Fwd: [Linux-aus] anyone for an open-source-beyond-the-black-stump miniconf?

[Rohan M.]

> On 7/5/06, Robyn M <rob_39 at bigpond.com> wrote:
>> On Wed, 2006-07-05 at 22:19 +1000, Aguido Horatio Davis wrote:
>> > Something I'd quite like to see at LCA2007 is a gathering of all the
>> > people involved in rolling out open source software in remote and
>> rural
>> > Australia, especially those using it to build capacities in
>> communities
>> > that otherwise wouldn't have them. It would be for the usual purposes:
>> > exchange ideas, gain awareness of all the other people (and
>> resources!),
>> > trade war stories, organise future work.
>> >
>> > I'm trying to figure out whether this would fit in a BOF, a one-day
>> > miniconf, or (theoretically) a two-day miniconf.
>>
>> > Anyone interested in attending or presenting at such a thing?
>>
>> I've done some work in Marree, South Australia with a few other folk.
>> Where we installed a server and did some desktop training. Hopefully
>> there will be more of this in the future.
>>
>> Robyn
>
> Yes. Karl Goetz also went with us, Noven has built networks in Copley
> as well as maintaining the Marree one. Sokar is doing similar work in
> Queensland?, Pia did a trip too I think. It could be a good mini
> conference.
>

Hope this isnt a stupid question - but how does one start somehing like this?

Do you basically organise it yourself, source hardware, speak to the local
community to meet needs etc?

Is LA the only sponsor of these kinds of things, or do local
councils/govts get involved too?

I'm a member of the Rural Area Business Group (Darwin) and I'm sure I
could rally up some support in either hardware donations or funding, and I
can already think of a rural high school and a few (very) remote
communities that would love this kind of thing.

So how does one become an 'offical LA backed community FOSS rollout-er' so
to speak?

I guess the biggest hurdle I can think of if one tried to tackle this by
themselves would be internet connectivity - how does a community gain
internet access when they dont even have fixed phones lines or town power
yet? Satellite obviously but how do they pay for it, or who pays for it?


regards,

Rohan.