2008
Vote! No more abstracts!
UTOSC 2008 abstract submission has ended. And while that part of the process is over, we now have the task of selecting presenters. For those of you who have submitted presentations, or those in the community we’ve contacted, feel free to vote for your favorites in our digg style voting system.
As mentioned before, login and click on the “SPEAKERS” link at the UTOSC 2008 website. Vote for or against the presentations (or don’t vote for a presentation at all). But hurry, because voting privileges are only good until July 10, 2008.
On July 15, 2008, a tentative presentation schedule will be delivered. In addition, because UTOSC 2008 has more presenters than we can possibly take, many presenters will be asked to be alternates. This selection date should give you almost 45 days to prepare your presentation.
Don’t forget, registration is open as well, visit http://2008.utosc.com/ to register today. If you haven’t already, contact your Local User Group for discount codes today.
We hope to see you all at Utah Open Source Conference 2008.
Cheers,
Clint
Posted by Clint on July 2, 2008 in Conference, Events
Utah Open Source Conference Abstract Deadline Approaches
For those of you who’ve been considering submitting a presentation for the Utah Open Source Conference, its not yet too late! But you only have until July 1 (that’s Tomorrow) to submit your presentation.
The selection committee is currently voting on presentations and will be doing so until July 10. In addition, we’re going to be extending an invitation to any and all potential speakers to help us select the best presentations for our conference. As a potential speaker, just click on the “SPEAKERS” link at the UTOSC 2008 website and start voting for your favorite presentations starting July 1. But hurry, because voting privileges are only good until July 10, 2008.
On July 15, 2008, we’ll announce which presentation have been selected, along with a tentative time and date for each. In addition, because UTOSC 2008 has more presenters than we can possibly take, many presenters will be asked to be alternates. This selection date should give you almost 45 days to prepare your presentation.
Either way, we’ll be having a great conference and we look forward seeing everyone at the Utah Open Source Conference 2008.
Cheers,
Clint
Posted by Clint on June 30, 2008 in Conference, Events, Meetings
Utah Open Source Conference and CouchCast
Hey everybody!
Guess what! The Utah Open Source Foundation’s very own Jason Hall (Jayce^ [the face]) will be discussing the Utah Open Source Conference with Robert Merrill et al, on CouchCast.
CouchCast is a local show with topics around technology and business. Its a call-in show, so be sure to get on the line in advance and ask questions. Feel free to dial in around noon, 347-324-3797 and ask pretty much anything you like.
Discussions will include keynote announcements, presentations, family day, the Utah Open Source Awards, the troubleshooting challenge (last years big hit) and many other aspects of the conference at the end of August.
Jayce will also be discussing the Utah Open Source Foundation, its purpose, goals and plans for 2009. Things like live streaming of Local User Group meetings, podcasts and other events to make it easier to spread the word about open source in Utah.
Feel free to check it out, here’s how:
When: July 7, 2008 12pm MDT
Where: http://couchcast.org (yes, its flash, sorry) –> hosted by blogtalkradio.
Enjoy the show!
Posted by Clint on June 28, 2008 in Community, Conference, Events, News, Podcasts, Recordings, Registration
The Utah Open Source Conference countdown has begun!
Hi all,
Its been a few days since we blogged about the Utah Open Source Conference 2008 (in fact, more like 2+ weeks). But I’m back now and ready to let you guys know that while there might be a few more bumps in our migration path, most of the Utah Open Source servers are up and working well.
We have been busy lately, preparing for an exciting and fun Utah Open Source Conference 2008. New features continue to crop up on our main site. Check them out and start watching for speakers as we’ll be approving presentations over the next few weeks. The selection committee, made up of many professional geeks, LUG leaders and others, has been madly voting for their favorites so it looks to be a good list of presentations.
As of right now, UTOSC 2008 will begin in approximately 63 days. And due to this, I’ve taken the time to create a little javascript that can be included in your site, with a neat countdown. Have a look at the right hand side of our site.
We’d like to invite everyone to put this link on their website to help us get more people interested in the countdown. Basically, this is a very similar countdown script to the ones released by each of the big Linuxes (Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSUSE).
Just stick this code anywhere on your site:
<script id=“utosc-banner”
type=“text/javascript”
src=“http://dl.utosc.com/08/scripts/release-counter-ext.js”>
</script>
You should get something similar to this:
See you all at the Utah Open Source Conference 2008!
Cheers,
Clint
Posted by Clint on June 26, 2008 in Community, Conference, Events, News, Registration
Have you submitted your paper yet?
The 2008 Utah Open Source Conference is coming up fast, as you know. If you would like to present on a topic at the conference, there’s no time like NOW to whip up a response to the Call For Papers (if you have not already).
You only have until June 1 to get that paper turned in. You can submit your proposed topic by going to the 2008 Utah Open Source Conference website and clicking on the Call For Papers link.
If you’re not sure where to begin, check out our previous blog post about the Call For Papers.
Posted by Doran Barton on April 7, 2008 in Conference
2008 Utah Open Source Awards
Not only is 2008 the second year we will be holding the Utah Open Source Conference, it is also the second year we will be recognizing and awarding four remarkable individuals as part of the Utah Open Source Awards ceremony at the conference.
The Utah Open Source Awards will be given in four categories:
- Business
- Community
- Technology
- Education
In 2007, awards were given in three categories as the Education category was not added until this year. The recipients of the 2007 Utah Open Source Awards were:
- Matt Asay of Alfresco (Business) for his work evangelizing open source software in business
- Brandon Beattie (Technology) for his excellent contributions to the MythTV project
- Christer Edwards (Community) for his leadership in the Ubuntu Utah project
Now is the time for you to close your eyes and search deep in the crevices of your mind of who within the local community has made a positive impact on your experience using open source software. It could be someone who writes helpful documentation or blog posts. Perhaps you know someone who has developed valuable open source software. Maybe it’s someone who has made a difference in encouraging adoption and understanding of open source software. Whoever it is, concentrate on them. Now, imagine them receiving a big round of applause and a cool gift as thanks from the community. Okay, open your eyes.
When you have thought of at least one person, send a quick e-mail message to awards@utos.org with the name and a brief explanation of why you think this person is deserving of a Utah Open Source Award. There’s no limit to how many people you can nominate, but you can only submit nominations until August 1.
Winners will be announced (and awarded) during the 2008 Utah Open Source Conference held August 28-30, 2008 at the Salt Lake Community College Redwood Campus.
Posted by Doran Barton on April 7, 2008 in Community, Conference, Events, Meetings
Announcing an announcement list for announcements
Mailing lists can be a pain in the butt, especially when discussions spiral into topics about which pizza delivery company is best, which text editor is best, which Linux distribution is best, which caffeinated beverage is best, etc.
We at Utah Open Source (UTOS) know you work hard day in and day out and deserve a break from the hardship of having to deal with meaningless discussions about what’s best. We give you something better — perhaps the best mailing list ever: utos-announce. We created this list so we can mail out announcements about upcoming UTOS events, but you can use it too, to announce anything you’ve got coming up… well, as long as it has something to do with open source in Utah.
Subscribing to the utos-announce list is simple: Go to < http://utos.org/mailman/listinfo/utos-announce >, enter your e-mail address, your name (optional), a password (also optional), and select the Subscribe button. If you’ve followed these instructions so far without making any mistakes or being distracted by a flamewar continuing on one of the other mailing lists you’re subscribed to, a confirmation message will be sent to your e-mail address with instructions on how to confirm your subscription. Follow those instructions (They’re real, real simple… like “click on this” simple.) and you’ll be ready to receive amazing, exciting announcements!
Subscribing to the utos-announce list is a great way to stay informed about the latest developments of the upcoming UTOSC conference. Find out who the keynote speakers will be before the story is aired on the local evening news. Learn what exciting schwag and promotions conference sponsors will be offering in their booths. Get the low-down on entertainment options while you’re attending the Utah Open Source Conference. Ahhh… the possibilities are endless.
What? You’re still here? Go subscribe already!
Posted by Doran Barton on March 4, 2008 in Community, Conference, Events, News
UTOSC 2008 Call For Papers - Get moving!
Before there can be another Utah Open Source Conference in 2008, there needs to be a list of people who will present on various topics. This is how YOU can contribute to the conference: by being a presenter!
The UTOSC Call For Papers begins now at <http://2008.utosc.com/>! Papers can be submitted until June 1, after which time chosen presenters will be announced.
Some people are natural public speakers and presenters while others are reluctant to imagine themselves in front of a group of people at a conference. Because this year’s Utah Open Source Conference theme is “HOWTO”, nobody should feel unqualified or inexperienced to present. We want presenters who can share information at all levels.
And now, some tough questions.
What should I talk about?
You should talk about Open Source software, philosophy, technology, etc. The theme for this year’s conference is “HOWTO” so your topic can be targeted at beginners, experts, or someone in between.
It may help to see what topics were presented last year. Go to <http://www.utosc.com/2007/sessions/> for information about 2007’s conference sessions.
This year, several sessions will be targetted at beginning or “newbie” users including those who are family members of an Open Source geek. Basic sessions on using OpenOffice.org, GIMP, or K3B are good examples of these types of sessions.
We are asking for presentations in one of the following categories, so bear that in mind also:
- Business
- Technical
- Community
- Education
What does a response to a call for papers look like?
You should come up with a brief outline, or abstract, of your presentation and who would be interested. You should also provide some information about you, your experience with open source software and the specific aspects you’re proposing to speak about.
Here’s an example of an abstract:
Title: Open source home security This presentation will outline how I have used a Linux server, IP cameras, and open source software, to provide around-the-clock video and image surveilance of my home which is archived for later viewing and is available for viewing via the Web when I’m not at home. The presentation will describe how to set up a system similar to mine and what alternatives are available for software and hardware in the system.
What’s in it for me?
There are lots of perks reserved for people chosen to present at the Utah Open Source Conference!
- Resumé material
- Having presented on a topic at a conference is a great thing to add to your resumé and could make the difference the next time you apply for a job.
- Free admission
- If you’re chosen as a speaker, we’ll let you — and your family — into the conference for FREE!
- A picture and a paragraph
- Speakers are asked to submit a digital photo and a paragraph of biographical information which will be seen by those viewing the UTOSC website and those reading the conference program.
- Warm fuzzies
- Being involved in the Utah Open Source Conference is a great experience. Just ask anyone who was involved in 2007’s conference.
What’s that URL again?
Go to <http://2008.utosc.com/> and get yourself an account. Then you can submit as many presentation ideas as you like.
Posted by Doran Barton on March 2, 2008 in Community, Conference, Events, News
UTOS HackNight - Refactor ConMan
Tomorrow night, 7pm, in Murray at my house, we’ll be eating pizza and hacking on ConMan again.
If you are interested in joining the fun, please feel free to stop by and learn some kick-a** django skillz.
The last two HackNights were all-nighters and were very successful. Tomorrow’s HackNight is to refactor the views a little and build out the blog portion of the app as well. Feel free to come by and stay as long or as little as you like.
See you all there.
Cheers,
Clint
Posted by Clint on February 22, 2008 in Community, Conference, Events, Hackfests, Registration
Utah Open Source Conference 2008: HOWTO Diversify
The 2008 Utah Open Source Conference, to be held at Salt Lake Community College’s Redwood Campus August 28-30, 2008, will be a great opportunity for open source enthusiasts to gather, socialize, learn, and exchange ideas. In these ways, the 2008 UTOSC won’t be a lot different than the 2007 UTOSC. However, the planning and organizing team behind UTOSC 2008 does have some new and exciting changes for the 2008 conference.
In our previous blog posting, we described the theme the 2008 UTOSC is designed around: HOWTO. In this article, we’ll explain some of the ways we’re planning to abide by this theme.
Friends and Family
The 2008 UTOSC is designed to be more friendly to “newbies,” people who have only had a limited amount of exposure to the open source world, and to family members of those who eat, drink, sleep and roll around in open source every moment of their geeky lives.
Conference sessions on Friday, August 29, will include sessions targeted at those just getting their feet wet. Topics may include “Installing Linux,” “Using OpenOffice.org,” “Introduction to open source social networking tools,” and “Understanding SSH.”
The planning and organizing committee is excited about getting family members involved in what would ordinarily be considered fairly exclusive to geeks. There will be plenty of activities and conference sessions Saturday, August 30 targeting children and significant others so they can learn how open source may benefit them. We’ll have games and educational software for the kids like SuperTuxCart, SuperTux, Planet Penguin Racer, Gcompris, and KDEEDU. Session topics may include “Open source digital scrapbooking,” “Open source for the musician and music enthusiast,” “Open source and family history,” and “Open source artistry.” Great fun for the entire family!
To make this happen, admission on Saturday will be free to those who attend with a registered conference attendee.
Bar what?
Earlier this year, Utah Open Source Foundation (UTOSF) Head Cheese, Clint Savage, attended FUDCon, a conference for users and developers of the Fedora Linux distribution. One of the days of this conference was set up as a BarCamp, where attendees meet at the beginning of the day and decide, as a group, what conference topics and activities will take place that day. The BarCamp process is fairly informal, but there is one rule: Every attendee has to participate either by presenting or facilitating in at least one session.
Clint was totally amazed by this process and said it was one of the most satisfying conference experiences he’s had. He vowed that the 2008 Utah Open Source Conference would include one day of BarCamp. As a result, Thursday, August 28, the first day of the conference, will be held BarCamp-style. Be sure to show up early so you can participate in the entire process.
What now?
We’ll be posting more information in the days and weeks to come with more information about UTOSC 2008 including a Call For Papers and a Call For Volunteers. If you haven’t already, start thinking of topics you could present at this year’s conference with the above information in mind. Because this conference caters to a very diverse audience of varying levels of experience using open source or even using computers, nobody should feel they don’t have something to contribute.
Posted by Doran Barton on February 9, 2008 in Community, Conference