Lack of Connection Between Canonical and the Community

[Richard Gaskin]

Benjamin Kerensa wrote:

 > Like a super mini-UDS and I do not know if all UbuCon's are alike
 > but the one I went to at Scale was just Ubuntu Talks given it was
 > like a Ubuntu Conference Track versus an actual event for Ubuntu
 > Contributors.

Let's see if we can make UbuCon more of what you want, at least as much 
as we can within the confines of what an UbuCon can be.

A UDS is inherently expensive because it involves work on the OS as a 
whole, requiring a great many people from all corners of the globe.

UbunCons spring up spontaneously in the Ubuntu ecosystem as a way of 
sharing ideas and knowledge about getting the most out of great 
software.  As community-driven events they're inherently scalable, as 
small or large as the number of participants who want to show up.

We could think of them as bigger versions of Ubuntu Hours. They don't 
even need to directly involve Canonical, though I very much appreciate 
the increasing support Canonical has provided for UbuCon at SCaLE each year.

While any regional event will be limited in terms of how it can 
contribute to the global OS effort, if we look at such gatherings as 
serving the broader goal of expanding the Ubuntu ecosystem they can be 
quite useful.

We're all here because we believe computing can make an important 
difference in the world, and that Ubuntu is a great OS to help move that 
vision forward.

But even the greatest OS ever is still limited in terms of how it can 
fulfill the potential of computing.  Beyond the OS itself, users need 
applications - that's where the rubber meets the road.

Any OS is ultimately an app launcher; applications define the scope of 
what people do with their computers.

Creating custom application solutions with Ubuntu will be a theme at the 
2015 UbuCon at SCaLE, and I hope increasingly so in other venues going 
forward.  We simply need more apps for Ubuntu to become a viable choice 
for many who are currently locked into other platforms.

Regional events like UbuCon can show local organizations how open 
computing can deliver higher ROI and greater productivity, and we can 
guide them to the tools and resources to help them craft custom 
solutions for their needs.  And along the way, perhaps we can even make 
a compelling case to third-party developers to port their Mac and 
Windows apps to Ubuntu.

In short, I don't think an UbuCon can be a UDS.  But I think UbuCons can 
be equally valuable for the platform in their own way.

I wouldn't want to derail this governance thread with too much talk of 
UbuCon, but if you're coming to SCaLE I'd enjoy meeting you and 
discussing this in person.

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Systems
  ambassador at fourthworld.com