Marching South in an hour....

Meaning to post for days. I've been doing so much else. Finally getting around to it now.

I'm off to linux.conf.au - regular readers will know this has become my pet conference over the past couple years.  Since late 2005 when I heard there was a Melbourne bid, it's not just been on my radar, I've been in the thick of it.  This year is different.  Whilst I've been monitoring progress and answering questions from the team in regards to their preparations for linux.conf.au 2009 in Tasmania, I have no responsibility for it whatsoever. And my, does that feel good.

The intention was to sit back and relax - instead... I'm running a workshop with Pia Waugh, Alice Boxhall and Sara Falamaki on evangelizing IT for girls as part of the linuxchix miniconf on Monday. I'm convening a face to face get together for organisers of linux user groups over lunch on Tuesday, delivering a tutorial on the Joy of inkscape on Thursday, as well as possibly co-ordinating a libre graphics birds of a feather session.  Hmmmm - seems I can't help myself can I?  I was also going to be running a stand for Linux Users of Victoria at Open Day - but I have managed to delegate that to Vice President Avi Miller.

The linuxchix session should be interesting - and I'll be spruiking for Ada Lovelace Day - I truly believe trumpeting the silent success of women in technology is critical if we are to attract more bright young women into the industry.  Suw Charman (who I had the fortune to meet at Xtech2006 in the Netherlands) set up the pledge. We've met the target of 1000 sign-ups - but I'd like to encourage the 1000 who've already signed up to each inspire another 10 people to do so too.

The next challenge - who will I write about....  I have a few contenders.  Including Margaret Fallshaw, who sadly passed away from breast cancer many years ago. But she was the computer teacher at Princes Hill Secondary College, and something of a pioneer in computing education with involvement in the sunrise school program...  or perhaps Liddy Nevile? doing some more research into Turing award winning Fran Allen's work would be rewarding too...  so many options.  Perhaps I'll have to post a few! 

So, in the tradition of these things, here's what's capturing my attention for LCA09

Monday - linuxchix mini-conf.  But also very tempted by the Business of open source MC, and would love to go listen to Knut Yrvin again in the Mobile Devices miniconf.

Tuesday - Brianna Laughers' Free as in Freedom programme looks compelling enough I haven't bothered to look at the others.

Wednesday - Main conf.

Keynote by Tom Limoncelli - the title alone is interesting.  The Scarcity Mindset vs. The Abundance Mindset - Something I've thought about before in vague unstructured ways, so I'm hoping I come away from this with a fresh perspective.

First up: Introducing the Re-Built Linux Desktop by Keith Packard or Continuous Integration for PHP Projects by Ben Cornwell. 

Followed by From click to pixel: A tour of the Linux graphics pipeline by Carl Worth 

Tutorial: hmmm a tough one. I could go to any of those. Except rusty's lguest prep session. Rusty is a great presenter, but hacking the hypervisor is something I am unlikely to ever do.

After arvotea - I suspect I'll be at The Genderchangers Academy by nancy mauro-FLude 

Finishing the day with Crikey! Open sourcing the future of news by Sarah Stokely and Jeff Waugh

I'm already exhausted just thinking about it.

Thursday: Starts with Angela Beesley on wikistuff - which I'm looking forward to.

Up first - Walter Bender and sugar

I'll probably skip the next session and go meditate, or panic.

My tutorial - the Joy of Inkscape. 

the Arvo session is the biggest clash of the conference for me, Louis and OpenOffice or Andy and inkscape bling? aarrrgghh

Final session, Hugh Blemings looks shiny, but I think I'll be off to see Jon Cruz on the importance of colour management.  It is important, and it's still sufficiently tricky with free software that it's a real problem for visual design, especially for print projects.

Friday: If I'm still capable of rational thought by this stage...

Simon Phipps is keynoting the final day of the conf.

First up Collaborative Video for Wikipedia by Michael Dale

Followed by The Mesh Potato by David Rowe

Choosing between OLPC in Australia and the Pacific by Pia Waugh and Power management that works by Matthew Garrett

No contest for Champagne usability on a beer budget by Raena Jackson Armitage

Tough choice for the final session. I'll see where my headspace is by that point.

Saturday is Open Day! 

Now - I should link to all those session, but I'm meant to be marching south in just an hour, and should really focus on getting dressed and finishing packing.