<html>
<head>
<meta content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"
http-equiv="Content-Type">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
On 6/06/2011 9:06 PM, Russell Coker wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:201106062306.38532.russell@coker.com.au"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">On Mon, 6 Jun 2011, Donna Benjamin <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:donna@cc.com.au"><donna@cc.com.au></a> wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">We really need a metric load more stuff going on in regional centres.
There's something FLOSSY on just about every week in the big smoke -
meetups, user groups, etc... but that's just not possible to sustain in
smaller cities and towns.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">We should have more events like the inaugural Ballarat LUG meeting.
The BLUG meeting in question was run on a Saturday and a bunch of people from
LUV traveled there to give talks about various topics. It was a small
conference.
Some LA funding for travel/accommodation and food for such events would be a
good thing. To follow the BLUG model we need money for food (something other
than just sausages in bread would be good and a Vegan option would be great)
and some portion of hotel expenses.
</pre>
</blockquote>
Hey Russell, all,<br>
<br>
We're actively trying to get PLUG to reach out to regional centres
here in the West, primarily via our Video Streaming (AV) project.
We've put together enough donated equipment, supplemented by around
$1,000 from our membership funds, to have a two camera + presenters
laptop + 1 radio mic feeding into DVSwitch, going out from the venue
to our Icecast server (available as icecast.plug.org.au). We've now
attracted a small gathering around 300 kms away in Katanning who get
together over a pizza to watch the stream from our monthly tech
presentations, and interact back over IRC (questions/comments).<br>
<br>
Thus far its been quite successful, and we're about to apply for
grants from Lotteries commission (and failing that, LA) for enough
kit to replace the broken desktop machines we have with small
laptops and ExpressCard firewire adaptors - it's a bit of a task now
to take 4 desktops + our own network + power for that much kit,
especially for venues on the 3rd floor with no lift! We've been at
different venues for the last few months so each time we're setting
up from scratch, but we're getting better at it.<br>
<br>
I have also been considering that as PLUG gets more momentum
regionally, it would be nice to take a small bunch of PLUG people (a
couple of ctte, a few local speakers) out to the region(s) to give
talks and meet people, but that's starting to add up to some cost,
and measuring the benefit is possibly not clear, in the mean time,
we're doing what we can.<br>
<br>
However my point is, getting meetings streamed is possible by
"eating our own dog food" with FLOSS. It is getting LUG members
trained up for video streaming for future conferences. It gets the
immediate reach increased for each LUG. And it encourages people to
get involved in developing better solutions. So perhaps LA should
equip (or encourage) each primary (or all?) LUG in each state with a
video streaming solution and access to a well connected Icecast
server? Perhaps the LUGs and LA should help stream each others
video?<br>
<br>
This has also been a nice tangible project for PLUG to get involved
in; PLUG has doubled membership since we started this in February
(let's not get too carried away - 26 to just on 50, and its not just
been by doing this project).<br>
<br>
You're welcome to lurk/comment on the PLUG A/V project mailing list
at <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://lists.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/av">http://lists.plug.org.au/mailman/listinfo/av</a>. Archives available
with what we've tried. PLUG normally meets 2nd Tuesday of the month
(see calendar on <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.plug.org.au">www.plug.org.au</a>), now at 6:30pm WST +0800, video
stream normally somewhere on <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://icecast.plug.org.au:8000/">http://icecast.plug.org.au:8000/</a> (and
since today is June 8/World IPv6 day: this Icecast server is on IPv6
and has been for a few months!). See also:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.plug.org.au/projects/video/">http://www.plug.org.au/projects/video/</a>.<br>
<br>
<br>
James<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
<em>Mobile:</em> +61 422 166 708, <em>Email:</em>
james_AT_rcpt.to<br>
PLUG President 2011: <a href="http//www.plug.org.au">http//www.plug.org.au</a><br>
Perth.pm Organiser 2011: <a href="http://perth.pm.org">http://perth.pm.org</a></div>
</body>
</html>