[Linux-aus] Grant request approved for SunLUG for domain hosting

[Russell Coker]

On Monday, 20 March 2017 4:14:46 PM AEDT Trish Fraser wrote:
> > How many Linux users are there in that area?
> > Should we have some sort of mini-conf there as we have done for
> > Ballarat and other regional areas?
> 
> Yes please... 

To do this we need to know how many people are likely to attend and we need to 
apply for a Linux Australia grant to run it.  It appears that they aren't 
getting many viable requests for grants so if there are enough people likely 
to attend then I think we will probably get a grant.

https://ptv-prod-timetables.s3.amazonaws.com/timetables/01V35/all/ttpdf-vic-I-ttb-TIMINGPOINTS-01V35--1490120127/timetable.pdf

To get to Mildura from Melbourne means 8 hours travel by public transport 
according to the above URL.  According to Google Maps it's just under 6 hours 
drive.  Due to the travel time speakers travelling from Melbourne will need at 
least 1 night's accommodation and maybe 2 in Mildura.  If we have 5 speakers 
then that's 5/10 nights accommodation and travel expenses for 5 people.

If we go for 2 nights accommodation then that means either arriving just after 
midnight on a Friday night (and maybe making special arrangements with a 
hotel) or doing it on a long weekend.  1 night accommodation means getting 
home at midnight or later and not having dinner with Mildura people.

The tradition with such events has been to have a BBQ.  So we will also apply 
for the grant to cover heaps of sausages and bread, plenty of sauce, and maybe 
some onions.

I drive a Kia Carnival which can fit 8 people with a squeeze for those in the 
back row, 6 people in great comfort, and 7 people with moderate comfort for 
those in the middle row.  I have an inverter that allows powering one full-
sized laptop while driving and sockets that allow powering another 2 if people 
have inverters they can bring (some laptops last 8 hours on battery and we can 
charge at bars/cafes while on breaks) so every laptop should run for the whole 
trip.  My phone plan has more data than I can use so I can provide wifi to 
everyone within reason (no youtube).  We could get some good coding done on 
the way - or just party.  ;)  I'm happy to have my car used for transporting 
speakers if the grant covers petrol (which is probably cheaper than 5+ seats 
on a coach + train) a meal for the people driving (which absolutely won't be 
me both ways), and something like $20 for drinks and snacks each way.  A Kia 
Carnival full of speakers is enough to provide 8 hours of lectures.

Also Mildura is only a little over 4 hours drive from Adelaide, maybe we can 
get some people from Adelaide to speak too.

Finally I haven't polled other people from Melbourne about whether they are 
interested in going to Mildura.  But if Linux Australia pays for my expenses 
I'm happy to go even if no-one else does.  I can speak about SE Linux, general 
Linux security, hard drive benchmarking, running ISPs, BTRFS, and ZFS among 
other things.  I'd still like a BBQ though.  ;)

-- 
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