[Linux-aus] Barcamp Gold Coast Grant

[Andrew Cowie]

On Wed, 2008-06-11 at 20:17 +1000, Steve Dalton wrote:

> I am currently on the lookout for some sponsorship for BarCamp Gold
> Coast on 5th July - the first event like this on the Gold Coast
> (nothing ever seems to happen here).

All the more reason to get something going. Well done to take the
initiative.

I'm quite sure that people will observe that making the event
sustainable in subsequent years will take more than a single grant from
LA, but as long as you are thinking about that problem I should think
that it is reasonable for LA to help bootstrap the first one.

A slightly bigger concern in my mind is whether or not the event is
actually anything to do with promoting Linux. I have seen a number of
events in the casual / un-conference category which are mostly just "gee
isn't the web cool". That's fun and all, and even qualifies as hacking
in the most revered sense of the word, but isn't really about
encouraging the further growth of people who contribute to Linux and the
surrounding ecosystem.

> I was a little disappointed that none of the OSS companies came to the
> party

Most of them have a fairly strong track record of only sponsoring events
where they believe a significant number of [potential] buyers are likely
to be present at. Hackers and implementers don't score very high in that
assessment.

I personally have long felt this is a little misguided; while admittedly
techies have little influence on the final purchase decisions, it is
they who need to be comfortable with a technology before recommending it
in the first place.

AfC
Sydney

-- 
Andrew Frederick Cowie

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