Mentoring

Confessions of a Community Manager

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Should your open source community have a community manager?

This presentation will discuss the role of a community manager within an open source community. It will provide some answers to the following questions, based on the presenter's experiences: - what does a community manager do? - what benefits can a community manager provide for the community? - is our open source project ready for a community manager? - what pitfalls can the community manager expect to encounter? - at the end of the day, is a community manager a worthwhile asset to a community?

Speaker: Dru Lavigne
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User Groups 2.0: Noob Morning in America

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The care and feeding of people new to Linux/FOSS

With more people seeking digital alternatives to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS platforms, user groups -- specifically Linux User Groups (LUGs) -- are encountering more users who come from a non-tech background. This presentation discusses how current LUGs can make the group environment more welcoming to those who are new to Linux.

Speaker: Larry Cafiero
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Drink the Kool Aid

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Linux is like a cult, but agood cult. People should acknowledge that what we do is great AND unusual

If Tux the Penguin offers me some Kool Aid, would you drink it? I have drank it, and will continue to do so. (Mmmm the taste of Freedom {and power.}) What is a cult? People that believe something different then you? 1 defintion -like other deviant social movements, tend to recruit people with a grievance, people who suffer from some variety of deprivation. Even though I don't spend my time speaking untruths or meanly towards Microsoft, I'm pretty sure they view me as *deviant.* And yes I feel *deprived* while using proprietary software. My Belief System is not my operating system(s) - it's close though. Really close. To make my point - I'll say the Open Source Way is my Belief System. I am part of group that can accomplish some great things.FOSS is a great community. It offers powerful tools that can help us create beautiful things. I love the deep philosophy behind the movement. *I volunteer my free time to tell complete strangers about Linux. *I spend time researching the subjects I present to LUGs, paying attention to the ideas and stuff that may relate to the audience. *The majority of the population uses 1 of 2 systems, I always look for opportunities to *convert* (or recruit) some of these people. ** I give my phone number to some them, just so they can call me if they have any existential questions. ** Some of these Converts will eventually become Evangelists & spend time trying to convert others. The analogy falls apart at the *conversion point* for me though. I'm not just trying to get people to convert to my Distros of choice. Not interested in joining with me in the California Ubuntu Team? Ok. My answers to your questions as a Fedora Ambassador cant sway you to the merits of their community? Fine. If I can't help someone via one of the communities I am part of, we can rely on the Greater Open Source Community for guidance. Gentoo, Slackware, etc. we have a place for just about *everyone.* I am hardcore with my belief in trying to be *inclusive*. Most of the time you *can* play well with others. I don't ask that all of your friends subscribe to my belief system in exactly my fervent manner. No matter how correct I may be, the echo chamber can be far more damaging than outside sources. I know it may be trite, but, if you and I are the same- one of us is redundant. Resistance is not futile. Join me on this side if you can *take the leap*, Tux & I have some Kool Aid for *You* "Let's collaborate. Come to this side of the FORCE, we have cookies, and throw great parties" - Tux the Penguin Same

Speaker: Mark Terranova
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This is why you FAIL

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Learn how to make your open source project more successful.

In my experience with Fedora and Red Hat, I have noticed that there are several mistakes that open source projects make which prevent them from reaching their full potential (or at the very least, making them massively painful to deal with). After spending time pulling my hair out with one codebase, I wrote a blog post called "How to tell if a FLOSS project is doomed to FAIL", which ended up being a chapter in "The Open Source Way". In this presentation, I'll go into details on how to minimize FAIL in your project.

Speaker: Tom Callaway
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Building Free Software Groups

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Lessons from the world of community organizing

We're at a critical point in history. Free software provides many excellent advantages for its users, but many people remain unaware or misinformed about its potential. This talk addresses some of the larger issues of perception and strategy and then drills down into some very specific tactics for growing your free software group or project, with particular emphasis on how to diversify the type of participants you attract.

Speaker: Deb Nicholson
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Two Girls One Talk: A Thelma and Louise approach to Marketing Your Linux Distribution

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Marketing and Advocating the Linux Distribution of your choice

As a "non-developer open source community member volunteer" and advocate, how can you market and share the distribution of your choice? Robyn and Amber will give tips, techniques, and talking points to get you started marketing your distribution without driving you over the proverbial cliff of frustration and failure.

Speaker: Amber Graner
Speaker: Robyn Bergeron
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Bulding communities through FOSS SysAdmin Mentoring

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This presentation will discuss how we create a new supply of FOSS SysAdmins with the competence and skillsets needed to support FOSS projects thru mentoring.

FOSS projects like Optware and OpenEmbedded, for example, require unique hosting solutions. That in turn requires competent, dedicated SysAdmins. Where do they come from?

The solution that we propose is an extension of the FOSS spirit into the SysAdmin realm via a program of apprenticeship and internship. This will create a new supply of FOSS SysAdmins with the competence and skillsets needed to support FOSS projects.

This presentation will discuss how the above will be accomplished, by getting involved, mentoring and learning.

Speaker: Tom King
Speaker: Rick Boatright
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