[LACTTE] Re: [Linux-aus] AGM agenda tweaking (is it possible)?

[Bret Busby]

On Thu, 8 Jan 2004, Anand Kumria wrote:

> 
> On Thu, Jan 08, 2004 at 12:13:33PM +1100, Robert Thomson wrote:
> > On Wed, Jan 07, 2004 at 09:35:25PM +1100, Michael Still banged out:
> > > Yeah, as people might leave as well. I'm thinking a 30 - 60 second
> > > speach is probably shorter than trying to understand an email thread
> > > being read aloud...
> > > 
> > > Mikal
> > 
> > And of course a proxy speaker if the person doesn't happen to be able
> > to make it.
> > 
> > It seems a shame that we'll be voting largely on
> > who-looks-good-on-the-day, largely precluding those who can't make it
> > due to other commitments but might make excellent committee members.
> > 
> > Holding the primary vote at the conference will always have that
> > effect, I suspect.
> 
> Well the intention with the constitutional changes is to allow us to
> divorce the voting place from the conference in future. 

And, divorce the SGM's, and AGM's, from the conference, hopefully, as 
previously discussed, which would then make LA as something separate 
from the conferences, and, the conferences being related only to the LCA 
committee, with an opportunity (apart from the benefits of attending the 
conferences) to, as said, put faces to email names.

> Who knows maybe
> in a few years time we'll be able to have simulatenous conferences in
> each captial city?
> 

By videoconferencing? A single, periodic, videoconference, across the 
Internet? 

Holding simultaneous conferences, could split resources, with, for 
example, only those in a particular capital city, able to attend 
presentations by particular speakers.

And, videoconferencing could allow international presenters, to make 
presentations, without leaving their homes (or using places near to 
their homes, to make the presentations).

Several years ago, when Linux and PLUG were in their infancies (Linux 
had just been ported to the 80486), I saw a video of a 
lecture/presentation, starring the creator of the Mach kernel. In that, 
the presenter was involved then, in a videoconferencing setup, where 
people were watching the presentation, and asking questions, which he 
was answering, via videoconferencing. At that time, videoconferencing 
was quite expensive (cost about $150 an hour, I think), but, now, with 
the way that technologies have gone, the possibility of holding 
something like an Australian Linux Conference across the Internet, via 
videoconferencing, is not unreasonable, and, is becoming more of a 
feasible possibility.

Maybe, in the "not too distant future"...

As time goes on, and costs come down, and, capabilities increase, the 
possibility of conferences being held as videoconferences across the 
Internet, could become more feasible, and increase partcipation.

An example of the "costs coming down and capabilities increasing", is 
the implementation of ADSL, and the (relatively) low cost.

If the transmission of data along electricity lines, is implemented 
(and, if we can ever obtain a reasonably reliable electricity supply), 
the potential is there for such developments.

-- 
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
 you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
  Chapter 28 of 
  "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
  A Trilogy In Four Parts",
  written by Douglas Adams, 
  published by Pan Books, 1992 
....................................................