, and D, E, F and G have shown a positive interest."
[20:09] <uberpenguin> it's the student center ball room
[20:09] <Mike_H> Nobody has made a commitment to sponsor the event.
[20:09] <Mike_H> Not yet anyway.
[20:09] <LaMenta3> I know, but I was just giving an example
[20:10] <Mike_H> As far as positive interest goes, the City of Atlanta, Coca-Cola and WSB have expressed interest
[20:10] <LaMenta3> It's just good to show on the face that we have gotten a positive response from potential sponsors
[20:10] <Mike_H> but we're still waiting on "final words"
[20:11] <Mike_H> With Coca-Cola, I don't think I even did the final contact with their rep to begin with
[20:11] <Mike_H> I got the email address
[20:11] <Mike_H> and misplaced it
[20:11] <LaMenta3> Speaking of final words, we may also want to include something brief on the main page under the venue section about the pre-conference venue(s) if/when they're confirmed
[20:12] <Mike_H> Yes, that is good. So everyone knows what's for what.
[20:13] <LaMenta3> Again, just a little blurb of text such as "The Klaus Advanced Computing Building will host the hacking days events. The building is the newest and most advanced structure on campus and is LEED Silver Certified...blahblahblah."
[20:13] <LaMenta3> Just as an example. Not saying that's the one that's confirmed or whatever.
[20:13] <Mike_H> Right, I get what you're saying
[20:14] <Mike_H> As a side announcement, including the core bid team, we now have 34 committed volunteers who will help in the capacities they can.
[20:14] <LaMenta3> wow
[20:14] <LaMenta3> we rock
[20:14] <Mike_H> I did a grass roots "get out the message" contact spree to all active Wikipedians in the states of Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
[20:15] <Mike_H> Over 200 people.
[20:15] <uberpenguin> KLAUS
[20:15] <uberpenguin> I met kris klaus... interesting fellow
[20:15] <LaMenta3> Third thing...we need to expand the media section.
[20:15] <LaMenta3> It's very incomplete.
[20:15] <Mike_H> Okay, to include what?
[20:15] <LaMenta3> Take a look at Category: Atlanta Media on w'pedia
[20:16] <LaMenta3> it's got a list of all of the media in the Atlanta area
[20:16] <Mike_H> Yeah. I wonder why those weren't mentioned in the Atlanta article proper
[20:16] <LaMenta3> We've left out radio entirely, and it would be prudent to include the campus media
[20:16] <Mike_H> Right, I agree
[20:16] <uberpenguin> WREK, WRAS
[20:16] <LaMenta3> (as much as I REALLY dislike the Technique at the moment...)
[20:16] <uberpenguin> technique
[20:16] <uberpenguin> I don't even read it :P
[20:16] <LaMenta3> I work there
[20:17] <uberpenguin> but apparently some people do
[20:17] <LaMenta3> we have a circulation of 10,000 during the regular school year and 7,000 during the summer
[20:17] <LaMenta3> just FYI
[20:17] <Mike_H> It is now published weekdays and has a daily circulation of over 12,000.
[20:18] <Mike_H> That's my school paper
[20:18] <Mike_H> we only barely win
[20:18] <Mike_H> and our school is much larger than yours :(
[20:18] <LaMenta3> we have no journalism school
[20:18] <LaMenta3> :p
[20:18] <uberpenguin> few more pictures up
[20:19] <LaMenta3> Anyway...WREK might be willing to do some on-site broadcasts from the conference (since their studio is just up in the Commons)
[20:19] <uberpenguin> mostly skyline
[20:19] <Alkivar> hrm that would be cool
[20:19] <LaMenta3> Andrew has a lot of pictures of the campus
[20:19] <Alkivar> live radio broadcast (as opposed to live web streaming which we did in boston)
[20:19] <LaMenta3> WREK also streams online
[20:19] <Mike_H> LaMenta3: and I'll contact 97.1 The River
[20:19] <Alkivar> sweet
[20:20] <Mike_H> They're owned by Cox just like the AJC and WSB, who have already expressed positive interest
[20:20] <Alkivar> 97.1 the river? Country Station?
[20:20] <Mike_H> No, that's classic rock
[20:20] <uberpenguin> 97.1 THE EAGLE
[20:20] <Mike_H> No, it's now The River
[20:20] <CraigSpurrier> gtg, talk to you again tomorrow
[20:20] <uberpenguin> every rotation GUARANTEED to have an eagles song
[20:20] <Alkivar> ahh we have a 97.1 The River (country) up here
[20:20] <Mike_H> hahaha
[20:20] <uberpenguin> I'm not even kidding
[20:20] <uberpenguin> once I counted... they average five songs between an eagles song
[20:20] <Alkivar> lol
[20:20] <LaMenta3> I don't think they'd do coverage of the whole event (WREK, that is) but they might do some
[20:20] <Mike_H> That's how 107.3 The Eagle is here
[20:20] <Alkivar> the eagles dont have that many songs to play
[20:20] <uberpenguin> contact 90.1
[20:20] <Mike_H> owned by Cox too
[20:20] <Alkivar> fuck thats pathetic
[20:20] <uberpenguin> it's the NPR affiliate
[20:20] <uberpenguin> I'm sure they'll run a news bit
[20:20] <Mike_H> uberpenguin: WABE?
[20:21] <uberpenguin> yes
[20:21] <LaMenta3> they might like to have some people interviewed on air or something
[20:21] <Alkivar> is there a fox news talk radio station there?
[20:21] <uberpenguin> probably, but I wouldn't know
[20:21] <Mike_H> I can contact WABE
[20:21] <Mike_H> I've been interviewed for NPR before
[20:21] <Alkivar> might want to invite them just to show no political biases
[20:21] <Mike_H> for WUSF
[20:21] <LaMenta3> WABE is on 14th St. I think...just as a proximity alert
[20:21] <Alkivar> they probably wont come... but invite them just the same
[20:21] <Mike_H> Alkivar: you'd be surprised
[20:21] <Mike_H> NPR stations are very interested in Wikipedia
[20:21] <LaMenta3> they're just down the street
[20:21] <Alkivar> NPR is yes... Fox News isnt so much
[20:21] <LaMenta3> WABE, that is.
[20:22] <Mike_H> My story for WUSF was sent for national consumption
[20:22] <Alkivar> and we all know NPR has a liberal bias according to the Republicans
[20:22] <Mike_H> on NPR stations
[20:22] <LaMenta3> I don't even know if we HAVE a fox radio affiliate
[20:22] <Alkivar> hence why i suggested reaching towards the other party for balance
[20:22] <LaMenta3> WSB radio runs Limbaugh, though, I think
[20:22] <Alkivar> if you have AM radio... you have a fox affiliate
[20:22] <Mike_H> Since we've gotten a good response from Cox radio, it's good to continue contacting those venues
[20:22] <Alkivar> gaurenteed
[20:22] <Mike_H> WSB-AM
[20:22] <Mike_H> 97.1 The River
[20:22] <Alkivar> just find whatever station plays Sean Hannity
[20:22] * Cbrown1023_away likes that station
[20:22] <Mike_H> ack, not Cox radio, Cox television
[20:22] <Mike_H> in that last sentence
[20:22] <Alkivar> Atlanta is home to Neal Boortz right?
[20:23] <LaMenta3> yes
[20:23] <LaMenta3> I was about to mention that
[20:23] <Mike_H> He's also from my hometown
[20:23] <Alkivar> might want to invite his ass too
[20:23] <Alkivar> he's a good strong libertarian
[20:23] <Alkivar> nice guy too
[20:23] <LaMenta3> however, and this is my entirely nonbiased opinion, Boortz is a bit of a *ahem*.
[20:23] <Alkivar> i seem to recall him even EDITING wikipedia
[20:23] <Mike_H> Neal Boortz (born April 6, 1945), is a U.S. talk radio host. His radio show, The Neal Boortz Show, is based in Atlanta, Georgia and is nationally syndicated by Cox Radio and the Jones Radio Networks and is the sixth for overall listeners with 3.75 million a week.
[20:23] <Alkivar> which you gotta admit is a bit further than most radio hosts go
[20:23] <Mike_H> Considering the ins we are already getting with Cox, it might be doable.
[20:24] <uberpenguin> boortz annoys me
[20:24] <uberpenguin> this is my unbiased assessment of my opinion
[20:24] <Alkivar> boortz is a bit of an arrogant jackass on the radio... but he's a nice guy in person
[20:24] <LaMenta3> uber: His personality does grate on my nerves
[20:24] <Mike_H> He graduated from my high school
[20:25] <Alkivar> you people dont seem to realize he is a totally different person on the air than he is in person
[20:25] <Mike_H> The family then transferred to Florida where he attended Pensacola High School for his Junior and Senior years. He graduated from high school in 1963 with a C- average and went back to the state of Texas to attend Texas A&M University from 1963 to 1967.
[20:25] <LaMenta3> I'm referring to a phone conversation between him and someone I used to work with, Alkivar
[20:25] <LaMenta3> he was...not very nice.
[20:25] <Mike_H> Maybe I should be the one to talk to him? Since we're both from the same area?
[20:25] <Mike_H> Or Andrew
[20:25] <Mike_H> either or
[20:26] <LaMenta3> probably you, Mike
[20:26] <Alkivar> he's pro fair-tax... which i know many people who edit wiki are... might be a fun discussion topic
[20:28] <LaMenta3> Ok, last thing on my list...senators. Have we contacted them or anyone else with comparable power in the department of visas?
[20:28] <Alkivar> not that i've heard
[20:28] <Alkivar> we really shouldnt be doing anything in that department imo... it should be up to attendees to go through their embassies
[20:28] <Mike_H> I've talked to people...and the number of people with visa troubles in Boston were actually rather low
[20:29] <LaMenta3> Yes, but this is just supposed to be a provision in place in case someone has particular trouble
[20:29] <Mike_H> so it's not like 55% of the people are going to have trouble
[20:29] <Alkivar> we're not an employer... we cant grant student visas to attend
[20:29] <Alkivar> i dont see how we can help in the visa department
[20:29] <Mike_H> the vast majority of the people will be coming from the 27 countries that don't need visas
[20:29] <Mike_H> Hillary, Greg Maxwell was reading over the bid last night, and I don't know if you wrote that section, but he found it contradictory
[20:29] <Alkivar> 9/10 times you dont need assistance to get a visa to go on a vacation
[20:30] <LaMenta3> Yes, but there is a big image problem that we need to at least pay lip service to
[20:30] <LaMenta3> Mike:I didn't write the part about visas
[20:30] <Mike_H> Who did?
[20:30] <LaMenta3> I don't know who did
[20:30] <Mike_H> hm
[20:30] <Alkivar> look at the edit history
[20:30] <Mike_H> yeah, all 36326436543 edits
[20:30] <LaMenta3> I thought you put it there, Mike
[20:30] <uberpenguin> (almost finished going through this batch of pictures)
[20:30] <Mike_H> Hillary, no
[20:30] <Mike_H> I didn't write the visa section at all
[20:31] <LaMenta3> hmm
[20:31] <LaMenta3> *goes to find our sabatour*
[20:31] <Mike_H> Craig, did you write the visa section?
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[20:32] <Alkivar> Getting a visa
[20:32] <Alkivar> To get a visa, contact the nearest US Embassy, Consulate, or other authorized institute to find out how long the process will take (generally anywhere from 3 to 45 days). A list of U.S. Embassies can be found at travel.state.gov. Approximate wait times can be found here. More information can also be found at http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov.
[20:32] <Alkivar> i dont see anything contradictory?
[20:32] <Mike_H> let me go and find it
[20:32] <Mike_H> he copied it for me
[20:32] <Mike_H> Citizens of the 27 countries do not need a visa to enter the US. Citizens of other countries will need a visa to enter the US, depending on their financial, family and employment status for many Wikimedians getting a US visa will not be an easy task. [14]
[20:33] <Mike_H> Citizens from the 27 countries listed above do not need a visa to enter the US. Visas for non-listed countries can be obtained fairly quickly from the nearest US Embassy, Consulate, or other authorized institutes. Some have a turn around time as of less then a week (wait times). Recently improved visa clearance procedures should help ensure that everyone is able to get an answer fairly quickly.
[20:33] <Mike_H> That's contradictory. If it's not an easy task, why do people get answers quickly?
[20:33] <Mike_H> It needs to be reworded one way or another.
[20:33] <Alkivar> ok well that text isnt there anymore
[20:33] <Mike_H> I'm thinking it needs to be reworded at the "not an easy task" part
[20:33] <Mike_H> what do you mean? I just copied it
[20:33] <Alkivar> I dont see it anywhere
[20:34] <Alkivar> Citizens of the following 27 countries do not need a visa to enter the US for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less [1]:
[20:34] <Alkivar> long list
[20:34] <Mike_H> It's under weaknesses and strengths
[20:34] <Alkivar> Providing you meet the visa waiver criteria:
[20:34] <Alkivar> a) You must have a machine-readable passport (this means it should have a line of chevrons (e.g., <<< ) valid for six months past your expected stay in the U.S.
[20:34] <Alkivar> b) Any passport issued after October 26, 2005 must include a digital photo.
[20:34] <Alkivar> c) You must have a ticket going out of the US. I.e. only a one-way ticket into the US is not sufficient.
[20:34] <Mike_H> the very first thing
[20:34] <Alkivar> mark it See above then
[20:34] <Alkivar> no contradiction
[20:34] <LaMenta3> aha....
[20:34] <LaMenta3> It was added by an IP
[20:34] <Mike_H> Citizens of the 27 countries do not need a visa to enter the US. Citizens of other countries will need a visa to enter the US, depending on their financial, family and employment status, which may be an inconvenience for some.
[20:35] <Mike_H> there
[20:35] <Mike_H> I changed it
[20:35] <Alkivar> good
[20:35] <Alkivar> much better
[20:36] <LaMenta3> User:Maniwar was the one who added the visa stuff on the evaluation
[20:36] <Mike_H> Only for felons and countries the US does not keep friendly relations with...only they will have an ordeal
[20:36] <Mike_H> Like, kiss your visa promise goodbye if you're coming from Cuba or North Korea or Libya
[20:37] <Mike_H> but like, India? That should not be a problem
[20:37] <Mike_H> And considering the US's friendly relations with Pakistan, that shouldn't be a concern for them either
[20:38] <LaMenta3> Just another thing...Visas really shouldn't be its own section in the eval
[20:38] <LaMenta3> it really fits under the larger heading of transportation, IMO
[20:38] <Mike_H> Should it be there...at all?
[20:38] <Alkivar> most assuredly yes
[20:38] <Alkivar> it IS an issue for some
[20:39] <Alkivar> and SHOULD be addressed
[20:39] <LaMenta3> If anything it is a transportation weakness
[20:39] <Alkivar> hell i know brits who want to attend that are on the fucking no fly list
[20:39] <uberpenguin> *whew*
[20:39] * CraigSpurrier has quit IRC (Success�)
[20:39] <Mike_H> Alkivar, Hillary was the one who wrote the weakness section about nightlife if you wanted to address what you told me with her
[20:39] <Mike_H> about the list of bars and clubs
[20:39] <uberpenguin> I need to take pictures of tech square a different time of day... the lighting was no good in the west direction
[20:39] <uberpenguin> anyway, done uploading this batch
[20:40] <uberpenguin> please tell me which ones you want to use and I'll put them on commons
[20:40] <LaMenta3> If someone wants to compile a list of bars and clubs, be my guest
[20:40] <LaMenta3> there are plenty in Atlanta.
[20:40] <Disavian> uberpenguin: I took a few, they're already on commons
[20:41] <Alkivar> Hillary: yeah i know our german friends will want to know where the nearest place to get a beer would be
[20:41] <Alkivar> as stereotyped as that sounds... its true
[20:41] <Mike_H> I added this to catering
[20:41] <Mike_H> Attendees who will be staying in dorms will have access to the dining hall for breakfast and lunch, inclusive in their per night fee for lodging.
[20:41] <LaMenta3> J.R. Crickets is near Tech Square and is on the restaurant list
[20:42] <LaMenta3> they're a local bar/pub
[20:42] <uberpenguin> Disavian, I know, but there were a few more specific shots some folks requested
[20:42] <LaMenta3> Most of the restaurants in Tech Square also serve beer
[20:42] <LaMenta3> some better beer than others
[20:42] <Mike_H> Including room price, with linens, breakfast and lunch at the dining hall for our attendees, and administrative costs, it will cost approximately $45-$50 a head per day, which we think is reasonable considering it pays for a room and two meals.
[20:43] <LaMenta3> And hey...if it helps us, I will personally show them how to get there and have a beer (or four) with them
[20:43] <Mike_H> About $15 of that per day price goes to the meals specifically
[20:43] <Mike_H> $25 or so is for the room
[20:43] <Mike_H> and the rest is admin costs
[20:44] <Alkivar> Hillary: remember... europeans hate american beer
[20:44] <LaMenta3> I know
[20:44] <LaMenta3> I do too
[20:44] <Alkivar> if it only has american beer on tap... dont recommend it
[20:44] <LaMenta3> Most have a variety
[20:44] <Alkivar> i'd even make a list of "these bars only serve american beer" "these bars serve real beer"
[20:44] <Alkivar> hahah
[20:44] <Alkivar> but thats me
[20:45] <Alkivar> and i know dick about atlanta
[20:45] <LaMenta3> However, there is some locally brewed beer (sweetwater and ABC specifically) that they may like
[20:45] <LaMenta3> because I am a beer snob and find them to be quite good
[20:45] <Alkivar> do they make a good pilsner?
[20:45] <Alkivar> or a bitter?
[20:45] <LaMenta3> They do mostly ales, I believe. Sweetwater anyway
[20:45] <Alkivar> i'm spoiled... I have a bar near me with 300 varieties on tap
[20:45] <Mike_H> in Cabot Cove
[20:45] <Alkivar> nah
[20:46] <LaMenta3> ABC has a dark beer that really reminds you of drinking a liquified brick
[20:46] <Alkivar> 3 Dollar Deweys in Portland ME
[20:46] <LaMenta3> it's great, really
[20:46] <Alkivar> famous bar actually
[20:46] <Alkivar> the guy who owned it just died recently
[20:46] <Alkivar> he spent half his life travelling the world sampling beer
[20:46] <Alkivar> and writing about it
[20:46] <LaMenta3> Taco Mac in Decatur has some obnoxious number of beers on tap from all over the world
[20:46] <Mike_H> Ew, Taco Mac
[20:46] <Alkivar> Fark.com even had a moment of silence for the guy
[20:46] <Alkivar> thats sayin something
[20:47] <LaMenta3> Mike: not too great of a place to eat, great place for beer, though
[20:47] <Mike_H> okay
[20:47] <Mike_H> fair enough
[20:47] <Mike_H> Brad took me to a Taco Mac. No wonder he didn't like me.
[20:47] <LaMenta3> They have this high gravity beer from CO that you practically have to CHEW
[20:47] <Alkivar> they've reduced the beer selection a bit in the past year
[20:47] <Alkivar> but here's the current list
[20:47] <Alkivar> http://threedollardeweys.com/beers/beersmnu.asp
[20:48] <Mike_H> Hillary, what parameters are we giving for a bar list for Atlanta?
[20:48] <Mike_H> Down to the end of Ponce?
[20:48] <Mike_H> to 14th Street?
[20:48] <LaMenta3> Just a little aside about American beer: national brands suck in general. Local brews often are just as good as imports
[20:49] <LaMenta3> I'd include as many as possible within walking (stumbling?) distance
[20:49] <Mike_H> I need to know roads
[20:49] <Mike_H> if I'm doing it
[20:50] <Mike_H> Like, would the Atlanta Eagle be too far
[20:50] <Mike_H> things like that
[20:50] <LaMenta3> I would also include ones in VA Highlands, L5P, Underground, Buckhead (if there are any left) and Decatur as they all have very good bars and those areas are noted for them
[20:50] <Mike_H> So basically a bar list of EVERYTHING IN ATLANTA.
[20:50] <LaMenta3> not everything
[20:50] <Mike_H> Right, you forgot Sweet Auburn
[20:50] <Mike_H> how silly of me :P
[20:50] <LaMenta3> just the good ones outside of stumbling distance
[20:51] <Mike_H> People can add to my list if they want. I won't know what the "good bars" are because I've never been to them
[20:51] <LaMenta3> I've only been to a few
[20:51] <LaMenta3> and there are a lot of places near Tech that aren't proper bars but are good nearby places to get your daily dose of liqud bread
[20:51] <Mike_H> Isn't Andrea like 30 something? She would know
[20:51] <Alkivar> i just had an idea
[20:52] <Alkivar> do your local brewers have tours of their factories?
[20:52] <Alkivar> beer tour = fun drunk
[20:52] <uberpenguin> haha
[20:52] <LaMenta3> ABC does for certain
[20:52] <LaMenta3> I was also thinking, wouldn't it be great if we could get a local brewer as a sponsor
[20:52] <Alkivar> show the europeans how america makes beer that doesnt suck then :)
[20:53] <Mike_H> Which company in Tennessee does the whiskey?
[20:53] <Mike_H> Jack Daniels?
[20:53] <Alkivar> several
[20:53] <Mike_H> The big one.
[20:53] <Alkivar> makers mark
[20:53] <Alkivar> jack daniels
[20:53] <Alkivar> jim beam has a spot
[20:53] <Alkivar> jack is the big name though
[20:53] <Mike_H> Considering we're getting a lot of volunteer support from Tennessee, Jack Daniels would be good to ask for support
[20:54] <Alkivar> at least as far as tennesse goes
[20:54] <LaMenta3> http://www.sweetwaterbrew.com/about.php?section=tours
[20:54] <LaMenta3> Sweetwater Brewing Co. tours
[20:54] <Alkivar> put that down as liesure strongpoint!
[20:54] <Alkivar> heh
[20:54] <LaMenta3> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetwater_Brewing_Company
[20:55] <LaMenta3> http://www.atlantabrewing.com/tours.html
[20:55] <LaMenta3> ABC tours
[20:55] <LaMenta3> so there are two pretty well known local breweries which people can tour
[20:56] <Alkivar> great local leisure activity right there
[20:56] <Alkivar> thats definately a strength if both are award winning brewery's
[20:56] <LaMenta3> Sweetwater was the 2002 Small Brewery of the Year
[20:57] <Alkivar> see the thing is
[20:57] <Alkivar> many people forget one simple fact
[20:57] <Alkivar> wikimania is a vacation more than a conference for most people
[20:58] <LaMenta3> There's plenty to do in Atlanta for all sorts of vacation types
[20:58] <LaMenta3> so playing that up shouldn't be hard
[20:59] <LaMenta3> hell, there's stuff that I haven't done that I've been meaning to, and I've lived in the city for 5 years and in the area for 13!
[20:59] <uberpenguin> is atlantic station mentioned?
[20:59] <LaMenta3> I believe so
[20:59] <uberpenguin> for the ten or so females that are likely to show up, that's a big destination
[20:59] <Alkivar> atlantic station?
[20:59] <LaMenta3> not all females are all about shopping, asshole :p
[20:59] <uberpenguin> basically an outdoor mall
[20:59] <Alkivar> ahh
[21:00] <Alkivar> tourist trap
[21:00] <uberpenguin> of course not, but we have to cover our generalities
[21:00] <uberpenguin> precisely
[21:00] <LaMenta3> Alkivar: not a tourist trap
[21:00] <LaMenta3> Uber: not an outdoor shopping mall
[21:00] <Mike_H> Oh, it is so an outdoor shopping mall
[21:00] <Mike_H> there's a Dillards and everything
[21:00] <uberpenguin> yes yes, there are apartments and so on
[21:00] <LaMenta3> it's very specifically a mixed used community
[21:00] <LaMenta3> *mixed use
[21:00] <uberpenguin> but for those visitors who don't plan on moving there
[21:01] <uberpenguin> it's an outdoor shopping mall
[21:01] <Mike_H> with a California Pizza Kitchen
[21:01] <Mike_H> mmm
[21:01] <LaMenta3> and it should be called such because it conveys an environmental consciousness
[21:01] <uberpenguin> that place is pretty good
[21:01] <Alkivar> <3 me some california pizza kitchen
[21:01] <LaMenta3> "outdoor shopping mall" sounds too stereotypically "big, careless, consumerist American"
[21:01] <LaMenta3> and it's not
[21:01] <uberpenguin> heh, I'm pretty dumbfounded by that statement
[21:02] <uberpenguin> but you can call it the solution to the energy crisis if you think that will sell it better :P
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[21:02] <uberpenguin> well... it IS big and consumerist
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[21:02] <uberpenguin> just with far better planning than is typical for atlanta
[21:02] <uberpenguin> just mention that it has a california pizza kitchen
[21:02] <uberpenguin> that should be sufficient
[21:03] <uberpenguin> and hey, it's close to the High
[21:03] <uberpenguin> bonus points
[21:03] <LaMenta3> It's VERY important to mention that it is one of the biggest brownfield reclamations ever done
[21:03] <Alkivar> be sure you wikilink any tourist attractions or companies with articles on en
[21:03] <Alkivar> i dont care if it looks like a link every other word in parts... it makes selling the bid easier
[21:03] <LaMenta3> Atlantic Station received the EPA's 2004 Phoenix Award as the Best National Brownfield Redevelopment, as well as, the Sierra Club's 2005 America's Best New Development Projects listing.
[21:04] <LaMenta3> With such a big focus on environmental concerns, we should sell Atlanta's strong points in that area as much as possible
[21:04] <Alkivar> brownfield... as in built on top of a giant shitpile?
[21:05] <uberpenguin> sure, sounds great
[21:05] <LaMenta3> it's on the former site of the Atlantic steel mill
[21:05] <Mike_H> Remember that this chat is logged, don't say things you wouldn't be willing to actually PUT ON THE BID
[21:05] <Mike_H> "Atlanta's nice mall is built on a shitpile" is not one of them
[21:05] <LaMenta3> Brownfields are abandoned, idled, or under-used industrial and commercial facilities where expansion or redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contaminations.
[21:05] <Mike_H> thank you, carry on :)
[21:06] <LaMenta3> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brownfield
[21:06] <uberpenguin> lenox is nice-ish
[21:06] <LaMenta3> That is what a "brownfield" is
[21:06] <Alkivar> ahh sorry i was thinking LEECHFIELD
[21:06] <uberpenguin> but heaven help anyone who tries to get over there by vehicle
[21:06] <uberpenguin> er, vehicle of the automotive persuasion, that is
[21:06] <Mike_H> It wasn't hard for us, we got there in 20 minutes
[21:06] <uberpenguin> amazing
[21:07] <Alkivar> leech field as in down hill from a septic system
[21:07] <LaMenta3> A 20 minute drive is a haul for anyone who actually lives in the city proper
[21:07] <Alkivar> my bad
[21:07] <Mike_H> I live in north Tampa. To get to downtown is 20 minutes for us
[21:07] <Mike_H> so it's really the same thing as far as we are concerned
[21:07] <Mike_H> to get from midtown to Buckhead (in north Atlanta)
[21:07] <LaMenta3> or for anyone coming from a European-esque city
[21:07] <uberpenguin> heh, my commute to GATech is about an hour and a half each way :P
[21:08] <LaMenta3> keep in mind that many of our international attendees are used to being able to walk, bike or take a train to most places
[21:08] <Mike_H> Welcome to America :)
[21:08] <uberpenguin> well, that will more or less hold so long as they stay within the perimeter
[21:08] <uberpenguin> though marta sucks compared to a sane transportation system
[21:08] <LaMenta3> Hell, *I'm* used to being able to walk, bike or take a bus/train to most places
[21:08] <Mike_H> But jokes aside, Atlanta is well-equipped for those kinds of people
[21:09] <Mike_H> Florida not so much
[21:09] <uberpenguin> _decently_ equipped
[21:09] <Mike_H> Didn't MARTA win some award for their promptness?
[21:09] <Mike_H> Or something?
[21:09] <KickTheDonkey> you still there, Mike_H?
[21:09] <Mike_H> Yes
[21:09] <Alkivar> marta doesnt look like it has much city coverage though
[21:09] <Alkivar> :/
[21:09] <KickTheDonkey> heh!
[21:09] <uberpenguin> ... in what crazy alternate dimension?
[21:09] <uberpenguin> have you ever TRIED to use a MARTA bus?
[21:09] <LaMenta3> uber: based on your statement about your commute, I would wager that you don't know terribly much about actually living in the city proper outside of the Tech campus
[21:10] <KickTheDonkey> they suck...
[21:10] <LaMenta3> it wasn't for promptness, Mike
[21:10] <uberpenguin> suffice to say that there is a 70-90% probability that you'll get there faster by walking
[21:10] <LaMenta3> it was for safety
[21:10] <Mike_H> Hillary and Andrew say they're fine.
[21:10] <uberpenguin> LaMenta3, did I ever claim to?
[21:10] <LaMenta3> the trains are mostly on time, but a lot of the bus routes are strained
[21:10] <Alkivar> man i wish every town had the equivalent of the DC Metrorail/Metrobus system
[21:10] <uberpenguin> I know the major points in down town and walk all over midtown, that's all I claim
[21:10] <KickTheDonkey> the trains are great...
[21:11] <Mike_H> This chat is logged, another reminder. Constructive criticism is fine, but if you're not willing to say that MARTA is fucked up and nobody should use it ON THE BID, don't say it here.
[21:11] <KickTheDonkey> if they go where you want them to...
[21:11] <KickTheDonkey> not what I'm saying
[21:11] <LaMenta3> you're making unqualified statements about Atlanta being "decently" equipped as opposed to well-equipped, which as far as midtown goes, there is probably no place better
[21:11] <Mike_H> That comment was more toward uberpenguin
[21:11] <uberpenguin> Mike_H, I'm willing to avoid recommending using MARTA busses, yes
[21:11] <Mike_H> Good thing you're not on the bid team then :)
[21:11] <uberpenguin> the trains are good
[21:11] <LaMenta3> I would recommend avoiding most of the busses as well
[21:12] <Mike_H> Why?
[21:12] <LaMenta3> the one exception would be the free Braves shuttle and the Tourist Loop
[21:12] <uberpenguin> because you'll get there faster by walking most of the time
[21:12] <Alkivar> Mike: dont know about you... but foreigners on a bus = chaos
[21:12] <Alkivar> unless they speak perfect english
[21:12] <uberpenguin> at least for most of the major in-city attractions, you can just walk from a rail station
[21:12] <Mike_H> All buses are slow. To get from here to downtown in Tampa takes an hour on the bus. It's because of all the stops they make.
[21:12] <Alkivar> half the bus drivers on earth barely speak english
[21:12] <LaMenta3> The bus routes are confusing and most are over-strained
[21:12] <uberpenguin> MARTA busses aren't just slow; they are never on time
[21:12] <Alkivar> let alone understand a heavy accent
[21:13] <uberpenguin> it's usually a total crapshoot to figure out when one will arrive
[21:13] <KickTheDonkey> can I recommend that Marta be recommend for the bid for it's trains? but not buses?
[21:13] <uberpenguin> but do with this information what you will
[21:13] <uberpenguin> I agree with KickTheDonkey and LaMenta3, recommend the trains, not the busses
[21:14] <Alkivar> ok here's a question
[21:14] <LaMenta3> And I don't mean this as a derrogatory remark so much as honest commentary, but most of the bus drivers speak very heavy ebonics and are difficult to understand if English isn't your first language
[21:14] <uberpenguin> though the GATech busses are reliable if we can use them
[21:14] <Alkivar> if say someone wanted to travel to atlanta from out of state via train
[21:14] <LaMenta3> ...or even if it is.
[21:14] <Alkivar> how would they get there
[21:14] <Alkivar> and does marta have service to said train station?
[21:14] <LaMenta3> Everyone can use the GATech busses
[21:14] <KickTheDonkey> Alfivar: AMTRAK
[21:14] <uberpenguin> LaMenta3, yeah, but will the transportation dept be thrilled about us flooding the trolley route?
[21:14] <Mike_H> Alkivar: We have an Amtrak section
[21:14] <Mike_H> hold on
[21:15] <uberpenguin> as I stated last time, I think we ought to contact them, at least as a courtesy
[21:15] <LaMenta3> It's during the summer, so the ridership is generally low
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[21:15] <Mike_H> Amtrak's Crescent train runs daily with stops in New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, Charlotte, Atlanta, Birmingham and New Orleans. The Southbound train arrvies in around 9AM. Northbound the train arrives at Atlanta at around 8PM. The Amtrak station is located at 1688 Peachtree St. N.W. MARTA Bus route 23 stops in front of the station.
[21:15] <uberpenguin> this is true
[21:15] <uberpenguin> and the trolley runs less frequently as a result
[21:15] <LaMenta3> and since Aux. Services knows that we are coming there, Transportation will likely be prepared
[21:15] <Alkivar> Mike: so only solution from train station is Marta Bus?
[21:15] <Alkivar> which we're about to unrecommend?
[21:15] <uberpenguin> is "likely" sufficient for your sensibilities?
[21:15] <Mike_H> I didn't suggest that section.
[21:16] <Mike_H> sorry, I didn't write it
[21:16] <LaMenta3> OKAY, HERE IS THE DEAL WITH RIDING MARTA BUSSES
[21:16] * Alkivar shuts up and listens
[21:16] <KickTheDonkey> mike: that raises a good point. We should play up area airports in our bid. B-Ham, chattanooga, and nashville are all within 3 hours from atlanta.
[21:16] <LaMenta3> EVERYONE SHUT UP AND LISTEN BECAUSE THIS IS IMPORTANT
[21:17] <LaMenta3> Riding the busses for your primary means of getting around the city on any kind of schedule is not recommended. Especially if you don't know the city.
[21:17] <uberpenguin> agree
[21:17] <KickTheDonkey> okay... trains = good. buses = bad
[21:17] <LaMenta3> However, if a bus is your only option to get to the site, such as with the Amtrak station, you are not necessarily under time constraints to get to the conference.
[21:18] <KickTheDonkey> taxi?
[21:18] <Mike_H> I was about to say that.
[21:18] <Alkivar> thats what i was just about to ask
[21:18] <Mike_H> We should have numbers for taxis.
[21:18] <LaMenta3> It is very easy for us to look at the bus route that stops at the Amtrak station and give explicit instructions how to get here
[21:18] <Alkivar> what would it cost in cab fare from train station to GTech housing?
[21:18] <KickTheDonkey> idk
[21:18] <uberpenguin> how do the busses work since they started the breeze card? I've only taken them once since then
[21:18] <Mike_H> well, how far is it, for one?
[21:19] <KickTheDonkey> 4 miles, tops
[21:19] <LaMenta3> No one was listening to the second part of what I said
[21:19] <Mike_H> I did.
[21:19] <Alkivar> we heard it... we're looking for other alternatives to also recommend
[21:19] <uberpenguin> me too... was that intended to be the final word?
[21:19] <Mike_H> Taxi can also be an alternative. Taxis should really be an alternative for travel anywhere you go.
[21:19] <uberpenguin> DISCUSSIONS ARE CLOSED
[21:19] <Mike_H> Four miles, hm
[21:19] <Mike_H> Then maybe...$10?
[21:20] <Mike_H> depending on how bad traffic is, could be nearer to $15?
[21:20] <Alkivar> thats cheap mike... are you sure?
[21:20] <Mike_H> Two dollar base, then 40 cents for a fifth of a mile
[21:20] <Mike_H> or 90 seconds wait time
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[21:20] <Mike_H> something like that, yeah
[21:20] <LaMenta3> All of that said (what I said) we should take a look at Bus Route 23 and make explicit instructions for getting to Tech from the Amtrak station
[21:21] <LaMenta3> because the busses ARE confusing, even for me.
[21:21] <Alkivar> Hillary: get a copy of the bus route map if possible
[21:21] <LaMenta3> However, it is also worth mentioning that the busses in Paris confuse the hell out of me, too.
[21:21] <LaMenta3> it's on the MARTA website
[21:21] <Mike_H> Don't we have a free one? We have a free MARTA rail one
[21:21] <KickTheDonkey> We should defintly research the cost of a cab from amtrack to gatech
[21:21] <Alkivar> then we should definately link to the map for Bus Route 23
[21:21] <uberpenguin> I like that we have a 'dealing with the hobos' section in the bid... nice touch
[21:22] <Disavian> did we ever put that pic of the hobo onto that?
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[21:22] <Disavian> http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Hobo_on_Interstate_85.jpg
[21:22] <LaMenta3> it's kind of important...not everyone is used to cities and homeless people
[21:23] <uberpenguin> Caption: "Hobo sapiens familiarus"
[21:23] <Disavian> Hobo sapiens canitalktoyouineedadollarus
[21:23] <uberpenguin> we should double stress "don't make eye contact, don't stop moving"
[21:24] <KickTheDonkey> i don't know if it's so obvious that he's a hobo..
[21:24] <LaMenta3> you know, the Amtrak station is right over by Arts Center Station
[21:24] <KickTheDonkey> thats a good point
[21:24] <uberpenguin> is that underpass near civic center?
[21:24] <Disavian> admittedly, it takes practice to ignore hobos
[21:24] <Disavian> I'd never lived in a major city with hobos, etc before this
[21:25] <uberpenguin> eventually they ignore you
[21:25] <uberpenguin> once you put out the strong "i'm a student in a hurry and have no money and no time" vibe, you're immune
[21:25] <Mike_H> Personal tip: Never say "I only have a debit card"
[21:25] <KickTheDonkey> how much talk time has been devoted to hobo chat?
[21:25] <Mike_H> that works in a lot of cities
[21:25] <Mike_H> but in Atlanta they'll actually ask you to take them to the ATM
[21:25] <uberpenguin> KickTheDonkey, not enough
[21:25] <uberpenguin> haha, yeah they will
[21:25] <KickTheDonkey> MIke:never had that happen
[21:26] <Mike_H> Oh, I have.
[21:26] <uberpenguin> I like to tell them where the atlanta union mission is
[21:26] <Mike_H> Near the old World of Coke.
[21:26] <uberpenguin> over on alexander street, dude
[21:26] <uberpenguin> "MAN I'm TIRED of bologna"
[21:26] <uberpenguin> HAHAHA, bye
[21:27] <Mike_H> anyway, yes, stress not talking or looking at them AT ALL
[21:27] <uberpenguin> fortunately atlanta hobos are mostly harmless... usually not quite as scary as new york hobos
[21:27] <KickTheDonkey> sorry for my spelling. i've got a newborn on my chest.
[21:27] <Mike_H> because if you make an excuse
[21:27] <Mike_H> they'll go for it
[21:27] <Mike_H> it's like they're professional bums or something
[21:27] <uberpenguin> yeah, sadly you have to throw out the socially polite practice of making friendly eye contact with passers by
[21:27] <uberpenguin> IF YOU ARE TO AVOID A SEVERE HOBOING
[21:27] <LaMenta3> Donkey: they have surgical treatments for that ;)
[21:27] <KickTheDonkey> ;)
[21:27] <Mike_H> Atlanta is also the only city I've encountered where if you ignore a hobo, they'll yell at you
[21:28] <uberpenguin> I've only rarely had that happen
[21:28] <Mike_H> "Can I have a dollar?"
[21:28] <Mike_H> "No, sorry"
[21:28] <uberpenguin> if we direct people through midtown station instead of north avenue
[21:28] <LaMenta3> Mike: I don't think I've had that happen
[21:28] <Mike_H> "FATASS!"
[21:28] <Mike_H> yeah
[21:28] <Mike_H> that's happened to ME
[21:28] <uberpenguin> their chances of hobo encounter are really slim
[21:28] <LaMenta3> yes, and midtown station has the trolley stop in front of it
[21:28] <uberpenguin> yup
[21:28] <LaMenta3> good for people with luggage
[21:29] <uberpenguin> on the other hand... I almost feel obliged to place a disclaimer next to our mention of the Fox theater
[21:29] <uberpenguin> "WARNING: approaching the fox WILL result in a brutal and sustained hobo attack"
[21:29] <LaMenta3> it might be sort of a redundant point, though it might be good to recommend that if people plan on travelling to the site using transit that they pack as lightly as possible
[21:29] <KickTheDonkey> how many of you actually work/live in downtown? and in which parts? Cause I work at 3rd and W. Peachtree, and the hobo problem is not that bad.. Granted, down near underground, it gets worse... But let's be reasonable here. I've actually been assulated in Nashville, but not in ATL.
[21:29] <LaMenta3> one or two bags per person, max
[21:30] <LaMenta3> this is more for convenience and ease of movement than anything else
[21:30] <uberpenguin> KickTheDonkey, sorry, I'm using extreme hyperbole here... I'll calm down :P
[21:30] <Mike_H> KickTheDonkey: all my really negative hobo encounters have been at the old World of Coke
[21:30] <Mike_H> which as you know
[21:30] <Mike_H> is where Underground is
[21:30] <uberpenguin> yeah, underground
[21:30] <LaMenta3> I live off of 14th
[21:30] <KickTheDonkey> there we go...
[21:30] <uberpenguin> underground and five points are good places to be hoboed
[21:30] <Mike_H> I wanted to take pictures around Underground
[21:30] <LaMenta3> there's a small problem around here. Mostly they just steal copper from buildings
[21:30] <Mike_H> and I actually had to ask a police officer to escort me
[21:30] <Mike_H> lest my camera be stolen by a hobo
[21:30] <KickTheDonkey> our bid should really focus on where the conference is going to be, and the tourist spots...
[21:30] <uberpenguin> I merely work downtown and go to school there, I live up in gwinnett county
[21:31] <KickTheDonkey> GATech is fairly safe.
[21:31] <KickTheDonkey> centenial park is fairly hobo free.
[21:31] <uberpenguin> yeah, very unlikely to have problems near the gatech campus
[21:31] <KickTheDonkey> Let's move on, right?
[21:31] <uberpenguin> I think the bid already states that
[21:31] <LaMenta3> There are a few unstable ones who hang out at the abandoned church on 14th and Atlantic
[21:31] <Mike_H> KickTheDonkey: When I first started the bid, I didn't think about Georgia Tech at first
[21:31] <Mike_H> I thought about Georgia State, then I thought of the hobos, and changed plans accordingly
[21:31] <LaMenta3> but they mostly will just shout obscenities at anyone who walks by
[21:32] <LaMenta3> or they just talk to themselves all the time
[21:32] <KickTheDonkey> "but they mostly will just shout obscenities at anyone who walks by" Yeah, I do that, too. ;)
[21:32] <uberpenguin> gatech's campus is much MUCH nicer, anyway
[21:32] <uberpenguin> anyone would rather walk around in there than in ga state
[21:32] <Mike_H> Although the other Hobo problem I had was on Juniper
[21:32] <Mike_H> which is close to GT
[21:32] <LaMenta3> State's campus isn't as cohesive as Tech's...mostly because of the school's early history as a night school
[21:32] <LaMenta3> they were a commuter campus for a really long time
[21:33] <Mike_H> Georgia State's facilities are also...how do I say
[21:33] <uberpenguin> pardon me for shifting gears, but has anyone found any pictures that they want to use?
[21:33] <Mike_H> ghetto as hell
[21:33] <Mike_H> and not really something I'd be proud of showing people
[21:33] <KickTheDonkey> uberpenguin: pictures of what?
[21:33] <uberpenguin> some various around-campus things
[21:34] <uberpenguin> http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg774w/wikimania/
[21:34] <Mike_H> Hillary, Dawn e-mailed me back and said that she was sending the CD to you tomorrow
[21:34] <Mike_H> there should be a sticky attached
[21:34] <LaMenta3> If Andrew would pay some effing attention, he's got a lot
[21:34] <Mike_H> with the password
[21:34] <uberpenguin> tech square is mostly missing because the lighting was too bad, I'll probably try again in another couple of days
[21:34] <Mike_H> so you can access the CD.
[21:34] <LaMenta3> ok
[21:34] <KickTheDonkey> forgive me for asking, but do we have confirmed commitment from GT to use their facilities?
[21:34] <Disavian> I have a lot on commons
[21:34] <Mike_H> Yes. Jessica got all that.
[21:35] <Mike_H> Jessica also confirmed housing and meals.
[21:35] <Disavian> pictures of GT are all in here --> http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Georgia_Institute_of_Technology
[21:36] <Alkivar> whats the housing cost
[21:36] <Mike_H> and through housing, they can also put the "strong arm," so to speak, to make sure nobody else takes the space from now until we can pay them.
[21:36] <Alkivar> ?
[21:36] <Disavian> the ones I took recently are these --> http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Georgia_Tech_Student_Center_Commons_East_Lounge.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Georiga_Tech_Conference_Center_Parking_Deck.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:North_5th_Street_Bridge_Georgia_Tech.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Tech_Square_Signage_Georgia_Tech.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Tech_Trol
[21:36] <Mike_H> $45/50 per head a night, that's factoring in about a six or seven day stay, and two meals
[21:36] <Disavian> and I have more that I didn't upload to commons
[21:36] <Mike_H> and admin costs
[21:36] <Alkivar> not bad
[21:36] <Mike_H> and that's 500 rooms
[21:36] <Alkivar> what is it if we only book say 100 rooms
[21:36] <Mike_H> suite-style, but on request we can alternate between suite and apartment for attendees
[21:36] <Mike_H> with no cost
[21:36] <Alkivar> do costs go up or stay the same?
[21:36] <Mike_H> stay the same
[21:36] <Alkivar> excellent
[21:37] <Mike_H> per person anyway
[21:37] <Mike_H> in bulk it will obviously be cheaper
[21:37] <Disavian> if you want me to upload any of those pictures, I'm putting them on my server for you to peruse
[21:37] <Alkivar> Mike did you get a hold of you know who about the letter yet?
[21:37] <Mike_H> the cost sounds a lot on paper, but considering we get almost all of that back from attendees, it is not a problem
[21:37] <LaMenta3> Suite style tells me that they'll probably stick people in Woodruss
[21:37] <LaMenta3> *woodruff
[21:37] <Mike_H> Alkivar, I talked to someone about it, and it's delayed right now
[21:38] <Alkivar> gotcha
[21:38] <Disavian> http://disavian.no-ip.info/share/Georgia%20Tech%20Campus/
[21:38] <KickTheDonkey> just to throw this out there... I'm an alumnus of southern tech in marietta, ga (15 miles nw of ga tech). I could look into securing more conference space there, if necessary.
[21:38] <Disavian> the most recent pictures are in the folder "Campus Walk III"
[21:39] <uberpenguin> the pictures of most interest that I took are of the student center ball room
[21:39] <uberpenguin> the rest is mostly skyline
[21:39] <LaMenta3> Donkey: between the student center, the CoC and GTRI (the latter two have expressed interest in leting us use space) we should be good in that department
[21:39] <KickTheDonkey> good to know. But just an option to keep open, should we need it.
[21:39] <Mike_H> Now, will Georgia Tech and the different colleges give us funding for the event?
[21:40] <Mike_H> I know we put that by the wayside but I think now is a good time to inquire.
[21:40] <Disavian> uberpenguin: yeah, I don't have a pic of the student center ballroom
[21:40] <Mike_H> and I want to know, show of hands, so to speak, who emailed President Clough after the meeting last night
[21:40] <Mike_H> or who has emailed him at all
[21:40] <KickTheDonkey> nope
[21:41] <uberpenguin> 223-230
[21:41] <uberpenguin> those are of the ball room
[21:41] <KickTheDonkey> got to go. adios.
[21:41] <uberpenguin> auf wiedersehn
[21:42] <Mike_H> so, hi, anyone want to respond to my questions?
[21:42] <uberpenguin> sorry Mike
[21:42] <uberpenguin> I haven't emailed clough
[21:42] <uberpenguin> and my only experience with getting money from the colleges is unrelated
[21:43] <Mike_H> I think Andrew and Jessica might be the ones to inquire about funding
[21:43] <Mike_H> and everyone else should email President Clough about it tonight
[21:43] <Mike_H> and at least let him know
[21:43] <Mike_H> another idea
[21:43] <Mike_H> he could be a keynote speaker.
[21:43] <Mike_H> It is, after all, his school
[21:44] <uberpenguin> I feel bad about spamming the guy's mailbox, can't we just send one email on all our behalf; giving a list of "signed" names for impact?
[21:44] <Mike_H> strength in numbers is better in my mind.
[21:44] <uberpenguin> plus that makes it easier to coordinate what needs to be said to him
[21:44] <Mike_H> It's easy to ignore one email.
[21:44] <Mike_H> Not five.
[21:44] <Disavian> this reminds me
[21:45] <Disavian> ICPA forwarded my email to the "Assistant Dean/Director of Student Involvement"
[21:45] <Disavian> who said, and I quote, "Andrew, I was forwarded your email from ICPA regarding your work towards hosting wikimania. Are you doing this with any specific student organization or SGA? I would like to talk with you about what this entails. Please contact my assistant Lillie at 4-3458 to schedule a time we can meet."
[21:45] <Mike_H> Jessica said she was working on a partnership
[21:45] <Mike_H> I don't remember with what
[21:50] <Mike_H> SGA would be a good avenue too
[21:50] <Mike_H> but would that be too much politics/red tape?
[21:52] <Mike_H> hello?
[21:52] <uberpenguin> no sﾃｩ
[21:52] <Mike_H> okay
[21:52] <Mike_H> I was beginning to think my connection stopped or something
[21:52] * yardi has joined #wikimania-atlanta
[21:52] * Looking up yardi user info...
[21:52] <Mike_H> hi yardi
[21:52] <yardi> hi
[21:53] <Mike_H> Have I messaged you, or did you sign up on the volunteer list?
[21:53] <Disavian> sarita! sup?
[21:53] <Mike_H> Oh, you invited her, Andrew?
[21:53] <Disavian> well, we know each other
[21:53] <Mike_H> oh, okay
[21:53] <Disavian> and I may have mentioned it to her
[21:53] <yardi> Kurt told me
[21:53] <Mike_H> I just did a mass invite of over 200 people
[21:54] <Mike_H> I don't know who is who anymore :)
[21:54] <Mike_H> Who is Kurt?
[21:54] <Disavian> ahh, uberpenguin: you're matt britt? haven't actually talked to you before
[21:54] <yardi> Not sure how involved I would be depending on if I'll be in atl next summer but wanted to swing by and check it out. :)
[21:54] <Mike_H> yardi: Are you on Wikipedia?
[21:54] <uberpenguin> Disavian, correct, sorry for the nick confusion
[21:54] <uberpenguin> I've been using this nick on freenode for like four years, and 'mattb' is sadly taken
[21:55] <yardi> Kurt is MaxVeers
[21:55] <Disavian> uberpenguin: just knew you were one of the token admins from GT, and that you were involved in a bunch of CS/ECE topics on en-wiki
[21:55] <Mike_H> ah, I see
[21:55] <uberpenguin> mostly ECE
[21:55] <Mike_H> what about you, yardi? Do you have a Wikipedia account?
[21:55] <Disavian> whereas I've stuck to GT-related stuff
[21:55] * Looking up yardi user info...
[21:55] <uberpenguin> the only remotely CS-related stuff I've touched is more ECE domain anyway
[21:56] <yardi> Yes I have one Mike.
[21:56] <yardi> But am not active contributor
[21:56] <Mike_H> That's fine
[21:56] <uberpenguin> I've uploaded these two: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Georgia_Tech_student_center_ballroom_front.jpg http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Georgia_Tech_student_center_ballroom_back.jpg
[21:56] <Mike_H> I was just going to direct you to the Southeast team list
[21:56] <yardi> If you only want for sure involved people in here, feel free to let me know - I can take a cue. :)
[21:56] <uberpenguin> if anyone wants to use any of those other pictures I took, please speak up soon
[21:56] <Mike_H> and ask you to sign it, and explain your limitations and stuff
[21:56] <Mike_H> no, no!
[21:57] <Mike_H> the list is for the bid people to know who to contact in case something comes up, so we have a good pool of volunteers. That, and if someone can't do a job, someone else can
[21:57] <yardi> two of my labmates are heavy into wikipedia so I end up talking about it a lot
[21:57] <Mike_H> http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimania_2008/Bids/Atlanta/Southeast_team
[21:57] <yardi> gotcha
[21:57] <yardi> yup
[21:57] <yardi> seen it, just haven't signed up depending on if I'll be here or not.
[21:57] <Mike_H> Oh, I see.
[21:57] <Mike_H> Well, there are also avenues to volunteer online
[21:58] <Mike_H> with things related to the event on the internet
[21:58] <yardi> cool
[21:59] <Mike_H> like with website upkeep
[21:59] <Mike_H> online coordination
[21:59] <Mike_H> translation (my lord) :(
[22:02] <uberpenguin> is translation that big a deal?
[22:02] <Mike_H> well, it'd need to be done into a lot of languages
[22:02] <Mike_H> not just like Spanish or something
[22:02] <uberpenguin> no, I mean, how many delegates can we honestly expect who don't understand English?
[22:02] <Alkivar> you'd be surprised
[22:02] <Mike_H> oh, that's not the issue, the issue is clarity to non-English-speakers, regardless of whether they can actually speak it
[22:03] <Alkivar> many of them have basic pleasentries only
[22:03] <Mike_H> because I know some people who are active on Wikipedia
[22:03] <Mike_H> and they English no so good
[22:03] * Greeves|away is now known as Greeves
[22:03] <uberpenguin> well you see the potential pitfall in that
[22:03] <Alkivar> hell we have native speakers who's english is no so good :P
[22:03] <Mike_H> "whose"
[22:03] <uberpenguin> clarity might be lost across translations and versions, possibly defeating the point
[22:03] <Alkivar> Mike: that joke just went right over your head :P
[22:03] <Mike_H> I thought I was being a smartass :(
[22:04] <Alkivar> i was insulting myself
[22:04] <Mike_H> uberpenguin: In any case, it's still the thing to do
[22:04] <Mike_H> all the other Wikimanias have had that as a requirement
[22:04] <Mike_H> why should we be any different?
[22:04] <uberpenguin> yer tha boss!
[22:04] <Mike_H> but admittedly, that task is to happen after we get picked
[22:04] <uberpenguin> good
[22:04] <uberpenguin> because with the constant state of flux that the bid page is currently under, translation would be weird
[22:05] <Mike_H> oh, right
[22:06] <Mike_H> no, it would only occur afterwards
[22:06] <Mike_H> not now.
[22:06] <uberpenguin> k
[22:08] <uberpenguin> brb
[22:09] <uberpenguin> back
[22:12] <uberpenguin> Mike_H, did any of those rooftop pictures I took strike your fancy?
[22:12] <Mike_H> I liked them all, actually
[22:13] <uberpenguin> yes, but do you want to USE any of them?
[22:13] <uberpenguin> some of them are more illustrative than others
[22:13] <Mike_H> Use them all, put them in a gallery, whatever
[22:13] <Mike_H> I say use more than not use
[22:13] <uberpenguin> hm
[22:13] <uberpenguin> I wish I could've gotten up on top of Howey
[22:14] <uberpenguin> jerks locked me out...
[22:14] * uberpenguin grumbles
[22:14] <Disavian> at least it's easy to get on top of VL.
[22:14] <uberpenguin> the view from the VL roof absolutely pales in comparison to the top of Howey
[22:15] <uberpenguin> before they built the observatory it was literally an unobstructed 360 degree view of the city
[22:15] * Hello32020 is now known as Hello32020|soons
[22:15] <uberpenguin> we used to tailgate up there
[22:15] * Hello32020|soons is now known as Hello|soonsleep
[22:15] <uberpenguin> a friend of mine who used to work in OIT found it in her many roof travels
[22:16] <uberpenguin> I need to find out who the building manager is and befriend him
[22:16] <uberpenguin> I think his name is keith something...
[22:16] <Disavian> I just added these to commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Georgia_Tech_Student_Center_Commons_West_Lounge.jpg and http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Tech_Square_Marble_Slab.jpg
[22:18] <uberpenguin> hmm... some chromatic aberration going on in that photo :)
[22:19] <uberpenguin> you're a CS major, aren't you?
[22:19] <Disavian> I am.
[22:19] <uberpenguin> what do you do?
[22:19] <uberpenguin> specialize in, that is
[22:19] <Disavian> well, I was ECE but switched last spring
[22:19] <Disavian> so I'm taking a bunch of intro classes
[22:19] <uberpenguin> ah
[22:19] <Disavian> and don't really have a specialty yet
[22:20] * Alkivar has left #wikimania-atlanta
[22:20] <Disavian> sadly, my camera isn't a DSLR. it's just a 5MP point-and-shoot
[22:22] <Disavian> although it does have a mobile LCD viewscreen, which is pretty fancy
[22:22] <uberpenguin> it's fine, even on low-end SLR lenses you can see some of that
[22:23] <uberpenguin> and by 'low-end' I mean 'sub-$500'
[22:25] <Disavian> apparently, my camera has evolved into this: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Camera-Optical/dp/B0001G6U5C
[22:25] <Disavian> ooooh, shiny.
[22:26] <uberpenguin> my camera sort of de-evolved from another model
[22:26] <uberpenguin> hm, for that price you can get a decent entry-level SLR
[22:29] <Mike_H> Is...the meeting over? We're discussing cameras.
[22:30] <uberpenguin> sorry, sorry
[22:30] <uberpenguin> I can't think of anything else to discuss
[22:31] <Mike_H> okay, fine
[22:31] <Mike_H> meeting over
