[Linux-aus] Organizing an Australian Open Source Roadshow?

[Paul Shirren]

Anthony Towns wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 29, 2004 at 01:57:42PM +1030, Paul Shirren wrote:
> 
>>The fact is LA, and AUUG are too good at what they do to risk diluting 
>>them. I don't want linux.conf.au to turn into a trade show.
> 
> 
> FWIW, I think LA's goal is (and should be) to be able to do both things;
> I think LA would be a great success if it was acting both as the financial
> umbrella for l.c.a each year and was promoting a purely PHB-oriented
> Linux tradeshow (or roadshow).
> 
> I don't think LA's involvement in l.c.a is anywhere near so tight as
> to mean LA can't do the same job for folks interested in Linux in a
> completely different way to your average l.c.a attendee.

I agree that LA can do both as far as the roadshow is concerned and much 
more.

But if you are trying to convince an MP that OpenSource means jobs and 
business, it helps if you have a membership of actual businesses. 
Something like, "Our membership, comprising 300 opensource related 
businesses, is hurt by your discriminatory procurement policy which 
costs Australians jobs and damages our balance of payments."

When you go to government soliciting grants for industry development it 
might help to have an actual industry in the wings somewhere.

The fact is that orgs like OSV do exist and are moderately successful. 
They clearly operate in a totally different area to the LUGs. The LUGs 
basically have a national co-ordinating body in LA. The 
business/advocacy groups do not. LA could become that body, but LA risks 
becoming some schizophrenic entity trying to satisfy two memberships, 
just different enough to be problematic.

If there is some way for LA to run the lot that would be great. I just 
don't see how it is practical without damaging LA.