[Linux-aus] Should Linux Australia change its name?

[Chris Neugebauer]

On Tue, Apr 24, 2012 at 09:35, James Turnbull <james at lovedthanlost.net> wrote:
>
> a) What to do about Linux Australia's brand recognition or lack thereof
> b) Whether the name reflects the community
> c) Whether the name reflects the role of the organisation.
>
> To these questions I'd answer:
>
> a) Rebrand and rebuild
> b) Probably not (survey says...)
> c) If you see the role of the organisation as putting on LCA then yes
> otherwise it's a no.

I'd answer similarly, with a particular emphasis on C:

I'm convenor of PyCon Australia, which is most definitely *not* a
Linux conference.  But the conference is run under the legal framework
of LA.  The name "Linux Australia" does not reflect the role the
organisation has with our conference, and the name "Linux Australia"
has actively detracted from my ability to explain the purpose of the
conference to sponsors.

By being a conference run by "Linux Australia", I have to go through
extra effort to explain to sponsors that we aren't a "Python on Linux"
conference. At that point, I naturally have to explain the purpose of
Linux Australia to my contacts.

It would make my job a *lot* easier if I could say:

"PyCon Australia is run by 'Open Source Communities Australia*', which
is the peak body for Open Source users and developers in Australia"

* or some name that captures the same spirit as that.

I feel that saying "PyCon Australia is run by Linux Australia" doesn't
capture the intent that "Open $SOMETHING Australia" captures.  And
that is precisely the problem that a name change will solve.

--Chris

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--Christopher Neugebauer

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