[Linux-aus] LCA bids -- wonderful presentation, but to what purpose?

[Stewart Smith]

On Fri, 2008-09-05 at 05:03 +1000, Clinton Roy wrote:
> Hi Glenn,
> 
> On Thu, Sep 4, 2008 at 10:08 PM, Glen Turner <gdt at gdt.id.au> wrote:
> 
> > Can I suggest for future linux.conf.au bids that Linux Australia
> > issue a pro-forma response which bidders can complete. Bids would
> > continue to be assessed on the quality of the content of the response,
> > without bids needing to put so much effort into the quality of
> > the presentation of the response.
> 
> I have similar reservations but as I'm part of a bid team I was biting
> my tongue until a more appropriate time. I too worry about how much
> time and energy has been spent on the bids, and whether this time and
> energy is better spent on improving software.

I have the same worry.

On the other hand though, considering the decision that has to be made:
handing off the conference to people who, if they completely stuff it up
can not only ruin the conf that year (and its name for years to come),
but send the organisation into financial ruin which would make it
difficult if not impossible to hold a LCA the following year.


> While I certainly agree that comparing bids by content alone would be
> more in line with a technically focussed conference, lets not forget
> that the main complaint about the software we produce is the spit and
> polish and ease of use.

While there's no formal criteria or anything, what's looked at is:
- venues
- events
- "crack" (that is, new things and ideas that the team may want to try)
	- LCA has had great success with this over the years, always adding to
the freshness of the conf and its overall quality.
- the team
	- LCA does need dedicated and enthusiastic people to put it on

The real tricky thing for selecting 2010 will be saying "not this year"
to two teams who could with no doubt put on an LCA that would rock.

Mind you, it is a good problem to have that so many people love LCA that
much that they're falling over each other to take 18months of their
spare time to have one with a bit of their own flair in their own city.
Not many (if any) other conferences in our industry have that.
-- 
Stewart Smith (stewart at linux.org.au)
President, Linux Australia (http://www.linux.org.au/)
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