Penguins In Wellington - February 2010 Is Linux.Conf Month

By Mike Riversdale /
Here at MiramarMike (Towers?) we resonate with anything that promotes openness - open info, open discussions, open software - and what could be more representative of 'open' than a whole darned operating system built by a community - Linux

We* run MiramarMike.co.nz on Linux (our preferred flavour/distribution is Ubuntu) and,  in an ever increasing spiral of happiness, are constantly surprised by just what it can do.

Of course for most Linux is about being "free" - FREE as in $0 ... no licence costs.
But after the initial headiness of using the 1st/2nd best desktop going (maybe Apple has the top place) for absolutely no cost the second rush of adrenaline comes from the discovered freedom of "doing whatever you like with it". Linux is open in that it is almost infinitely extensible to suit your own needs.

Now, extensible is not something anyone can do - you do need a certain level of geekery - but do not fear there are hordes of geeks within touching distance of every one of you - just reach out and discover what your IT Department staff are doing in their spare time!

And if you are one of those fine fellows that can push Linux to the limits, challenge the core and devise more and more (stable) ways to show of what a $0 licence fee operating system can do then the news that Linux.Conf.au is coming to Wellington in February 2010 must be music to your Amarok ears!



Here's the press release from the fantastically themed PenguinVisiting site:
Linux.conf.au Visits Wellington in 2010!
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Wellington, New Zealand will host linux.conf.au in 2010! The announcement was made today at the 2009 conference currently being held in Hobart, Tasmania.

"This is a hugely popular gathering of the world's leading free and open source experts, and the bids to host the next linux.conf.au are always really strong. This year was no exception,” said Stewart Smith, President of Linux Australia. "Wellington is an excellent location for the increasingly inaccurately named linux.conf.au." Originally an Australian conference, Wellington will be the second New Zealand city to host Linux.conf.au, making this a truly Australasian conference. "The Wellington team is dedicated, understands linux,conf.au and has a real passion to show us something really special in 2010," Mr Smith said.

“We have been overwhelmed by the support we have already received from the Wellington City Council and local community groups such as InternetNZ, LinuxChix New Zealand, the New Zealand Open Source Society and Wellington PerlMongers,” said Andrew Ruthven, Director of the 'Capital Cabal' - the group of volunteers who put together Wellington's successful bid.

The conference venue is right in the heart of Wellington's CBD, within easy reach of Wellington's numerous cafes and affordable restaurants. The Wellington Convention Centre has recently hosted the annual ICANN conference, the annual Webstock conference and Wellington's 2008 Software Freedom Day celebrations – all hugely popular IT-related events.

“Wellington has a great mix of creative and technical people. It'll be great to get them together with some of the international gurus expected at LCA 2010.”, said Mr Ruthven. “To have them all together and inspired by some fantastic talks at an awesome location, that's when cool things really start to happen”.

Linux.conf.au is a technical conference for the people that have made Linux, and free and open source software what it is today.

“When you get IT experts together like this, the future direction of emerging projects start to take shape. When between sessions, we are nailing together Department of Conservation nest boxes for the Little Blue Penguins that visit Wellington harbour, magic will happen. That's what linux.conf.au is all about – people getting together and making a difference.”

Linux.conf.au is easily affordable for professionals and hobbyists alike thanks to generous sponsorship by leading proponents of free and open source software, and because the conference - much like the software - is largely organised by volunteers.

ENDS


For more information contact the Capital Cabal on contact@penguinsvisiting.org.nz

* Despite the initial "I don't want a business" approach MiramarMike.co.nz is expanding - watch this space ...

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