Some suggestions for consideration
A Duty Officer is an excellent suggestion and is critical to the "immediacy" advocated in the "Long Public Version" of the proposed policies. Everyone wants to know who to turn to should trouble arise. May I suggest:
1. Expand this to a hierarchy of people that terminates with a call to the police, medical services or fire department. One person cannot be in all places at all times and many incidences last only seconds. Perhaps: All attendees are informed upon arrival they should report any issues to the five people in yellow shirts who will contact the appropriate organizers, Duty Officer, venue authorities or emergency services. This is not unlike a phone tree and ultimately, every attendee will participate in this policing at some capacity.
2. Should an event include alcohol, the Duty Officer and Deputies? should have some basic knowledge of local alcohol laws and their implications. These laws are very strict and their own hierarchy involving the servers, the venue management, bouncers, venue security, the local alcohol control board, law enforcement and the justice system. The most visible aspect is the prevention of underage drinking through "carding." Note that his hierarchy is designed to respond to fights and the use of weapons and may be awkward or intimidating to the community.
3. Consider how this role may change in a foreign country where hospital staff may not speak English. (This was an issue at the MySQL Developer's Summit 2008 in Riga, Latvia.)
4. Consider the role of a Duty Officer with regards to more mundane issues like projector dongles, outlet adapters, aspirin/ibuprofen, tissues, ear plugs, contact lens products and misc personal products that attendees may urgently require and may not be able to obtain at or near an event venue. (Or the hotel would charge 300% markup for.)
Draft suggestion: Three R's
1. Rules. Policies and codes of conduct that should be known by all members of the community, be them during an event or during a lifetime of participation. These will not be known by uninvited guests as was the case at the OSCON 2009 Speaker's Party or Linux Fund Event.
2. Reminders. A quick and positive review of the key rules at the onset of a conference or social event is not unreasonable. Reminders like "Assault, harassment and under-age drinking will not be tolerated at this event" are obviously required until tangible progress is made and will only be off-putting to those who tolerate those actions.
3. Responses. Precisely what is described in the "Long Version" of the policies and this document [1] Michaeldexter 07:05, January 15, 2011 (UTC)