Utah Open Source Blog

Video of Richard Esplin’s presentation on “Technology Cooperatives” is now available on YouTube at the following URL: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNjSbvBgV70>.

Richard Esplin at UTOSC 2009

Traditional technology businesses do not achieve optimal alignment between the interests of the developer, the business investor, the consumer, and the global community. Open source businesses attempt to improve on this situation, but unfortunately, most business models do not foster open source solutions. Technical expertise is expensive and awareness of the benefits of collaborative solutions is often lacking. Companies with significant technical know-how have many incentives to guard that know-how behind proprietary licenses. Companies who should be focused on their core competencies often have to build significant technical know-how to employ open source solutions.

There is a way that non-technical businesses can take advantage of the services of technical professionals without needing to worry about maximizing capital returns. This problem is similar to how a community can pool resources in a common investment fund and take advantage of banking experience (think credit unions), how a bunch of mountain climbers can take advantage of bulk procurement expertise to lower costs (think REI), and how a collection of rural municipalities can provide shared electricity and communications infrastructure (think rural utility providers). For the last two hundred years cooperative businesses have been refining a collection of operating models which encourage collaboration and sharing of resources. These principles apply to information technology solutions. In this presentation, I’ll share my research into cooperative business models, and my experience trying to catalyze a technology cooperative for educational institutions.

Since being indoctrinated in the philosophy of free software as a CS undergraduate, Richard has been a vocal free software evangelist. After trying a variety of open source business models, Richard thinks he has found an innovative solution to many of the common problems involved with making money building open solutions. By spreading the meme, he hopes to find the right partners for this endeavor.

Richard’s website is at <http://richard.esplins.org/>.

On Saturday, October 10 @ 12:45mp-1:00pm during Family Day at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009, we’re going to be having a paper airplane making and flying activity above the Exhibit Hall (room 117) at the Miller Free Enterprise Center.  The idea is that there will be a ream or so of paper at the top of the stairs, we’ll gather about 100 people up there to build a paper airplane.

Everyone will then countdown and launch their planes at exactly 1pm.

There will be prizes for accuracy (we’ll point out a particular booth to aim for) and for distance.  We sure hope this will be an event to share with your friends, so bring the kids large and small and come fly a plane!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls,

The Utah Open Source Conference 2009 is live starting at tomorrow’s registration / check- in @ 8:30am.  If you are registered, or wish to attend the conference, please arrive early to get your badge, bag and swag all in your hot little hands.

Checking In at UTOSC 2009

This year, thanks to Scalereg, we have a kiosk system that should rock your socks.  Printed badges will be done in real time after you check-in at these kiosks.

Registering at UTOSC 2009

Feel free to come by any time during the conference to register with cash if you like.  Our new kiosk system can accommodate that as well.  Feel free to register at the conference as well.

Don’t Forget About the CTO Breakfast @ 8am

In room 116A of the Culinary Arts Building (directly west of the Miller Free Enterprise Center) will be the CTO Breakfast starting at 8am.

This is part of a series of Local User Group (LUG) meetings that will be held at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009.

The Utah Python User Group will be meeting at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009 on Thursday, October 8, 2009 @ 7:15pm in room 108. The Utah Python meeting is free to the public, feel free to come by and see what’s happening with Python in Utah.

Sign up for UTOSC 2009 Today

Registration is available at http://attend.utosc.com
Presentation and event information is available at http://2009.utosc.com

Contact your LUG or a sponsor for discount tickets today.

See you all at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009, October 8 – 10!!

This is part of a series of Local User Group (LUG) meetings that will be held at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009.

The Utah Asterisk User Group will be meeting at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009 on Thursday, October 8, 2009 @ 6:00pm in room 123. The UTAUG meeting is free to the public, feel free to come by and see what’s happening with Asterisk in Utah.

Sign up for UTOSC 2009 Today

Registration is available at http://attend.utosc.com
Presentation and event information is available at http://2009.utosc.com

Contact your LUG or a sponsor for discount tickets today.

See you all at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009, October 8 – 10!!

The Boardgame Bash is a tradition! Each year at the end of the Utah Open Source Conference, we gather and play boardgames until we’re too tired to play any more. It’s nice to gather and talk and discuss the cool presentations and events from the weekend. Everyone is invited to attend.

Generally, after 3 full days of activities people show up, they get grouped together in sets of four or six and choose a game, or are assigned one. I explain the rules and get the group started.

• What games would you like to see?
• What games can you bring?

The Boardgame Bash will be Saturday, October 10 @ 7pm in room 108 of the Miller Free Enterprise Center.  The schedule shows it until 9pm, but the bash will likely go longer.

Register for UTOSC 2009 Today!!

Registration is available at http://attend.utosc.com
Presentation and event information is available at http://2009.utosc.com

Contact your LUG or a sponsor for discount tickets today.

See you all at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009, October 8 – 10!!

This is part of a series of Local User Group (LUG) meetings that will be held at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009.

The Provo Linux User Group will be meeting at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009 on Thursday, October 8, 2009 @ 3:00pm in room 123. The PLUG meeting is free to the public, feel free to come by and see what’s happening in Provo with Linux!!

Sign up for UTOSC 2009 Today

Registration is available at http://attend.utosc.com
Presentation and event information is available at http://2009.utosc.com

Contact your LUG or a sponsor for discount tickets today.

See you all at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009, October 8 – 10!!

This just in!

On Saturday, October 10, 2009 at the Utah Open Source Conference, there will be the largest BZFlag tournament in UTOSC history!  Since it’s never happened before, it’s totally true!

If you have never played BZFlag before, you might not know it’s maintainer lives right here in Utah.

There will be a tournament from 11:30-2:00pm in the Try-It Lab.  Come and drive tanks and shoot other tanks.  Team up where it’s kids against adults, boys against girls, whatever you like and shoot them all for the fun of the game.

Sign up for UTOSC 2009 Today

Registration is available at http://attend.utosc.com
Presentation and event information is available at http://2009.utosc.com

Contact your LUG or a sponsor for discount tickets today.

See you all at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009, October 8 – 10!!

This is part of a series of Local User Group (LUG) meetings that will be held at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009.

The Utah PHP User Group will be meeting at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009 on Thursday, October 8, 2009 @ 3:00pm in room 206. The UPHPU meeting is free to the public, feel free to come by and enjoy the PHP conversation!

Sign up for UTOSC 2009 Today

Registration is available at http://attend.utosc.com
Presentation and event information is available at http://2009.utosc.com

Contact your LUG or a sponsor for discount tickets today.

See you all at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009, October 8 – 10!!

This is part of a series of Local User Group (LUG) meetings that will be held at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009.

The Salt Lake Linux User Group will be meeting at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009 on Thursday, October 8, 2009 @ 1:45pm in room 206. The SLLUG meeting is free to the public, feel free to come by and participate in a great Linux discussion!

Sign up for UTOSC 2009 Today

Registration is available at http://attend.utosc.com
Presentation and event information is available at http://2009.utosc.com

Contact your LUG or a sponsor for discount tickets today.

See you all at the Utah Open Source Conference 2009, October 8 – 10!!