[NCLUG] LinuxFest Northwest invitation

[Todd Backman]

Greetings.

I am a lurker on the Northern Colorado Linux User Group mailing list and
would like to extend an invitation to the NCLUG for the 10th Annual
LinuxFest Northwest celebration. I can offer recommendations on where to
stay, where to eat, and cool sights/points of interest. I might be able to
provide a couch or two for a couple of nights (pending wifal(sp) approval).
Shoot me an email if interested.

I am planning on relocating to the Front Range area after selling my home in
the PNW and am looking forward to eventually becoming a participating member
of your LUG.

Thanks and have a great weekend!


- Todd Backman

###


Bellingham, WA, February 20, 2009 -- The Tenth Anniversary of LinuxFest
Northwest celebration takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., April 25 and
26, 2009 at Bellingham Technical College in Bellingham, WA. Exhibits,
presentations and parking are free. For all ages and skill levels.

LinuxFest Northwest is an opportunity to share knowledge about open source
software. It attracts top technical people with a range of educational and
networking activities. LFNW features internationally recognized speakers
from leading companies and well-known open source projects, as well as
exhibits and demonstrations for a wide range of interests and technical
abilities.

The Fest is also an opportunity for anyone who wants to know more about the
advantages of free and open source software. It is an informative, low-key
way for people to explore Linux and other open source products. It will
appeal to anyone who is looking for cost effective technical solutions.
There are exhibits and presentations that will appeal to business people,
students, hobbyists and families.

Previous Fests have included presentations by leading open source experts
such as Rasmus Lerdorf (of PHP fame), and Brian "Krow" Aker (MySQL,
Slashdot). This year's attractions include:

   - Jon "Maddog" Hall
   - One Laptop Per Child — simple technology that is changing the world
   - Amazon
   - Novell
   - Sony
   - Hewlett-Packard
   - PostgreSQL
   - Fedora
   - Atlassian
   - Brian Hatch — Security guru
   - Free software/free speech advocates
   - Business solutions; free high quality technology advice
   - Hands-on tutorials and test drives
   - RoboExpo — serious, fun technology learning; instruction on building
   your own robot
   - Local technology groups, students, hobbyists

Jon "Maddog" Hall joins in the Tenth Anniversary celebration of LFNW with
his 40 years in the computer industry. For 15 years, Maddog has been an
international champion of Linux and open source. In 1994, he and Linus
Torvalds conceived of the port of Linux to the DEC Alpha (the first port of
Linux) to make Linux a 64-bit OS. Maddog has the distinction of being the
only LFNW speaker threatened with shutdown by the Fire Marshall.

LinuxFest Northwest will again feature the LFNW World Famous Raffle of
valuable computer products and services, books, vendorwear and assorted keen
stuff. More LinuxFest fun and games are being planned for Saturday evening.

Open source is a collaborative approach for developing high-quality
software. Open source software solutions are available for most computing
needs at little or no cost. They are comparable to and compatible with most
common computer applications. One of the best known open source projects is
the Linux operating system. Other examples include:

   - Office applications - wordprocessing, spreadsheets and presentations
   - Email, calendar, contacts and other personal information management
   functions
   - Accounting, bookkeeping, personal finances
   - Games
   - Educational software
   - Desktop publishing
   - Database management
   - Collaboration; document sharing
   - Web browsers
   - Image editors
   - 3D graphics
   - Digital camera imaging and image managers
   - Programming tools, tutorials and courses

For more information, please visit http://linuxfestnorthwest.org/