Re: [ossig] FOSSCON 2005

[Dinesh Nair <dinesh@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 26/01/2005 19:21 Ditesh said the following:
> The purpose of such a conference is awareness, and the way I look at it, 

awareness ? if you get a PHP/Python/Perl guru talking about the intricacies 
of the language, syntax, objects and structure, how many VB/VC/.NET 
developers are going to grok that presentation ? it'd be preaching to the 
converted.

if it's awareness you're aiming at, then the presentations have to be a bit 
more higher level than what is usually given at a traditional developer 
conference.

> some awareness is better than zero awareness. Yes, you right that this 

i'd rather we hit straight at the pocket book. there're tons of microsoft 
developers because there are jobs which /pay/ for microsoft developers. 
we've got to show them that they can make a buck on this side of the fence 
as well. ideology and religion wont win them over.

> earlier, we need to have something like this in addition to regular 
> workshops to sustain the foss momentum.

for starters, i'd be happy if some of the local FOSS proponents who're not 
in development, start doing some development. FOSS expertise in malaysia is 
still largely in systems administration, with very few venturing into 
software development. the problem is because we lack a vibrant FOSS 
/developer/ community.

> foss only, but to the general dev community. The standard .NET developer 
> would be interested in hearing Miguel talk about .NET as would the 
> standard Java developer hear <<insert some prominent java developer 
> here>> talk. And that's on the tech end. On the business side, getting 

with the exception to miguel de icaza, the java and generic language bits 
are already handled by the respective vendors pushing those technologies. 
sun for example does throw an annual java conference for developers. 
problem with this is, the attendees then go back and work with proprietary 
technologies writing closed source software.

> Malaysia has been seen quite a few foss luminaries recently, but never 
> from a development perspective. It'll be a good extension of the series 
> of talks/workshops/conferences that have taken place over the last 
> couple of years.

i'd agree with you, but it'd only benefit existing FOSS developers. in that 
vein, it's a Good Thing(tm) indeed. but let's not kid ourselves that it 
would signal a significant increase in local FOSS developers.

-- 
Regards,                           /\_/\   "All dogs go to heaven."
dinesh@alphaque.com                (0 0)    http://www.alphaque.com/
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