[Linux-aus] Linux Australia Autumn Newsletter

Linux Australia Secretary secretary at linux.org.au
Mon Apr 29 22:43:44 EST 2013


    Introduction

Hi there! We're pleased to bring you the first of what is hopefully many 
editions of the Linux Australia Community Newsletter. A newsletter is 
something we've been hoping to establish for some time, and we'd warmly 
welcome your support and advice in shaping it to bring you the news you 
want to read about Linux and Open Source in Australia.

We'd really love your support to help keep the newsletter ticking along, 
and if you'd like to contribute as an editor, or if you have a news 
story to share, please get in contact at media at lists.linux.org.au 
<mailto:media at lists.linux.org.au>.

-- Brianna Laugher, on behalf of the Media and Communications Subcommittee


    Council news

By Kathy Reid, Secretary

All Council minutes can be found at http://linux.org.au/news .

Recent meetings:

  * 24 April <https://www.linux.org.au/meeting/2013-04-24>
  * 28 March <http://linux.org.au/meeting/2013-03-28>
  * 14 March <http://linux.org.au/meeting/2013-03-14>
  * 2-3 March (face to face) <http://linux.org.au/meeting/2013-03-02>


      TasLUG becomes a Subcommittee of Linux Australia

Tasluglogo.gif <http://wiki.linux.org.au/File:Tasluglogo.gif>

Following a request by Craige McWhirter on behalf of TasLUG, the Council 
considered and subsequently unanimously voted in favour of their 
proposal to become a subcommittee of Linux Australia. The anticipated 
benefits of working in this arrangement include reduced administrative 
overhead for finance matters, better access to insurance for events and 
the ability to leverage off Linux Australia's infrastructure - such as 
MemberDB for elections. We'd like to take the opportunity to warmly 
welcome TasLUG into the Linux Australia family, and we're very positive 
and excited to be working more closely together.

  * http://www.taslug.org.au


      Video and Streaming Subcommittee is formed

With thanks to Tim Ansell for his hard work on promoting the need for a 
collaborative community in this space, we're excited to announce that 
the Video and Streaming Subcommittee has also recently been formed. It 
is intended that the Subcommittee provides advice and guidance, where 
sought, for events run under the Linux Australia umbrella.

People interested in being part of the Subcommittee should contact Tim 
Ansell on mithro at mithis.com <mailto:mithro at mithis.com>.


      Media and Communications Subcommittee

With thanks to Brianna Laugher and Bianca Gibson, and many people who 
were interested in forming such a group, the Media and Communications 
Subcommittee has been formed. The mandate of the Subcommittee includes 
production of a regular Linux Australia community newsletter, and 
helping to give Linux Australia and related events and groups a stronger 
voice in the media. We'd love for you to be involved! Just drop a line 
to media at lists.linux.org.au <mailto:media at lists.linux.org.au>.


    Upcoming events

Keep up to date with all Linux Australia events on our Events Calendar - 
https://www.linux.org.au/events


      WordCamp Melbourne

Wordcampmelbournelogo.png 
<http://wiki.linux.org.au/File:Wordcampmelbournelogo.png>

WordCampMelbourne will be held on the weekend of 27-28 April at RMIT's 
Storey Hall in Melbourne. WordCamp is a conference for WordPress 
enthusiasts, designers, developers, or anyone who is using WordPress for 
business or pleasure. We will have a range of speakers covering a broad 
series of topics, showing the incredible variety of uses for WordPress, 
from content management, blogging to e-commerce, community building, and 
beyond. In a first, tickets have sold out a week before the event. 
Awesome work by the event team!

  * Website: http://2013.melbourne.wordcamp.org
  * Twitter: https://twitter.com/wcmelb


      GovHack

Govhacklogo.png <http://wiki.linux.org.au/File:Govhacklogo.png>

With huge props to open government advocate and past-Vice President Pia 
Waugh, GovHack this year has gone national, and will be held on the 
weekend of June 1-2 2013. For more information or to register an 
expression of interest check out the website below. All over Australia, 
hundreds of hackers will join together to form teams and work to create 
the best new mashups, data visualisations and apps with Gov data.

  * Register your interest:
    http://www.govhack.org/register-your-expression-of-interest/
  * Website: http://www.govhack.org
  * Twitter: http://twitter.com/govhackau


      Pycon Australia

Pyconau logo.png <http://wiki.linux.org.au/File:Pyconau_logo.png>

Pycon Australia will be held July 5--7 2013, Hobart, Tasmania. PyCon 
Australia is the national conference for users of the Python Programming 
Language. The conference promises a weekend packed full of amazing 
content on all aspects of the Python ecosystem, presented by experts and 
core developers of the tools and frameworks you use every day. Early 
Bird tickets are on sale until Friday 3rd May at a substantial discount.

  * Announce List: http://lists.linux.org.au/listinfo/pycon-au-announce
  * Twitter: https://twitter.com/pyconau
  * Lanyrd: http://lanyrd.com/2013/pycon-au/
  * Website: http://2013.pycon-au.org/


      Devops Downunder

Devops Days Downunder 2013 will be held on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th 
July 2013 in Ultimo Sydney. The Call for proposals is open until 24 May.

  * http://www.devopsdays.org/events/2013-downunder/


    Recent past events


      BarCampMelbourne 16th March 2013, Melbourne, Victoria

Convened by BarCamp stalwart Ben Dechrai, BarCampMelbourne 2013 had a 
last minute venue change with many thanks to Pomke and the team at Small 
World who lent the team their fabulous Causeway House Boardroom, 
enabling the event to go ahead. A huge thanks also to the team at No ISP 
for sponsorship. There were a number of great presentations, and much 
social interaction. Moreover the team is looking for feedback on a 
possible November BarCamp at a scout camp at outer Eastern Melbourne.

  * http://www.barcampmel.org


      Hardware Freedom Day

Saturday 20th April saw the second global Hardware Freedom Day. 
Australia held three events, in Sydney, Gold Coast and Melbourne in 
respective HackerSpaces. If you'd like to get more involved in this 
area, check out the Hardware Freedom Day website and the events.

  * Website: http://www.hfday.org/map/index.php?year=2013


      Upcoming Linux User Group (LUG) meetings

We don't know when all the upcoming LUG meetings are being held, so if 
you'd like us to include your LUG or open source group meeting in this 
newsletter, please email media at lists.linux.org.au.


    Members corner


      Vale Malcolm Tredinnick

We were saddened to learn of the passing of longtime community member 
Malcolm Tredinnick in March. Malcolm has been a familiar face at LCA for 
many years and we will be poorer without his knowledgable, welcoming and 
friendly presence. Mary Gardiner has written a post 
<http://lecta.puzzling.org/2013/03/21/remembering-malcolm-tredinnick/> 
with some links to videos of his talks from years past.

I (Brianna) remember going to his tutorial at my first LCA in 2008, 
"Memory-Efficient and Fast Websites -- Pick Two!" (slides/recordings 
<http://www.linux.org.au/conf/2008/programme/presentations.html>), where 
I sat on the floor because the room was so full, and I still couldn't 
take down his tips as fast as he was offering them. He obviously loved 
to share his knowledge and it is something we are all richer for.


      Interview with Donna Benjamin

By Michael Davies, licensed CC-BY-SA. 
<http://wiki.linux.org.au/File:Donnarustywrench.jpg>

/For our inaugural newsletter, Kathy interviewed 2013 Rusty Wrench Award 
winner, Drupal Association at-large Board Member, linux.conf.au 2008 
Conference Director and all-round bundle of awesome, Donna Benjamin./

*K: So Donna, you've recently become more involved in the Drupal 
community. Care to tell us more?*

I'm one of the first "At Large" Directors of the Drupal Association 
elected by the community. I ran the 2nd community elections, and have 
since been appointed to a 3 year term on the board.

*K: Congratulations!*

Dries recently asked me to join the newly formed "Community Working 
Group" - one of a number of working groups set up to streamline 
governance processes for the project.

*K: Sounds like a great way to engage the community - where can we find 
out more?*

Here's the charter 
http://drupalcode.org/project/governance.git/blob_plain/refs/heads/master:/charters/community-working-group-charter.html 


*K: Nice work on DrupalCon Sydney in February - how did it go?*

It was pretty exciting to have DrupalCon come to Australia! and happen 
for the first time outside the northern hemisphere. Next up is DrupalCon 
Portland at the end of May, I'm pretty excited about that. I went to 
Portland for OSCON a couple of years ago, and I love the town - but also 
DrupalCon is just a huge amount of fun mixed with a huge amount of 
learning!

*K: Sounds like it was a very positive experience. So where is Drupal 
itself heading?*

As to the project itself, all eyes are on the ongoing development of 
Drupal 8 - lots of big changes coming. Under the hood, and up front. 
HTML5, Symfony, focus on improving the authoring experience, and 
responsive out of the box, plus a whole new theme layer.

*K: So what plans does Drupal have in the mobile space, given the 
ubiquity of tablets and smartphones?*

Massive plans... already well under way... check out 
http://groups.drupal.org/mobile/drupal-8

Basically - There was a "Mobile Initiative" for D8 led by John Albin 
(who came to DrupalCon Sydney from Taiwan!)

And this blog post gives a good overview 
http://www.unimitysolutions.com/blog/understand-drupal-8-mobile-initiative

*K: Sounds like you don't have much spare time! What other awesome are 
you baking at the moment?*

The other thing I'm really looking forward to - is this coming weekend 
I'm heading to Perth for ghosts.

I really think the ghosts of conferences past is one of the secret 
success factors behind linux.conf.au - giving the next team the 
opportunity to meet and connect with past organisers, and have those old 
hands on deck to review plans is really valuable. It's great that each 
team doesn't have to start from scratch.

*K: Thanks heaps for your time Donna!*

You're welcome :-)


    On the planet

Check http://planet.linux.org.au for the latest articles. Want to get 
your blog featured in Plant Linux Australia? Ping us on Identi.ca or 
Twitter @LinuxAustralia, email council at linux.org.au or join the IRC 
conversation at #linux.conf.au on freenode.net


    On the mailing lists

Daniel Jitnah reports that OSIA (Open Source Industry Australia) is 
holding a survey <http://osia.com.au/surveys/index.php/288243?lang=en> 
"relating to the Open Source software industry in Australia", closing 8 
May.

Could you do a better job at summarising linux-aus 
<http://lists.linux.org.au/listinfo/linux-aus> than this? Maybe you 
should submit a summary for the next newsletter! :)

-- 
Kathy Reid
Secretary
Linux Australia

secretary at linux.org.au
http://linux.org.au



Linux Australia Inc
GPO Box 4788
Sydney NSW 2001
Australia

ABN 56 987 117 479

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