Where in the World are We?

By Rikki Kite

As I write this month's column, several of my colleagues are at LinuxTag in Berlin [1], just one of the many international events we help sponsor and support. Although we can't attend every event, we are able to be at quite a few each year, and sometimes we're in two places at once. While my colleagues report from LinuxTag, I'll be attending SouthEast LinuxFest (SELF) in Spartanburg, South Carolina [2].

Events aren't just an opportunity for us to hand out free magazines. We also get a chance to meet with our authors, such as Dmitri Popov at LinuxTag and Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier, Amber Graner, maddog, and Jono Bacon at SELF. Events are a great way to get feedback from our readers and to stay on top of the latest news and trends in open source.

If you don't see an event that you're attending on our calendar or if you need help promoting your event, please let us know. We're only halfway through 2010, but some events, such as LinuxFest Northwest [3], already have their 2011 event planning underway!

Volunteer!

Maybe you don't have a company sending you to an event and picking up the hotel tab - don't let that stop you. Many (if not all) events need volunteers to help plan and staff the event, and volunteering is a great way to get your foot in the door for free, to network, and to contribute to open source. SuperComputing, which will be held in New Orleans this year, is making an extra effort to help make their event more accessible. They recently announced their Broader Engagement Program, Education Program, and Student Volunteer Program, and the perks included free conference registration, help with travel expenses, free lodging, and meals [4]. (If you make it to SC10, be sure to stop by the Linux Pro booth to get your free magazine and meet the editors.)

You don't have to wait for an invitation to volunteer at an event - if you see an event that looks interesting, email the organizers and offer to help.

Help a Buddy Move

Have you helped someone move to Linux and open source? I recently wrote about introducing a friend to Knoppix and Ubuntu [5], and maddog followed up with a blog post of his own [6]. We'd love to hear your additions to our lists and about your moving experiences.

Write for Us!

If you haven't written for us before but have an idea for an article, check out our writer's guidelines and send us your proposal [7]. We're always looking for fresh ideas and new writers, and no previous writing experience is required.

See you at an event - or in print - soon!