Announcing linux.conf.au 2014
Overview
Announcing the Australian Linux Conference linux.conf.au 2014 dates.
In January 2014, Perth, Western Australia will be playing host to the
continents premier open source conference – linux.conf.au.
linux.conf.au draws attendees from all spheres of open source, geeks, hackers,
professionals, hobbyists and business partners.
The conference is held over five days, in 2014 from the 6th to 10th January,
and will comprise five tracks of presentation and tutorial sessions.
Additionally every day starts with a keynote presentation. We’ve yet to
confirm the list of keynote speakers for linux.conf.au 2014, but for a taster
of the caliber of speakers we attract here’s a selection of past keynoters:
2013 Canberra: Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Radia Perlman
2012 Ballarat: Jacob Appelbaum, Bruce Perens
2011 Brisbane: Vint Cerf
The linux.conf.au open source conference is unique among technical conferences
in that it is not a trade show, nor is it a geekfest. The conference is a
special blend of both business and private individuals that come together
under a common umbrella of open source technologies.
Big business is always in attendance – many of the main sponsors are drawn
from the corporate world. Much of the worlds top technologies and technology
companies are underpinned by the Linux operating system and this conference is
an obvious choice for their key IT staff. Both to present and to network and
learn from others.
The use of open source technologies and the Linux operating system is not just
confined to business though, and you will find many hobbyists who use Linux to
make music, develop graphic art, study astronomy, design electronics, hack and
just generally play (yes, even computer games).
This blend gives the conference a special feeling of a close community yet
manages to cater to a very wide audience and avoids the uncomfortable schmooze
factor that accompanies many corporate trade shows.
Conference Location
linux.conf.au will be held in Perth, Western Australia this year. Perth is
Australia’s most remote capital city, but is also where most of the action is
happening. Perth is experiencing an huge amount of growth, driven by the
mining boom, but encompassing all aspects of city life. Perth now has a
vibrant cultural scene, and our outdoor lifestyle and coastal location is the
envy of the world.
The last linux.conf.au held in Perth was ten years ago in 2003, so we are
really looking forward to hosting the conference again.
The linux.conf.au conference is traditionally held on a university campus,
utilising the lecture rooms and accommodation facilities they have to offer ???
2014 is no exception, and we will be hosting the conference at the University
of Western Australia (UWA). The UWA Crawley Campus is situated a short
distance from the Perth CBD and adjacent to the magnificent Swan river and
Kings Park public space.
Proposed Focus
To provide a degree of consistency linux.conf.au normally selects a general
focus to help guide the presenters in topic selection. For 2014 our focus is
on ???linux on the frontier and deep technical content???. With the scope of Linux
broadening at such a rapid pace this provides a broad scope for speakers
topics and allows topics to be drawn from just about any sphere of computing,
be it cybernetics, mobile operating systems, astronomy, big data, gaming etc.
Conference Format
The linux.conf.au conference runs over 5 days from Monday 6th January to
Friday 10th January.
Conference tickets are available at Professional, Hobbyist and Student levels
with associated pricing and perks.
Over the first two days we host a series of miniconfs, small single day
conferences covering particular topics. Intended as an incubator for related
technologies and interests that could eventually hold their own conferences.
The miniconfs are managed and run as independent conferences with their own
call for papers and management committees.
The remaining three days feature a packed conference schedule, in 2014 we will
be running presentations over 5 simultaneous tracks. Each track will feature
four 45 minute presentations per day.
On most days before the main sessions, the conference will open with a keynote
presentation. The keynotes tend to follow a less technical approach and
provide commentary and insight on broad global trends and open source
challenges.
Birds of a Feather Sessions
Run outside the scope of the formal presentation agenda, linux.conf.au
encourages delegates to arrange ???Birds of a Feather??? – BOF – sessions. These
draw together people with a specific area of interest and are run after hours.
Typical BOF sessions range from Astronomy, Video capture, Running, Cycling,
Hacking and many others. The BOF sessions are a great opportunity to meet and
socialise with like minded people during the conference.
Video and Streaming
All presentations made at linux.conf.au will be recorded and the completed
videos made available for download and online viewing. This year we will be
attempting to provide a live stream of the proceedings too.
Social Programme
The linux.conf.au tries to be as accessible to participants as possible, we
generally run a partners programme to provide some interest and entertainment
to partners of attendees who are not interested in participating. We also
arrange a creche facility to care for children while delegates are attending
presentations.
In addition to the above activities, we also run several formal networking
sessions including a speakers dinner, a professional delegates function and a
penguin dinner open to all delegates.
Contacts
Please send all correspondence to the LCA2014 Organising Team
team@lists.lca2014.linux.org.au
Our website is accessible from linux.conf.au