[Linux-aus] LA ctte meeting summary 2005/02/13

[Bret Busby]

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005, Jeff Waugh wrote:

> 
> <quote who="Bret Busby">
>
>> And, perhaps, the issue of locations for conferences, and the way that
>> they are decided, should be determined by the membership of Linux
>> Australia, as opposed to being decided by the committee, to reduce
>> disenfranchisement and inability to attend. A possibility, as an example,
>> is a rotational allocation (eg, each state gets to host the conference,
>> once every seven years, for example, in the rotating order Brisbane then
>> Sydney then Canberra then Melbourne then Hobart then Adelaide then Perth
>> then Adelaide (or Darwin) then starting again with Brisbane).Similarly,
>> with the deciding when the conferences are to be held, it may be better
>> for the membership as a whole, rather than the committee, making the
>> decision.
>
> I disagree with these suggestions:
>
> * We delegate decisions such as these to the elected committee, so that the
>   entire organisation is not ground to a halt in {mind,end}less debate.
>
> * A rotational conference would mean throwing out the "best proposal wins"
>   method we're using at the moment, and result in lower quality events run
>   by teams who didn't have to prove their mettle. I'd predict that after a
>   few bum conferences, we'd end up choosing a reliable, distributed team,
>   but they would suffer from burn out, lack of inspiration, and most of
>   them wouldn't be from the host city.
>
> linux.conf.au really benefits from having a fresh and fired up local team
> putting it together. It totally avoids the cookie-cutter sameness of other
> conferences. It's stressful, but it's a hell of a fun job. After a few years
> off, I think I'm almost ready to do it again. :-)
>
> - Jeff
>
>

Okay, so you disagree with me. Fair enough. But, is a rational 
discussion of the issue on the list, involving the memberhsip, not a 
good idea, for the differing views that may come from the membership, 
and, to get the determination of the issue, from the membership?

Do the membership not deserve a say in this, or, are we all supposed to 
be just lemmings that follow the leaders over whatever cliffs we are 
led?

And, even if a conference in one palce, is not as flashy and polishd as 
a conference in another place, is that not variety, like the variety of 
distributions, where some are more polished than others, and, to use 
some, you have to wash the oil and blood off your hands, after doing 
updates or installing packages?

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
  you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
   Chapter 28 of
   "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
   A Trilogy In Four Parts",
   written by Douglas Adams,
   published by Pan Books, 1992 
....................................................