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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>A
mini-conf at Linux.Conf.Au is certainly a possibility. E.g. Brianna gave a talk
called "Who’s behind Wikipedia?" in Melbourne's Linux.Conf.Au earlier this year,
and it was well-received, and people certainly knew of the Wikipedia, liked it,
the audience was receptive, interested, etc.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=819530904-30072008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>To
outline the pros and cons:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=819530904-30072008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>Pros
of having a mini-conf:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>*
There's much less to organise, so it's more likely to happen.
E.g.:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>
- time and date and place are largely determined for you</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>
- accommodation is handled by someone else</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>
- same for insurance</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>
- same for registration</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>
- same for entertainment events at night</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>
- same for tea/coffee/snacks/biscuits</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>
- same for organising the venue</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>* It's
an open-source-friendly and free-culture-friendly environment, so it's
receptive, and there are good opportunities for getting in contact with
like-minded groups.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>*
There will be some overlap in people who will go to this conference as would go
to a local wiki conference, so less travelling for these
folks.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>* I
don't know how much registration would be for the mini-conf only, but the prices
of this conference are pretty reasonable, so I'd guestimate $80-$120 for the
mini-conf only for an adult, and less for students (but that's just a wild guess
from me, and reality may differ)</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>* We
may get participation/a few memberships from people that are attending the
conference anyway, and who are sympathetic to the Wikimedian cause, but who
would not travel to separate conference.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>* It's
during a common holiday time, which should hopefully give most people a chance
to attend.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=819530904-30072008></SPAN></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial
size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>Cons
of having a mini-conf:</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>* We
need to act _NOW_ and submit a mini-conf application. Closing dates for
applications for mini-conf is 8th August - that's like one week away: <A
href="http://linux.conf.au/media/news/15">http://linux.conf.au/media/news/15</A>
, so application needs to go in *ASAP*.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>* Our
application may not successful. (I think we have a good shot though.) We'd find
out the result in September: <A
href="http://linux.conf.au/programme/presenter_faq">http://linux.conf.au/programme/presenter_faq</A></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>* It's
a fairly technical crowd, and it (as the name suggests) the rest of the
conference has a bias towards Linux. So the rest of the conference may not
overlap with the interests of all Wikimedia Australia folks.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>* You
cannot directly organise sponsorship (from <A
href="http://linux.conf.au/programme/presenter_faq#Miniconfs">http://linux.conf.au/programme/presenter_faq#Miniconfs</A> :
"Please also not that mini-confs are <EM>not permitted</EM> to seek sponsorship
for their mini-confs - please direct any sponsorship enquiries to our <A
href="mailto:ben.powell@marchsouth.org">Sponsor
Contact</A>")</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>* Less
experience organising stuff (but conversely, more chance of it
happening).</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>*
Hobart is less of a population centre than some other cities, so may reduce
turnout a bit from locals versus if held in a larger city.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>*
Travel costs getting there may be marginally higher than if held in a larger
city.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>* We
need to confirm that people can attend a mini-conf only (if they wish to), and
that the fees for this will be much less than for attending the whole
conference.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=819530904-30072008></SPAN></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial
size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>* It's on a Monday/Tuesday, rather than a
weekend.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=819530904-30072008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=819530904-30072008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>So
given the imminent deadline for mini-conf applications, I'm going to call for
some kind of consensus on whether we should submit for an application, or
whether we should instead try to organise a separate event. (I'm not sure if
this should be done via email or on a wiki somewhere, so if you think
there's a better format for resolving this, please say so and send us a link).
We either need to make a decision, or one will be made for us when the
submissions deadline passes.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=819530904-30072008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>Me
personally, I'm happy with either a mini-conf, or a separate one or two day
local conference elsewhere, I will try and attend either way, and don't feel
strongly either way.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=819530904-30072008></SPAN></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial
size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=819530904-30072008>-- All
the best,</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=819530904-30072008>Nick.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">
<DIV align=left class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr><FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
wikimediaau-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org
[mailto:wikimediaau-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org]<B>On Behalf Of </B>Daniel
Bryant<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, 30 July 2008 12:31 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
Wikimedia-au<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Wikimediaau-l] Melbourne Wikimania
2010<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>
<DIV dir=ltr>Acting on the presumption that we would use this weekend (a big
presumption, I know, but it's handy given a lot of OS people are down that way
on this weekend in Hobart), we basically need to decide what is more
convenient:<BR><BR>*Not having to arrange a venue and getting everyone to
Hobart on a Monday or a Tuesday<BR>*Arranging a venue in Melbourne and hoping
that the Linux/WMAU people from Hobart will duck up after the Saturday
event<BR><BR>If we're looking for a one-day conference either could work; a
two day conference (which may be overkill) will not with the first, unless we
hold it on the weekend before Linux. The downside of holding it at Linux is
it's a Mon/Tue, but that might not be so bad given it's January (ie. holidays
for many).<BR><BR>
<DIV class=gmail_quote>On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 11:49 AM, Angela <SPAN
dir=ltr><<A
href="mailto:beesley@gmail.com">beesley@gmail.com</A>></SPAN> wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; PADDING-LEFT: 1ex">
<DIV class=Ih2E3d>On Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 12:14 PM, Daniel Bryant <<A
href="mailto:dbwiki@gmail.com">dbwiki@gmail.com</A>> wrote:<BR>> Is
Linux one day, or both? if it's one, maybe we could hold it in
Melbourne<BR>> on the other day of the weekend. I'd certainly be happy to
jump across to<BR>> Melbourne for a weekend<BR><BR></DIV>It's a whole
week. They have "mini-confs" on Monday and Tuesday. Any<BR>open source
project can apply to hold one. This is where WMAU could<BR>fit it. I'm not
saying it's the best option for us - just an<BR>alternative to be
considered.<BR><BR>Then the main conference is Wednesday, Thursday and
Friday and a<BR>closing event on Saturday (January 24th).<BR>
<DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV
class=Wj3C7c><BR>Angela<BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Wikimediaau-l
mailing list<BR><A
href="mailto:Wikimediaau-l@lists.wikimedia.org">Wikimediaau-l@lists.wikimedia.org</A><BR><A
href="https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaau-l"
target=_blank>https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaau-l</A><BR></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><BR
clear=all><BR>-- <BR>Cheers, <BR><BR>Daniel Bryant<BR><<A
href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daniel">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Daniel</A>><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>