[Linux-aus] Regional LUGs/streaming video (was Re: BarCamp Geelong - 9th July - formal request for grant $500)

[James Bromberger]

On 6/06/2011 9:06 PM, Russell Coker wrote:
> On Mon, 6 Jun 2011, Donna Benjamin <donna at cc.com.au> wrote:
>> We really need a metric load more stuff going on in regional centres.
>> There's something FLOSSY on just about every week in the big smoke -
>> meetups, user groups, etc... but that's just not possible to sustain in
>> smaller cities and towns. 
> We should have more events like the inaugural Ballarat LUG meeting.
> The BLUG meeting in question was run on a Saturday and a bunch of people from 
> LUV traveled there to give talks about various topics.  It was a small 
> conference.
>
> Some LA funding for travel/accommodation and food for such events would be a 
> good thing.  To follow the BLUG model we need money for food (something other 
> than just sausages in bread would be good and a Vegan option would be great) 
> and some portion of hotel expenses.
Hey Russell, all,

We're actively trying to get PLUG to reach out to regional centres here
in the West, primarily via our Video Streaming (AV) project. We've put
together enough donated equipment, supplemented by around $1,000 from
our membership funds, to have a two camera + presenters laptop + 1 radio
mic feeding into DVSwitch, going out from the venue to our Icecast
server (available as icecast.plug.org.au). We've now attracted a small
gathering around 300 kms away in Katanning who get together over a pizza
to watch the stream from our monthly tech presentations, and interact
back over IRC (questions/comments).

Thus far its been quite successful, and we're about to apply for grants
from Lotteries commission (and failing that, LA) for enough kit to
replace the broken desktop machines we have with small laptops and
ExpressCard firewire adaptors - it's a bit of a task now to take 4
desktops + our own network + power for that much kit, especially for
venues on the 3rd floor with no lift! We've been at different venues for
the last few months so each time we're setting up from scratch, but
we're getting better at it.

I have also been considering that as PLUG gets more momentum regionally,
it would be nice to take a small bunch of PLUG people (a couple of ctte,
a few local speakers) out to the region(s) to give talks and meet
people, but that's starting to add up to some cost, and measuring the
benefit is possibly not clear, in the mean time, we're doing what we can.

However my point is, getting meetings streamed is possible by "eating
our own dog food" with FLOSS. It is getting LUG members trained up for
video streaming for future conferences. It gets the immediate reach
increased for each LUG. And it encourages people to get involved in
developing better solutions. So perhaps LA should equip (or encourage)
each primary (or all?) LUG in each state with a video streaming solution
and access to a well connected Icecast server? Perhaps the LUGs and LA
should help stream each others video?

This has also been a nice tangible project for PLUG to get involved in;
PLUG has doubled membership since we started this in February (let's not
get too carried away - 26 to just on 50, and its not just been by doing
this project).

You're welcome to lurk/comment on the PLUG  A/V project mailing list at
http://lists.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/av. Archives available with
what we've tried. PLUG normally meets 2nd Tuesday of the month (see
calendar on www.plug.org.au), now at 6:30pm WST +0800, video stream
normally somewhere on http://icecast.plug.org.au:8000/ (and since today
is June 8/World IPv6 day: this Icecast server is on IPv6 and has been
for a few months!). See also: http://www.plug.org.au/projects/video/.


   James

-- 
/Mobile:/ +61 422 166 708, /Email:/ james_AT_rcpt.to
PLUG President 2011: http//www.plug.org.au
Perth.pm Organiser 2011: http://perth.pm.org
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