Is it time for a Maxima Users Conference? San Jose CA

Robert Dodier <robert.dodier at gmail.com> wrote:

   On Fri, Dec 4, 2009 at 8:57 AM, Richard Fateman <fateman at cs.berkeley.edu> wrote:
   
   Hmm, that could be fun. I'm in Colorado so going to SJ is no big deal.
   I'd be happy to send off a short proposal to have a Maxima workshop.
   Who is interested to attend? (no commitment necessary)
   What kinds of stuff should we cover?
   Of course, if someone else would like to make the proposal,
   I won't stop you.

I'm not in any way against a Maxima meeting, but I'd like to make a
counter proposal (having just returned to the San Francisco Bay Area)
from a conference in central Europe).

When Macsyma was first started, it was _the_ important project in
computer mathemtics, and had adequate funding.  Forty years later,
Macsyma is dead and Maxima is an unfunded open-source project.

A Maxima meeting would be wonderful, but I fear that many deserving
developers and users who ought attend would not be able.

I can't promise (because I haven't cleared it with anyone) but Franz has
a GotoMeeting subscription that allows us to schedule internet meetings
for free.  We use it several times a week for technical meetings and
about monthly for online webinars.  I'm pretty sure I could organize a
meeting with shared audio and desktops that would cost nothing for
attendees with somewhat reliable and robust internet connections.

This could be used for independent meetings, if the community felt that
periodic voice meetings would provide things the mailing list does not,
or if the proposed physical meeting happened, member who could not
attend physically might be able to participate in some sessions via
GotoMeeting.

I don't feel my marginal involvement in Maxima allows me to to argue
about the best meeting forum, but if the community can discuss and come
to a conclusion, I'll try to make my offer stick.  (Franz Inc. was
founded a quarter century ago as a UC Berkeley spinoff from a project to
provide a free platform for Macsyma.  Franz owes Maxima a little...)

Steven M. Haflich <smh at franz.com>
Franz Inc., Oakland CA