coffee.geek.nz

Internet NZ have signed on as a key sponsor of the upcoming Linux & opensource conference (the conference usually known as linux.conf.au)

This is slightly old news, but worth repeating
http://blog.internetnz.net.nz/?p=265

The annual Linux.conf.au conference will be held in January 2010 in Wellington - the second time it has been held in New Zealand. It will bring together local and international open source practitioners who contribute to the Linux operating system and numerous other open source projects. Linux creator Linus Torvalds regularly attends this event.

InternetNZ Executive Director Keith Davidson says open source has played, and continues to play, a key role in achieving InternetNZ’s vision of an open and uncaptureable Internet.

“Every New Zealander that uses the Internet is an open source user. It’s the backbone of almost everything business and government does these days. If you want to get close to the people that have built the core technology of the 21st century, you go to conferences like LCA2010. I’m thrilled it is being held right on our doorstep.”

“It is particularly timely that LCA2010 is being held in Wellington. Government agencies have been caught up in something of a technical monoculture, leading to missed opportunity and detachment from key transformations that the Internet has enabled. Any IT staff in the public sector unfamiliar with open source would get a huge boost talking with technical folk that have enjoyed the freedom of unfettered global collaboration.”

Today i had coffee with a staff member from New Zealand's women in technology. My goals were to talk on girl geek dinners, see if she could help me find contacts and perhaps share some advice on the movement.

Early on she blindsided me, when I asked if she would mention Girl Geek Dinners to her members, the answer was a flat "No", because we are competing against their "Behind the Lipstick" events so they cannot tell their members.

This both suprised and dismayed me. I had interpreted their goals as helping women working in technology. "Our goals are the same" was my rebutal. But as the conversation progressed I come to the conclusion that they're not the same at all.

womenintechnology.co.nz's Vision statement is To be the premiere organisation empowering technology workers to achieve unimagined possibilities. This leaves me to perhaps conclude they wish to the the only group helping women into technology. Highlander syndrome. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!