With all these strict rules, I'm assuming FossDevConf aims only at expert / developers used to linux, foss, etc. If you're looking to pull in newbies, then these are too restrictive.
but newbies are supposed to sit as audience and there is not restriction on them. Also, I do not feel these as restriction on speaker, These are just guidelines. Basically I attend some conference where Windows was used for ppt presentation. Although those speaker are taking about FOSS but it do not match with true spirit of FOSS and Open world. For example a totally new bies when attend fossdevconf or simila event where he will find every speaker using non-windows stuff, this will make a positive impact on him. Please reply back how to feel.. on this ?
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│ Narendra Sisodiya ( नरेन्द्र सिसोदिया ) │ Society for Knowledge Commons │ Web : http://narendra.techfandu.org └─────────────────────────┘
Firstly, I'd request you to keep this on the mailing list, because the power of crowd can't be beaten.
Secondly, disclaimer, I'm a windows user, and my hand really flies across it when I'm using it. I'm not a hardcore developer, just some programming here / there on PHP or microcontrollers (C). I do use linux, multiple distro's, but spend most of the time on windows / winblows etc. I also got Windows for free from M$ under a certain unrelated engineering subscription.
There's two ways of losing an addiction, the cold turkey way, and the slow way.
The cold turkey way is awesome, but doesn't work for everyone.
Also, I study in a college where the students / crowd isn't very technically inclined (including Engineering students doing Computer sciences). I found that showing them open source on windows worked much better than doing an install fest and throwing them into the linux world.
Once they were comfortable with technical aspects like SVN, command line etc, then introducing them to linux worked better. (compared to direct installfest, where most of the students were noting down steps on a notebook, but not getting the steps.
So imho, there should always be a basic workshop / lecture on FOSS philosophies and applications in Windows to get the newbies into the scene. After all, most of us are here because of our hatred to Windows / OS X :)
Surya Sharma