[ubuntu-us-ut] Fwd: UTOSC 2009 Call for Papers is NOW OPEN!

[Clint Savage]

The Utah Open Source Conference 2009 is just around the corner,
October 8-10, 2009 is not too far away!!  It’s time to submit your
presentations. UTOSC 2008 received over 90 submissions, and we ended
up with over 50 presentations.  The odds are good that if your
presentation is a good open source topic, it will get selected.

This year, we’ve enabled a few new features to conman, our paper
submission system.  First off, everyone can see all of the abstracts
which have been submitted, which includes a new RSS Feed for watching
new submissions.  Also, about 1 month before selections are made
(about 2 months before UTOSC 2009), we’ll open voting to any
registered attendees, speakers, volunteers, etc.  We’re excited to
enable these new features and will be working hard to make more
improvements to the system.  We want to send a shout out to our
programmers for their hard work on our system this year.

If you’ve got something to share, something to tell, something to
introduce or something to show, please take the time and submit a
presentation to the Utah Open Source Conference 2009.  We’d love to
see your presentation!!

Some people are natural public speakers and presenters while others
are reluctant to imagine themselves in front of a group of people at a
conference.  Nobody should feel unqualified or inexperienced to
present. We want presenters who can share information at all levels.

-- And now, some tough questions --

What should I talk about?

You should talk about Open Source software, philosophy, technology,
etc. The theme for this year’s conference centers around ‘Ability’ so
your topic can be targeted at beginners, experts, or someone in
between.

It may help to see what topics were presented last year. Go to
<http://2008.utosc.com/speaker/list/> for information about 2008’s
conference sessions.

This year, several sessions will be targeted at beginning or “newbie”
users including those who are family members of an Open Source geek.
Basic sessions around Linux, The GIMP, or WordPress are good examples
of these types of sessions.

We have really expanded our categories offerings this year and you can
select multiple audiences as well.  If there is a category you do not
see listed, please let us know by emailing our program coordinator,
Clint Savage at <clint at utos.org>.
What does a response to a call for papers look like?

You should come up with a brief outline, or abstract, of your
presentation and who would be interested. You should also provide some
information about you, your
experience with open source software and the specific aspects you’re
proposing to speak about.

Here’s an example of an abstract:

Title: Open source home security

This presentation will outline how I have used a Linux server, IP
cameras, and open source software, to provide around-the-clock video
and image surveilance of my home which is archived for later viewing
and is available for viewing via the Web when I’m not at home.

The presentation will describe how to set up a system similar to mine
and what alternatives are available for software and hardware in the
system.
What’s in it for me?

There are lots of perks reserved for people chosen to present at the
Utah Open Source Conference!

Resumé material
Having presented on a topic at a conference is a great thing to add to
your resumé and could make the difference the next time you apply for
a job.

Free admission
If you’re chosen as a speaker, we’ll let you — and your family — into
the conference for FREE!

A picture and a paragraph
Speakers are asked to submit a digital photo and a paragraph of
biographical information which will be seen by those viewing the UTOSC
website and those reading the conference program.

Warm fuzzies
Being involved in the Utah Open Source Conference is a great
experience. Just ask anyone who was involved in UTOSC 2007 or UTOSC
2008.

What’s that URL again?
Go to <http://2009.utosc.com/> and get yourself an account. Then you
can submit as many presentation ideas as you wish!!