How can I propose a contribution to the conference?

Please submit an abstract about your contribution to our conference planning system by

If you need assistance for operating our conference planning system please consult the section on how to operate the conference planning system.

Please check our Call for Contribution. It gives an impression of what we do consider interesting for the conference.

What happens after I submitted my proposal?

In case we have no questions regarding your submission we will decide whether you will be invited to the conference until

You will be informed about the outcome of that decision process afterwards.

In case we have questions we will contact you before that date.

Please make sure that in our conference planning system you filled in your mail address properly. Otherwise we can not contact you.

Can I discuss my proposal before the conference?

If you follow the Free Software motto of Release early, release often you may be interested in offering your proposal for discussion with anybody interested. For this we can offer these options:

• Oekonux main discussion list

  If you want to discuss your proposal with Oekonux participants then you may want to send it to the main Oekonux discussion mailing list. At best you subscribe to the mailing list so your posts go through to the list without complications and you also receive possible replies.

• Speakers mailing list

  If you are an invited speaker it may make sense to coordinate your presentation with other invited speakers. This can be done best on the mailing list for speakers. All invited speakers will be subscribed there.

  This option is more suited for coordination among speakers.

How shall I cope with questions and suggestions about my proposal?

The conference team may have questions about your submission because we did not fully understand what you want to contribute. You should reply to such questions and try to explain your intentions.

In addition it is possible that the conference team makes suggestions to fit your contribution better into the conference program. In this case it would be great if you could consider integrating these suggestions into your contribution.

Furthermore the conference team may want to make your contribution part of a panel with similar topics. It would be great if you could agree to such a suggestion.

How do I know whether my submission is accepted?

The conference team collects submissions until

During the following weeks the conference team decides which contributions are explicitly invited to the conference. The decisions will be made until

latest. All who submitted a proposal will be notified of the decision.

Must a submission have a special form?

Our conference planning system requires a certain form for a submission. Though on first glance this form seems rather limited it is just fine for this case. Also please note that we are convinced by content - not by a stylish presentation.

May I submit more than one proposal?

Yes. Our conference planning system allows for submitting multiple proposals. Please use this option.

May I change my submission?

Until the deadline October 31st, 2008 you are free to change your submission. However, keep in mind that ultimately we need to understand what you want to contribute.

In case you are invited changes in the contribution are possible only in coordination with the conference team. In such cases it is best to use the mailing list for speakers.

What is the criteria for acceptance of a submission?

The important criteria is about the content of the submission. The conference team will consider what is most suitable for a successful conference. The Call for Contribution will be a guideline for this decision.

Besides content related criteria we need to meet the following limitations set by our financial possibilities:

• Available money for travel expenses
• Available accommodation for invited contributors
• Available time slots in the program of the conference

If you are able and willing to cover your travel expenses and/or accommodation yourself then please refer to the section I am ready to pay myself - what to do?.

Is it possible to have spontaneous discussion sessions?

It is not only possible but even wanted. We will make available at least one room for spontaneous sessions.

What do I need to know to use this system?

Some tips and caveats:

• Use the tabs at the top

  In many places the conference planning system uses tabs at the top of the main content pane to switch between different parts of a big entity. Use the tabs by clicking them. You may also use "Show all" to display one big page.

• Click somewhere to make the "Save / Cancel" button pair appear

  If you entered some text in only one text field you may not see the "Save / Cancel" button pair in the lower right corner and thus can not save your entry. Just click somewhere and they will appear.

• Server is not responding or giving error messages

  Sometimes our server is under a high load and responses are slow. Sometimes they are so slow that the server gives up and displays an error message. Please try to reload the page in such cases.

  We are looking into this.

Is there a step-by-step guide for submission?

To submit a proposal you must use the conference planning system to

• create an account
• enter personal details
• submit the proposal

Please follow the guides in the respective sections.

What does "Pentabarf" mean?

Pentabarf is the name of the conference planning system we are using. Please refer to the Pentabarf Wiki for further information.

How do I create an account?

1. Go directly to the account creation:

   http://pentabarf.oekonux-conference.org/user/new_account/ox4

   Alternatively you could also use the standard entry point and choose Create account.

2. Enter login name, email address, and password

   The login name is your account identifier and may not be changed later on.

   The email address must be operational!

3. Wait for email from pentabarf AT oekonux-conference DOT org

   The system sends an email to the email address you just entered.

4. Use the link sent by email

   The email contains a link. Please surf to this link.

Your account is now created. You may now log in and enter personal details.

How can I log in?

Generally you can log in in many places in Pentabarf. Your browser always asks for your account name and your password. Enter these and you are logged in.

The shortest way to get to your data is to use

From here you can enter personal details or submit the proposal.

I forgot my password - what to do?

Please use http://pentabarf.oekonux-conference.org/user/forgot_password and enter your account and contact email.

How do I enter my personal details?

Log in and click on Person

Alternatively you can go directly to

and log in there.

You should see a page like this:

Screenshot of account details view

At the top of this page you see a number of tabs switching to different aspects of your personal details. The rightmost tab Show all displays all aspects on one a single page.

To enter your personal details just input the respective data on all the sub-pages. After you entered new or modified existing data two buttons Save and Cancel should appear at the bottom right corner. Don't forget to Save your changes before leaving the page.

Please refer to the section What is the minimum personal information needed? to learn on what we want you to fill out.

Something special about uploading a picture of me?

Yes! You may upload pictures but they must be of low resolution! The highest resolution used in Pentabarf is 128x128 pixel. You must reduce your picture to this format. Otherwise the server is slowed down enormously whenever this picture is needed - and this is in many places.

It also is wise to use a square format. Otherwise the server will distort your image by forcing it to a square format.

What is the minimum personal information needed?

Generally it would be good if you could provide as much information as possible. Don't worry: The very most information is kept inside the system and only visible to the conference team.

This is the personal information we require:

• General

  • First name

  • Last name

  • Reconfirm Attendance

    Please check to make sure that you really come to the conference.

  • Gender

  • Title

    If any we need your academic title for some sponsors.

• Availability

  Please tell us when you are available or we might schedule for a time you are not available.

• Contact

  • City of residence
  • Country of residence

• Description

  • Abstract

    An abstract may not exceed 300 characters.

• Travel and costs

  • Travel to venue

    • Place of departure

      In case you want to fly please add the three letter airport code for the airport you want to use.

    • Arrival at

      We assume that you get to Manchester (Manchester airport code: MAN).

    • Transport type

      If you choose UFO please submit a presentation about the planet you are coming from ;-) .

    • Person needs to be picked up

      If you check this then please also fill in arrival date, arrival time, and train or flight number

  • Departure from venue

    • Departure from

      We assume that you depart from Manchester (Manchester airport code: MAN).

    • Destination of departure

      In case you want to fly please add the three letter airport code for the airport you want to use.

    • Transport type

    • Person needs to be picked up

      If you check this then please also fill in date of departure, time of departure, and train or flight number

  • Need travel Sponsorship

    Please check this if you need at least partial sponsorship for your travel.

    Please also fill in Total travel Costs then and give the costs in EUR (currency converter). A rough estimate is fine.

  • Accommodation

    • Need Accommodation Cost

      Please check this if you do need accommodation from us.

  • Bank account

    In case you expect money from us please fill in all the fields.

How do I submit a proposal?

Log in and click on New event

Alternatively you can go directly to

and log in there.

You should see a page like this:

Screenshot of edit event view

At the top of this page you see a number of tabs switching to different aspects of your event. The rightmost tab Show all displays all aspects on one a single page.

To enter your event just input the respective data on all the sub-pages. After you entered new or modified existing data two buttons Save and Cancel should appear at the bottom right corner. Don't forget to Save your changes before leaving the page.

Please refer to the section What is the minimum event information needed? to learn on what we want you to fill out.

What is the minimum event information needed?

Generally it would be good if you could provide as much information as possible.

This is the event information we require:

• General

  • General

    • Event title

    • Submission of paper for proceedings

      Please check this if you want to provide a paper for documentation.

      Please note that this and/or the next entry must be checked. Refer to Questions about the papers for details.

    • Submission of presentation slides

      Please check this if you want to provide slides for documentation.

      Please note that this and/or the previous entry must be checked. Refer to Questions about the papers for details.

    • Language used for presentation

      You may not choose anything else than English.

    • Event type

    • Duration

      This field contains the default duration for an event. If you require more or less time (including discussion) then please select a different duration here. However, the conference team may override this.

      Please refer to How long does a presentation last? for more information.

    Please note that you have to check Submission of paper for proceedings, Submission of presentation slides, or both.

    Any entries in Track are void since the tracks are not related to topics and the conference team distributes events to tracks while planning the schedule.

• Description

  • Abstract

    An abstract may not exceed 300 characters.

  • Full description

    A description may not exceed 2000 characters.

• Resources

  • Resources

    Please fill in any special resources you need.

    A beamer will be available in every room and does not need to be mentioned.

Something special about uploading a picture for my event?

The same as in Something special about uploading a picture of me? applies.

Can I use other formats for my submission?

You can attach files using Description / Attached files on the the event description. However, please note that such material might not be considered by the whole conference team.

I am ready to pay myself - what to do?

Please leave Need travel Sponsorship and/or Need Accommodation Cost unchecked in your personal details.

I am not available full time - what to do?

Generally we expect speakers to stay during the whole conference. And we think it's worthwhile.

If for some reason this is not possible for you please tell us about your availability in detail in your personal details. We create the schedule based on this information.

What if I need Internet access?

Please note this as a special resource in your event description.

What if I want to care about my accommodation myself?

Please uncheck Need Accommodation Cost and enter the place where you will stay.

Is there documentation for the system?

You may use the Documentation link at any time. It directs you to the documentation in the Pentabarf Wiki.

Who can help me?

If you have problems with Pentabarf please don't hesitate to contact Stefan Merten. Please start your subject line with the term "Pentabarf".

How many people will attend a presentation?

Among other things it depends on the number of people attending the conference. In the past Oekonux conferences were attended by 150+ persons on average. We expect the same number this time. These people will be distributed between the number of tracks running in parallel.

How many tracks are there?

At the moment we are planning for three parallel tracks.

How many people will attend a spontaneous discussion session?

We will have at least one room where spontaneous sessions (unprepared discussion rounds) may take place. We don't know yet how big this room will be, but it will probably be seminar rooms with a capacity of 30-40 persons.

On which day will my presentation take place?

We will plan a program, in which all planned presentations are scheduled. It is planned that the schedule is complete by

To make this planning possible please use our conference planning system to mark when you are available. Please follow the section on I am not available full time - what to do?.

How long does a presentation last?

By default we will have two hour slots. Prepared presentations should last not longer than one hour. At least three quarters of an hour should be left for discussion. A quarter of an hour is used to allow changing rooms.

In case we combine multiple contributions to a panel we may limit the time for a single contribution.

Is it possible to work practically (computer room, Internet)?

We will try to provide access to the Internet by wireless. If you like to use this during your presentation, please mention this in the conference planning system. See the section on What if I need Internet access?.

What presentation equipment is available?

We will have beamers in all main rooms.

Which sorts of events are possible?

In general there are these options:

• Plain talk / lecture

  This is a plain, prepared talk addressing an interested audience. This comes with a discussion.

• Panel

  The conference team may want to create panels combining contributions about similar topics. A panel comes with a discussion.

• Workshop

  This is a round of people interested in a particular topic. The workshop organizers should have prepared questions to be answered by or topics to be discussed in this round. In general the organizers are also responsible for maintaining the workshop.

If you would like to have another form of event, please say so in your submission.

What about panels?

It is possible that the conference team wants to arrange several related contributions to a panel instead of having them in a single presentation. Of course we will do so only if this is accepted by the respective speakers.

Do you need documentation of my contribution as a paper?

Yes. We are going to document all conference contributions publicly - i.e. on the web.

By default each contribution should be documented as a paper. Length is not dictated by us. In justified exceptions we do accept documentation of the presented slides.

When do you need the paper?

We need the papers by

latest.

Please note that this is before the conference. The conference team reserves the right to revoke an invitation if the paper is not available by this time.

The papers will be made available publicly only after the conference, however.

To whom I may submit my paper?

Please contact Stefan Merten.

Which format should the paper have?

Generally speaking: The simpler, the better. All layout bells and whistles will be removed anyway while reformatting it for the web site. So only use markup which is important structurally (headings, emphasis, description of pictures, etc.). Do not hide structure information in layout markup like "bold", "italics" or similar.

We mostly do not insist on a special format. These are the formats we prefer (most preferred on top):

1. reStructuredText
2. Plain text
3. HTML
4. OpenDocumentFormat text (e.g. from OpenOffice)
5. OpenDocumentFormat slides (e.g. from OpenOffice)
6. Word
7. Powerpoint

Please note that we do not accept read-only formats like PDF.

What happens to my paper?

We will publish all submitted papers on the conference web site after the conference.

What about copyright?

All papers need to be free from rights of third persons. Please put your paper under a Creative Commons License or your choice. We assume that this is the case if we do not have other information.

Here are the license types we prefer most:

1. BY-SA
2. BY
3. A combination with ND
4. A combination with NC

Will there be further documentation?

We will record the sound of all contributions and may be we do filming. After the conference this will be made available on the web site also.

Why have I been subscribed to speakers AT oekonux-conference.org?

The mailing list serves the coordination of the content of presentations as well as being a simple facility to give organizational hints to the speakers by the conference team. In addition invited speakers are free to communicate with each other using this mailing list.

May I re-read older posts?

Yes, because the mailing list is archived.

Are there prerequisites for going to UK?

Please see the same question in the general FAQ.

What about costs for travel and what about accommodation?

It is our goal to refund costs for travelling to and from the conference. Please use cheap travelling opportunities. If it is possible for you to cover your own travelling costs completely or partially, we would be grateful. Please refer to section I am ready to pay myself - what to do?.

If you travel by car we only pay the costs for an equivalent train ticket.

If you want to fly, please note that we do refund flight costs only to the amount of a cheap flight. Manchester airport is the destination of many cheap airlines. Please use those. You may want to check What about cheap flights? for some tipps. If in doubt please contact the conference team.

We will try to get private accommodation for all speakers.

We can supply reimbursement only for the invited person.

Who books flights, train tickets and the like?

Please book and pay all your travel tickets yourself in advance. We will reimburse you after the conference.

Please note that we do refund flight costs only to the amount of a cheap flight. If in doubt please contact the conference team.

We will care about accommodation but please don't expect a first class hotel. If you want to care about accommodation yourself please refer to section What if I want to care about my accommodation myself?.

Will there be an honorarium / fee?

We are happy if we can raise enough funding to pay travel / accomodation costs of speakers so we can not pay a honorarium. Also this is a completely volunteer based effort and money is only used to pay unreplacable external costs.

May I use an alias?

Generally you should not use an alias for the conference. However, we won't control passports. So if you use an alias which could be a normal name easily then there is no problem.

We may make exceptions from this rule for artists. Please contact the conference team and ask for an exception.

Who may I contact for ...?

In general we work as a team for the preparation of the conference. You may contact us at projekt@oekonux.de.

For some tasks there are special people caring about them. You may contact these directly (please note the obfuscation of email addresses to prevent spammers from harvesting them):

General contact person for contributors

Stefan Merten (smerten AT oekonux.de)

Papers, documentation

Stefan Merten (smerten AT oekonux.de)

Web-site

Stefan Merten (smerten AT oekonux.de)

Are there more FAQs?

There is a visitor FAQ, which is meant for all visitors of the conference. There is also a general FAQ covering general questions.

What if my question is not listed here?

In case your question is not answered by this FAQ please contact Stefan Merten.