[Linux-aus] LCA: stuff you liked!

[Mary Gardiner]

<backstory>

At both AdaCamps now, we've made a deliberate choice to have a feedback session
where people list things that could be improved: we're a young event and there
are many good ideas we haven't implemented.

But it's very hard to sit through such a thing, when you spent one zillion
hours finding caterers and someone hopes there won't be pickle next time
because it just ruined the event for them (hypothetical example). This most
recent one, the faciliator decided to conclude with a round of "stuff you
really liked" and it was useful.

</backstory>

So, this could easily get coercive too (ie "I like pickles! NEVER STOP THE
PICKLES LCA OR I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN!"), but it might be that if we keep in mind
that each year is different and has its own strengths and maybe the pickles
were a one-off highlight and that's OK, this might be a good unicorn chaser
thread.

A *thoroughly non-exhaustive* list of things I have liked about LCAs I
attended.

LCA2001: my first Linux event ever (I didn't join SLUG until afterwards), the
big thing was MEETING ALL THE HACKERS WOW. I am still sad that I cannot again,
by definition, go to my first LCA ever. Tridge hacked the TiVo, 'nuff said.

LCA2004: I still remember with fondness the chilled vibe of this. I don't know
how they did it, but it was good. I enjoyed Maddog's keynote, and Tridge's
junkcode talk. My own (boring) junkcode repo grows to this day. Also, Tux
ice-sculptures!

LCA2007: the open courtyard area had a great vibe, it was a good space for Open
Day too. I enjoyed a different style of keynote in Kathy Sierra, and a strong
technical program. I remember Akkana Peck's GIMP tutorial, André Pang's Erlang
talk and Matthew Garrett's ACPI talk particularly.

LCA2008: the miniconf support was so good in 2008! (I haven't organised one
since, I should note!) I thought it was great to have a local in Anthony Baxter
as one of the keynotes. The OLPC giveaway was a great experiment to follow
(Matthew Garrett gave one to my husband and we ended up donating it to the
Wellington testing team, so ours eventually made it to someone who would do
something awesome with it). I loved Allison Randal's Parrot talk!

LCA2009: amazing speakers dinner and PDNS venues! This was another LCA with a
great community vibe. Strong technical program too: I liked Adam Jackson's
talk, and Matthew Garrett in the kernel miniconf (basically: ask him things
about the ACPI spec, he explained why they were infuriating).

(LCA2010: special mention, I didn't attend because I had a baby that week, but
he was a nice baby :P)

LCA2011: I quite liked the last-ditch venue — beautiful open campus, hanging
out in the ampitheatre worked really well — and it was astounding that that got
pulled together in time. Geoff Huston's keynote had the biggest impact on me,
enough that as household sysadmin I have inflicted IPv6 on us for a while now.
Having the dinner within walking distance of the city resulted in some lovely
explorations of Brisbane. It was a great launching pad for the Ada Initiative.

LCA2012: the parents room was AMAZING — so thoughtful, with little snacks and a
few spare nappies and so on. I also loved the PDNS venue and my toddler loved
the chocolate fondue… win-win. The freedom-activism theme that ran through the
keynotes was great to have.

-Mary