Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2000 15:22:44 +1000
From: Nat James <nat@netizen.com.au>
To: lwn@lwn.net
Subject: The Open Source Retreat


Netizen Launches the Open Source Retreat

Netizen, a Melbourne-based IT consultancy specialising in Open Source
software, announced today that it will host a conference for the Open
Source community in Eildon in rural Victoria from the 20th to the
22nd of October. It will be a low cost weekend with special prices for
students as a way of encouraging participation from all areas of the
Open Source community.

The Open Source Retreat is a community oriented conference which
will provide developers and systems administrators a chance to work
through common problems and to discuss Open Source issues.

Retreat organiser Natalie James said "We are providing the venue and
the facilities, and are now asking the community to produce the
content. People who develop or work with Open Source software are
encouraged to submit a paper or workshop outline discussing issues
or problems they have found with any Open Source system. This way the
content of the conference is largely dictated by the development
community."

"We are hoping it will be a relaxed informal weekend, with plenty of
opportunities for BOFS, network games and catching up with other
developers."

Netizen is also providing businesses with the opportunity to sponsor
the event. "Companies who take advantage of the advertising
opportunities that come with sponsoring the Retreat will have their
product exposed to people, with strong input into hardware and
software decisions in corporations around Australia," said Natalie
James. "Netizen is not only interested in sponsorship from the IT
sector, we welcome applications from all local businesses who believe
they have something to offer the Open Source community."

The Open Source Retreat web site provides details on the call for papers
and sponsorship as well as lots more information about the Retreat
itself. The deadline for submission of papers and workshop outlines to
the Netizen office is the 11th of August.

To visit the site go to: http://retreat.netizen.com.au/
For more information please contact:
retreat@netizen.com.au
or phone: 9614 0949
__
Natalie James      Sales and Publicity        http://netizen.com.au
Internet and Open Source Development, Consulting and Training.
Level 13, 500 Collins St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: +61 3 9614 0949