[Linux-aus] AUUG to close? Will there be a rush of new members to Linux Australia?

[Anthony Towns]

On Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 01:34:14AM +1030, David Newall wrote:
> Anthony Towns wrote:
> > It's more that having OpenSolaris be a "mini" conf and only a part of
> > "linux".conf.au is confusing at best, in that it implies OpenSolaris is
> > beneath Linux, when that's not really the intent.
> The main conference covers the whole gamut of FOSS.

Yup. You start with `Linux' and then add on everything related, and it
ends up that the linux kernel is only a small part of the whole. Like
stone soup, if you will.

> The mini-conferences cover only a single, specialised subject.  An 
> OpenSolaris mini-conf doesn't belittle OpenSolaris in any way, but puts 
> it into the (a) spotlight.

Sure, I think the same; but my understanding is others don't.

> > My best idea for a way of dealing with that [...]
> This idea does have merit.  It's a little complicated, but not stupid.  
> Yet, I'm not entirely convinced of it.  May I present, as analogy, SAAB, 
> an acronym for Scania Automobile AB. [...]

Wikipedia expands it as "Svenska aeroplanaktiebolaget (translates to
Swedish Aeroplane Limited)", and notes that it's treated as a proper
noun these days rather than an acronym.

Your point still stands of course, and if the various free software
folks that don't have anything in particular to do with the Linux
kernel (OpenSolaris, BSD, Java, GNU, FLOSS on Windows, web developers,
etc) are completely comfortable being involved with Linux Australia /
linux.conf.au under that name, there's no issue here. They're definitely
already welcome, and considered kindred spirits, both as LA members or
for submitting papers or suggesting miniconfs for linux.conf.au.

> mix, if that's what happens, would cause no confusion.  In fact, another 
> analogy is AUUG, an acronym for Australian UNIX and open systems Users 
> Group.  Not so many years ago, AUUG was the premiere organisation 
> advocating Linux in Australia.  This confused nobody.

Well, Linux is one implementation of Unix (modulo trademark licensing),
so that shouldn't confuse anyone; OpenSolaris and the BSDs aren't exactly
an implementation of Linux, though.

Cheers,
aj

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