[Linux-aus] Proposal: LCA lightning talks be selected in papers selection process

[Benno Rice]

Just as a chaser to this, if you did enjoy my lightning talk (which was purpose-built as a lightning talk, for the record) it should be noted that it would not have gotten up under first-in/best-dressed. I came up with the idea on Wednesday and didn’t have it to the point where I felt it was worth proposing until Thursday and so the proposal didn’t end up in the box until about an hour before the Thursday 4pm cut-off.

Not all lightning talk ideas can be turned into actual presentations in a short time but I feel that ideas that hit during the conference often make really good lightning talk subjects since they tend to me more topical to what’s going on in and around the conference. If all the slots are taken before those ideas can even be turned into talks then that’s a bit of a shame.

Yes, this new paradigm means there’s an arbiter/curator deciding who gets up and who doesn’t but I feel that that’s the price you pay when you’ve got a contested resource like lightning talk slots. I also think the current paradigm, which highlights new speakers and gives them somewhat of a leg up while still allowing for some experienced speakers, is exactly what you’d want out of a block of talks where your overall goal is to be both entertaining and to provide people with a taste of public speaking/presentation who may then go on to do larger presentations.

So yeah, I’m all for the structure used here. I feel for people who put effort in to a presentation that didn’t get a slot, but all I’d suggest is that you don’t throw it away and either put it up again or see if it can be developed into a longer presentation for another conference.

Thanks,
	Benno.

> On 29 Jan 2019, at 9:01 am, Katie McLaughlin via linux-aus <linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au> wrote:
> 
> As a bit of a background for those who aren't involved in the lightning talk process: 
> 
> For at least two years now, LCA (and PyCon AU last year) have adopted a two-bucket method: 
>  * submissions are put into one of two physical buckets (boxes, trays) - one for first time speakers, one for experienced speakers
>  * the submissions are left open for a length of time, and closed with enough time for selection and notification of successful and unsuccessful speakers
>  * the submissions are reviewed so that a healthy mix of topics are selected, from both first time and experienced speakers. 
> 
> The submissions received in the past have been varied, but often include: 
>  * content in the conference itself (sometimes with rebuttal lightning talks for PyCon AU, as there are two lightning talk sessions)
>  * local calls to action for projects in the host city (as seen by a few of the LCA talks this year)
>  * comedic talks that are also telling hard truths (see Benno's Pay Your Maintainers/Contempt Culture talk)
>  * sometimes distilled full-length talks. 
> 
> The last item in this category, from my own observation, has decreased significantly. The lightning talks should not serve as a way to get your talk in that was rejected from the conference proper. Indeed, when lightning talks were first-in-best-dressed, this was often the case, and first-time attendees often missed out having not known the process to submit a talk. 
> 
> Having said all this, it's not uncommon for a potential lightning talk speaker to pre-prepare something, and polish after acceptance. Yes, the potential for work to go unpresented could occur, but that is the way of things. 
> 
> I think that keeping the on-site-reviewed talks in the two-bucket system is the best model we have going forward for the conference proper, filling the Friday Afternoon pre-close slot. 
> 
> If those organising miniconfs wished to organise a more planned set of lightning talks as part of their CFP, they are more than welcome to do that. I am only talking about the main Friday lightning talks. 
> 
> 
> /2c
> - Katie
> 
> 
> On Mon, 28 Jan 2019 at 19:54, Andrew Donnellan via linux-aus <linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au <mailto:linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au>> wrote:
> On Mon., 28 Jan. 2019, 19:24 Russell Coker via linux-aus <linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au <mailto:linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au> wrote:
> 
> 
> Are you talking about having a lightning talk rejected?  I thought it was just 
> first-in best dressed.  If you did miss out after spending time preparing then 
> we should consider a change in process, I know you have a history of giving 
> great talks in all formats so if you want to get in first then I think that 
> would be ok.
> 
> I'm not sure if you were at LCA this year but the process this time was that submissions would be accepted until a cutoff time and talks would be selected based on merit and also a balance of new vs experienced speakers.
> 
> Andrew
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