[Linux-aus] Goodbye AUUG, hello phoenix

[Jeff Waugh]

<quote who="Silvia Pfeiffer">

> I think the spirit of Linux is what matters and stands behind LCA.

The "spirit of Linux"? When, on average, less than half of our conference is
actually about "Linux"? When you say "spirit of Linux", I think it's more
likely that you're referring to something like the Seven team tenet: "The
magic of freedom, technology and community" than anything remotely to do
with the Linux kernel.

Certainly "Linux" forms a large part of the heart and soul of both the Linux
Australia organisation and linux.conf.au, but I think it's time we recognise
that *substantially* what we're doing here is Free Software and Open Source,
not just "Linux".

Does GNOME fit in to Linux Australia and linux.conf.au? Only because myself
and a few other local GNOME lovers have the energy and existing friendships
and links with the community to make that possible. There are people out
there who look at "Linux Australia" and simply presume it has nothing to do
with them... even though they're Asterisk hackers, WordPress contributors,
researchers working on open media codecs, journos writing about enterprise
Open Source software, gob-smackingly smart dudes working on improving Open
Source interoperability with Windows (!)... the list goes on.

This is not about dissing Linux or changing the focus of the organisation
and conference: It's about embracing the fact that *neither* of them are
exclusively about Linux *ALREADY*. Let's clearly say what we mean.

- Jeff

-- 
EuroOSCON: Brussels, Belgium     http://conferences.oreillynet.com/euos2006/
 
   She said she loved my mind, though by most accounts I had already lost
                                    it.