[TriLUG] SouthEast LinuxFest Coming to Clemson in June!

[Kevin Jones]

 Hello, we are writing to introduce the SouthEast LinuxFest (SELF), a
one-day community event being planned for June 13, 2009, with the goal of
bringing together the many LUGs and LoCo's scattered throughout the
SouthEastern United States.

Perhaps you've already heard the buzz about SELF on Linux blog's and
podcasts.  If not, we'd like to take this opportunity to reach out to your
membership directly and formally introduce the event, and to invite you to
show your support in promoting "Linux in the GNU/South" by signing up on our
Web site at http://wiki.southeastlinuxfest.org/signup.html.

Our goal with SELF is to be very similar to the recently-held Ohio LinuxFest
(OLF), and to continue the success of the Atlanta Linux Showcase (ALS) by
offering a fun, diverse, and community-oriented Linux convention in the
Southeast.  Our official mission statement is as follows:

"The SouthEast LinuxFest is a community event for anyone who wants to learn
more about Linux and Free & Open Source software. It is part educational
conference, and part social gathering.  Like Linux itself, it is shared with
attendees of all skill levels to communicate tips and ideas, and to benefit
all who use Linux/Free and Open Source Software.  LinuxFest is the place to
learn, to make new friends, to network with new business partners, and most
importantly, to have fun!"

SELF will take place at the Hendrix Student Center at Clemson University in
Clemson, SC.  Clemson is home to the Palmetto Linux Cluster, and the Clemson
Linux Users Group (CLUG), a proud sponsor of the SouthEast Linuxfest.

We have an "all-star" line-up of F/LOSS speakers who have generously offered
to commit their time, and to share their knowledge and insight to help us
grow Linux in the GNU/South.  The following speakers have, barring issues
that may arise, confirmed their attendance:

- Chris DiBona, Google (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_DiBona)
- John "maddog" Hall
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Hall_(programmer)<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Hall_%28programmer%29>
)
- Wendy Seltzer, EFF (http://wendy.seltzer.org/ )
- Mark Spencer, Digium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Spencer)
- Icculus a.k.a., Ryan Gordon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_C._Gordon)
- Paul Frields, Fedora (http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/PaulWFrields)
- Michael DeHaan, Red Hat (http://www.redhatmagazine.com/author/mdehaan/)
- Russel Bryant, Digium (http://www.russellbryant.net/blog/ )
- Robbie Workman, Slackware (http://rlworkman.net/ )
- Wade Olson, KDE
- Pete Granger, Canonical/Ubuntu

While we are making spirited progress, we cannot do this without the support
of other LUG's and LoCo's in the Southeast.  Having strong LUG support is
vital to the success of our event, both in it being a memorable and
enjoyable experience, and in seeking sponsorship.  You can begin supporting
this event now by discussing it at your next LUG meeting, and by signing up
on the SELF Web site with your estimated attendance numbers.  Feel free to
appoint someone from your LUG to join our mailing list, and to attend our
weekly IRC meetings (every Tuesday night at 9pm EST on #southeastlinuxfest),
so that they can keep your LUG up to date on our plans as we move forward.

We are looking for sponsors! Businesses, non-profits, and educational
institutions interested in sponsoring, promoting, or otherwise supporting
SELF should direct inquiries to president at southeastlinuxfest.org. A vendor
prospectus is available at
http://wiki.southeastlinuxfest.org/index.php/Vendor_Prospectus.

Please visit the SELF Web sites at http://wiki.southeastlinuxfest.org, and
also at http://www.southeastlinuxfest.org to:
    - Get event updates
    - Submit technical papers for peer review
    - Register your LUG, and tell us if you are interested in presenting on
a particular topic of interest
    - Reserve a table space for your LUG if you'd like to showcase your
group and it's activities

Help us to spread the word about SELF '09 to your local businesses,
non-profits, colleges and universities, and anywhere else you might find
Linux users, supporters, and newbies. We want this event to be fun and
educational for Linux users of all skill-levels. There will be a number of
breakout sessions held throughout the day where users can learn tips and
tricks, as well as pick up useful skills and information from their peers.
If any members of your LUG are interested in hosting a breakout session,
please let us know so we can schedule it accordingly.

Additionally, if any of your members would like to get involved with any of
the side projects, please sign up on the wiki Projects page at
http://wiki.southeastlinuxfest.org/index.php/Projects.

Once again, please urge your members to register at
http://www.southeastlinuxfest.com/signup.html. It is important to us for
budgetary planning and other considerations.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas, please let us know via our
IRC channel, or by joining our mailing list at
http://www.southeastlinuxfest.com/mailman/listinfo/southeastlinuxfest. We
look forward to hearing from you soon!

Sincerely,

The SELF Board