[Linux-aus] Re: linux.conf.au Possible *Future* Programme Format

[Mary Gardiner <mary-la@puzzling.org>]

On 2007-01-09, Jeff Waugh <jdub@perkypants.org> wrote:
> Yeah, this sounds like a really worthy evolution of what we've done this
> year to highlight and 'officialise' the miniconfs. Good call!

I do think it's worth addressing the issue that for some participants
the more community focusses miniconfs are as important and interesting,
if not more so, than the main conference, and that therefore by
squeezing as many competing miniconfs into one or two days as possible
it might be a disservice to the miniconf-focussed attendees. I don't
know how many attendees this is true for.

One possible negative side-effect though is that some miniconfs borrow
heavily from the main conference's ability to fly speakers in. LinuxChix
at least has four international speakers from the main conference. It
therefore would have been a pain for us if this was implemented in 2007:
we would have had to schedule around those speakers' commitments to the
main conference, and we also would have possibly had to have actually
competed against our own speakers appearing in the main conference; as
community drawcards people like Val and Akkana would draw our attendees
out from the miniconf.

Just thinking out loud here, I suppose it could be possible to cross the
streams with the main conference a little, by, say, having miniconfs
nominate their drawcards as main conference speakers (requires
substantial early organisation on the part of the miniconfs, in a way
that most/all miniconfs don't exhibit), or asking if a selected main
conference speaker could be scheduled on their miniconf day, and have
that main conference talk appear in their miniconf schedule.

-Mary