OhioLinux Fest 2010

Well, it's that time again!  "Back to school?" you ask.  Well, sort of.  It's Ohio LinuxFest 2010. (September 10th-12th)

Ohio LinuxFest (OLF) is the premier Free and Open Source Software conference in the Mid-West.  Hosted at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in downtown Columbus, OH, OLF is a gathering of professional system administrators, pod-casters, developers, enthusiasts, and everything in between.

This will be my fourth OLF in a row, and it is the 8th event overall.  From my experience and descriptions of other attendees, OLF gets bigger and better every year.  My first year, 2007, I didn't know what to expect.  I was a little overwhelmed at all the people and topics.  I spent most of my time running from talk to talk.  With each subsequent year I have learned the value of networking with other attendees and the sponsoring vendors.  I've attended conferences put on by HUGE corporations, and OLF is second to none!

In 2008, Ohio LinuxFest University (OLFU) was launched; this is where the school part fits.  OLFU is a full-day professional training track on Friday with topics ranging from preparing for the LPI certification to intense system administration tasks.  I've participated the last two years it was offered and am already registered again this year. 

I think that the greatest testament to the value of OLF and OLFU is that my company has sponsored my professional package (OLF and OLFU) for the last three years.  This may seem like a small investment, after all it's just a few hundred dollars for the registration and hotel costs; however, my company does not sell nor support Free and Open Source Software.  They send me because of the value what I learn and the contacts I make at this premier event. 

Over the last few years I have experienced the value of the amazing array of individuals who attend this event.  In 2009, I had the pleasure of talking with Shawn Powers and John "Maddog" Hall from LinuxJournal and Peter Salus of Unix history fame.  I spoke with Steven Prichard and Donald Corbet about the LPI certification.  Who are they... well, they're respectively author and reviewer of O'Riley's "LPI Linux Certification In A Nutshell" book.  I can't adequately describe how incredibly approachable and glad to share knowledge these individuals are; you'll just have to experience it yourself.  As an example of the personality of these fellow geeks, here's a fun video from Shawn Powers and his daughter advertising the 2009 OLF.

I encourage all of you reading this to attend OLF if you have the opportunity.  It is WELL WORTH the time investment.  If you are an IT professional, the professional package has paid off for me every year.  The event itself is on Saturday and is free to the public.  Friday's festivities include OLFU, Early Penguins and a FOSS Medical Track.  I also see an entry has been added for UbuCon!  You can register for the package that fits you here.

No matter what level of access (enthusiast, supporter, or professional) you desire, I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU to register at OhioLinux.org now!  This pre-registration help them plan for the number of people attending.  If you show up last-minute that's ok too; just make sure you swing by the registration table and check in with the volunteers.  I hope to see you there!

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As a side note, this year's OLF happens to be a special event for my family.  See, this year OLF happens to fall on my anniversary weekend.  Yeah, sort of like the Geek Super Bowl getting in the way.  So, what's a geek like me to do?  Fortunately, I've got a FANTASTIC wife that will be attending the event with me!

This will actually be our second OLF together.  We first attended the 2008 OLF.  She didn't attend too many of the talks with me.  She was pregnant at the time, so her priority was chocolate and cheeseburgers (perhaps together).  We did attend the after-parties (which are quite epic) together, and as much as I like DualCoreMusic that scene wasn't for us.  Fortunately, the Greater Columbus Convention Center is located in the Arena District, so we were surrounded by fantastic restaurants... and boy did we take advantage of them.  Also, the official hotel for the event, The Drury, is a great facility with all the amenities including free drinks and snacks.  The Drury is the hotel for this year's event too, so book your room now!

So, what's the moral to this part of the story?  BRING YOUR SPOUSE!  You'll have a wonderful time!