Re: [Linux-aus] Can Linux Australia survive?

[Leon Brooks <leon@cyberknights.com.au>]

On Sunday 03 July 2005 04:43, Lorn Potter wrote:
> Anthony Towns wrote:
> by taking the conference overseas, you are making it more
> difficult for your attendees to get there.

I'm speaking with absolutely no authority here, wearing my Leon Brooks 
The Random Aussie hat and no others, past or present.

LCA has never had a problem filling a venue. If that attitude strikes 
you as elitist, then so be it for *one* instantiation of the Conf. No 
irreparable harm will be done.

In fact, one thing discussed during the LCA200_3_ runup (ie, in 2002) 
and ever since has been the concept of forking LCA because suitable 
large venues are getting very hard to find (or pay for) as the size of 
LCA grows. Forking LCA would be really, really hard to do successfully, 
so it's not likely to happen any time soon.

However, bear in mind that the pressure to fork is coming from two 
sources: LCA is too big, and LCA is not able to go to enough places. 
Going to Dunedin *once* is likely to kickstart linux.org.nz somewhat 
and will reduce the pressure to make room for more attendees; on the 
other hand, it will deprive one place in .au next year. I can live with 
that.

> the organization is named Linux _Australia_

So is the conference.

Would you object to a conference on Christmas, Cocos or Keeling Islands 
or at Macquarie Base on the same grounds? They're all parts of 
Australia, and they're all both further away and harder to get to than 
Kiwiland.

Technically, New Zealand is two states of Australia anyway. No, I'm not 
kidding, the legislation has been in place for ages in both countries, 
it just hasn't been acted upon.

We'll go overseas to Tasmania, too, when they have enough people to back 
an LCA there.

> How is it helping the Australian Linux Community by taking the
> conference overseas?

 * helping them to appreciate what they have;

 * filtering out the less dedicated for one year;

 * top spot to be in midsummer;

 * giving neighbours a kickstart to synergise evangelism in the region;

 * demonstrating the international nature of Internet development
   without going overboard;

 * generally not being colonial and mindlessly nationalist.

> If this is now changed to focus on Linux Anzacs, or Linux
> Commonwealth - then state this in the charter. 

Linux UK already exists, eliminating Commonwealth Linux. ANZAC Linux I 
could live with, but what would we use for a domain name?

How about Linux Australasia? I think a formal name change would be a 
major PITA, but I don't think referring to us as Linux Australiasia 
would be such a bad thing.

Cheers; Leon

--
http://cyberknights.com.au/     Modern tools; traditional dedication
http://plug.linux.org.au/       Member, Perth Linux User Group
http://slpwa.asn.au/            Member, Linux Professionals WA
http://osia.net.au/             Member, Open Source Industry Australia
http://linux.org.au/            Member, Linux Australia