[Linux-aus] Re: linux.conf.au name change

[Benno]

On Tue Sep 19, 2006 at 14:11:38 +1000, Rusty Russell wrote:
>On Tue, 2006-09-19 at 11:53 +1000, Jeff Waugh wrote:
>> <quote who="Rusty Russell">
>> 
>> > 1) The name linux.conf.au has international recognition.  This has been
>> > built up with over five years by the continuous efforts of organisers.  It
>> > allows us to get high-profile speakers, attract attendees, and makes
>> > people read headlines which contain the phrase "linux.conf.au".
>> 
>> A coherent rebranding effort can alleviate this problem.
>
>Yes.  LA has two resources: money and the LCA brand.  So you'd need to
>be serious.  You'd hire a brand consultant and craft a plan.  You can't
>change brands for Sydney, because it's far too late and you've already
>signed sponsors to linux.conf.au.  So you'd announce the new brand at
>the coming conference, which is the only place to reach the majority of
>people who need to know anyway.
>
>You spend the next year using "Glasnost (linux.conf.au)", and formally
>bury the old name in Melbourne in 08.
>
>By 2009, your new brand could be at the level of the old one for those
>who know the conference.  But for people hearing it for the first time,
>it's a weaker name.  People have some idea what linux.conf.au could be.
>But we've spent a lot of resources in changing it.
>
>If there were a name *so* great that people were eager to spend the
>effort, it might be worth it.  But I don't think such a thing exists,
>and the transition pain, even ignoring the risk, is so great that it's
>fantasy to consider it.
>
>Every conference team has crazy ideas.  It's fun, but there are lots of
>real things to do.

Hey, we have plenty of other crazy ideas -- but Jeff's crazy ideas as
an LA member, shouldn't be confused with crazy ideas being put forward
by Jeff on behalf of the linux.conf.au 2007 organising committe. (In
fact you would have already seen my opinion against the name change,
even though I spent a lot of time telling people "it's not just
Linux")

I don't think Jeff raising ideas here should in anyway be taken to be
saying "Hey, the 2007 organising team is going to change the name and
fuck up our conference". We are working really hard right now to
deliver a kick-arse *linux.conf.au* for 2007.

Cheers,

Benno
(Crawls back into hole)