MiniConfs

From MelbLCAWiki

Contents 1 Intro 2 General 3 Mini-confs Mailing List 4 Suggested Mini-confs 4.1 Debian 4.2 Audio 4.3 SAGE-AU Vic chapter 4.4 Sysadmin 4.5 GNOME 4.6 Security 4.7 Clustering 4.8 OSS in Govt 4.9 OSS in Education 4.10 TINC Mini-Conf 4.11 freedesktop 4.12 embedded 4.13 jabber 4.14 Gentoo 4.15 Fedora 4.16 Students 4.17 Distro Summit 5 Suggestions for Mini-conf running changes at LCA 2008 5.1 LCA 2007 ideas to be repeated? 5.2 Additional ideas 5.3 Slightly more ambitious ideas

Intro

Includes general information about the mini-conference section of LCA.

This page will form the basis for discussions on logistics, planning and suggestions. The mini-confs listed here are only suggestions.

A formal mini-conf submission process, just as we will have for main conference papers, will take place in May 2007.

General

Things to resolve:

• Which mini-confs to run
• Who's taking charge?
• Level of involvement from the LCA organisers
• Mini-conf sponsors - balance between main conference sponsors and mini-conf sponsors to ensure there are no conflicts of interest.
• Ensure earlier release of mini-confs programs - for example so that teachers have the program/speakers/topics/times for the edu mini-conf so they can apply to come.

Mini-confs Mailing List

A mini-conf mailing list has been created. You can subscribe at http://lists.mel8ourne.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/miniconf.

Suggested Mini-confs

Debian

Audio

Would be nice to borrow a studio or performance room for this if possible, is one thing that has been an issue for the last few years.

SAGE-AU Vic chapter

Sysadmin

GNOME

Security

Clustering

OSS in Govt

OSS in Education

TINC Mini-Conf

AKA The local pub

freedesktop

embedded

jabber

Gentoo

Fedora

Students

The purpose of the mini-conf would be to bring students and young graduates together to discuss issues relevant to the age group, to discover the benefits that Free and Open Source software could bring them in their chosen fields, and to meet the people that will be our future colleagues and workmates.

I believe that while there are already a healthy number of young people willing to pay their own way to the conference, the real benefit will be to students who are currently unaware of FOSS, the opportunities it provides, and the existence of the conference. To further this, I would like to be able to sponsor students from around the country to come to Melbourne for the week.

Engineers Australia has expressed an interest in this area, and other avenues to explore may be Linux Australia grants, University support, and corporate sponsorship. Leslee Hawthorn, the google contact who was at lca 07, has also expressed interest in helping out, possibly tying the event into the google summer of code program.

Convenor - Joel Stanley

Distro Summit

Suggestions for Mini-conf running changes at LCA 2008

LCA 2007 ideas to be repeated?

• Dedicated mini-conf organisers list.
• Set schedule shared between all mini-confs.
• Appearing in the main conference programme handout

Additional ideas

• Provide list of Australian advertising venues (eg linux-aus, local LUG) to organisers so that they know where to post their own announcements.
• Provide way to feed mini-conf news into press releases and/or announcements
• Provide a 10 minute overview slot at the beginning of each mini-conf for a welcome talk
• Provide us with a list of guidelines about programme deadlines, responsibilities, advertising restrictions in one place (eg wiki page), rather than in a series of emails from organisers
• Let organisers know if they are chairing or if a volunteer will. In 2007 we found out by turning up and finding no lca volunteer.
• Choose mini-confs earlier, perhaps so that they can be associated with the main cfp somehow?
• Earlier deadline for complete programmes.
• Provide way for organisers to contact attendees interested in their mini-conf for, eg, cfp, shirts, programme announcements (probably with consent). This year LCAs privacy agreement precluded giving us any attendee emails or having our emails forwarded to them.
• Mini-conf organisers get speaker-like or at least free professional privileges
• Video all mini-conf talks
• More setup time perhaps needed for mini-confs with large equipment needs (Gaming for example)
• Hardware register - people willing to lend/give hardware to mini-conf organiser who are coming interstate/overseas.
• Make it very clear early on what the physical/site/equipment requirements are for mini-confs - include a field for this in the mini-conf call.

Slightly more ambitious ideas

• Encourage 'crossing the streams' with other mini-confs, that is, holding joint sessions hosted by >1 mini-conf
• Allow (some?) mini-confs to 'donate' a speaker each to the main programme
• Perhaps include mini-confs as part of sponsorship deals and discussions (they would need to be sorted earlier)