Someone asked me Wednesday of LWCE whether I was disillusioned. I don’t think that’s the word for it overall. More like disaffected or perhaps tired is a better word. I’ve been wondering if I would somehow reach the point where I started considering other things to do or become. Its my vision that we all have to change, re-arrange, and redo ourselves and often that re-arranging is tumultuous and dangerous and stressful. The show approaches the same. I think it wants to change and I think there will be casualties. One will be the community pavillion and the dot.orgs in general. If I were IDG, I would question but unfortunately even when IDG questions they don’t know where to find the answers. Its not board meetings and corporate sponsorship. I have a different idea for them. Let the LWCE grow and mature and become some corporate venue for open source. Attract the sponsors and membership that will attend. Many of the community types will simply steer away from things then and find their own venue. Perhaps a show like SCALE which offers that blend and with control. I like the blend of community and corporate when its done right. When done right, the two can complement each other and the past SCALE shows I’ve gone to have shown that blend with diverse and exciting exhibitors, presentors, and attendees. I also have met the show organizers and they grok the need.
So, I see LWCE changing and re-arranging and many of the people that do the show will do it for a different reason or just not. Its the real truth that many of the people I always look forward to seeing attend things much less these days. They just don’t have “the time, effort, or energy” to drive a few miles to see the MOTO-HP-Dell-Intel-AMD show. This is not a slam or insult because there is a reality on the other side too.
I’ve decided I’m done with a few things around the show including the lunches. The Linuxcare Labs reunion lunches had a great run and we had some great guests; but I’m done. I may be done with yet other things in the short-term if I don’t see some change there too. I’m done with LWCE because I’ve outgrown it and its changed past what I want to do. I’m gonna go find another venue for my attendance and SCALE is gonna be it.
Thanks to IDG really for showing me what they think the show should become and what my participation level will be.
Over and out for now.
