Episode: 2242
Title: HPR2242: Interview with Colin J. Mills, organizer of KW Linuxfest
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr2242/hpr2242.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-18 23:34:38

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This is Bob Johnkman. Today is Saturday the 28th of January 2017 and today was
KW Linux Fest, a Linux Fest in Kitchener Waterloo. I'm talking with Colin Mills,
the organizer. I call him. I had Bob, how are you? I'm pretty good thanks. So good
event. This is just a tale end of it. We've just finished off. Yeah, it was. It was a really
good event actually. I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into it since it's only the
second year. It's pretty. It's in an infancy stage, but I'm glad that it went. So as
well as it did. Yeah, yeah. So thanks for inviting me to present. Oh sure. Yeah, we always
need we always need good presenters. We always have the interactive demos. Those are usually
a hit. So I'm glad. The demos are a little scary. Yeah, unless the demo gods wait.
Yeah. Today they weren't too bad. A little rough in the beginning, but then we have a
trouble finding presenters. Actually, it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. One
thing that did happen was that presenters started to come out closer to the date that
they would. For instance, like I put the so it's January now and I put the announcement
for speakers out in July and only got one or two hits. But then closing in on the end
of December and even into January, I got more, more speakers. So that definitely definitely
changed the schedule and things like that. So it was one of, it was one of those. It was scary.
Yeah, how was registration? Saw the notice on the website, you know, registration was
free. Yeah, it was a little interesting because I think it was it was a capacity for the
venue, but I think I learned a couple things because a lot of the people that registered
did not. I know coming to the event. Yeah. So I think some empty seats. Yeah. So I think
I mean, it wasn't too bad. It was probably about half. But I think maybe that's something
you have to expect from an event as well. And I shouldn't have been too hasty to just
say that. That was definitely I should almost mistake them. But yeah, next year, I think
I'm going to try a couple different strategies in terms of trying to retain registrations
and things like that. One day I was, have you ever heard of a straight payment service?
I heard of it. Yeah. So it's basically a payment as a service. So they they have a nice
API that you can use in your web application to process credit cards, not type of thing.
So I think I maybe next year, I might start integrating straight into actual registrations.
So when you're registering, you say, here's my five or 10 bucks or whatever it is. And
you'll see when we event because I think that might give a little more incentive. Yeah.
People who have prepaid our formal, I think remember that. Yeah. And another thing is
more notifications and more communication. Those two things. Overall was a really good
event. And you know what? It's really not about the number of people you have in the seats
about the content that they enjoy. So I still mark this year as a success. I think it was
a success. Yeah. About 1700 people in the audience. And that was after some of the early
presenters in the audience had left from the morning session. So no, 25 or so people
just running out. That's a good number. I think that's definitely reasonable. And hopefully
next year we'll get a little more out as well. You keep saying extra. I like hearing those
words. Yeah. When you start planning for next year, I'm probably going to look into it
around June or July because one of the things I want to do is even get a get a solid
venue and get a solid start on getting your registration and things. And it's actually
much easier this year or this upcoming year because this event, we had the website created
for this event. We have registration. But now going into next year, we have that foundation.
The website is KWlinXFest.ca. So you can go check it out. But I think I think one of
the one of the best things that had happened even compared to last year was that the marketing
was actually really on point in terms of where I wanted it to be. And I did get a large
amount of registrations. It's just the fact that once you get those registrations, you've
just got to keep them. So I don't think it's a matter of actually getting more registrations
though, because I think we had a really good presence overall. Yeah. So this past
and started in July or August, I remember seeing it. Yeah, it was July. It was July. So mid
July. I was a little late, but I think next year we'll probably go a little earlier
probably. So you lucked out on this ending this year? Oh, yeah. For sure. Yeah. Right now
and actually I'm a co-op. So for those listening in other countries in Canada, a co-op is
like an intern or something like that. So, right. So I'm on an internship right now with
my company vehicle and their web app consultants. It's been really good. They agreed to sponsor
the event and give me their space to use for the dance. And vehicle is not spelled
conventionally. It's V-H-I-K-L. So there you go. Yeah. Yeah. It's definitely not a mechanic
shop. That's fair. Not at all. So they've offered the venue. It's a nice space. It's
one of these cooperative working spaces, open spaces. We're in the boardroom right now.
A nice conference room in the back for the actual presentation. But a good bit kitchen
here too. Yeah. First coffee I heard you grinding coffee. Oh, yeah. Lots of grinding
was going on. People need their coffee. So this is the second one. Second one. How to
discuss last year as well. Yeah. Kona Stover College. How did you happen on that? Oh, well,
I was a student there for like I said, I'm still a co-op. So in my, you know, I'm still
technically a student. So in my internship, I'm still technically a student for a big
long internship. So basically what happened last year was that I was going to school there.
And I said, well, I would like, I would like a really nice event where we can discuss
Linux and we can kind of come together as a community because I didn't see much around
the Waterloo area in terms of that exact thing like those the KW love, which is the Kitchener
Waterloo Linux user group. But I didn't see like a day of the year that we all just got
together and talked about some pretty interesting things. So I decided to all of a sudden at the
school. That wasn't part of the school program. It was something that was completely independent.
Oh, yeah. That was that was that was a direct offshoot of my my inspiration. So it wasn't
anything I had to do some schooling with that. It's pretty ambitious, but I'm glad I worked
out and it actually gave me a much, much bigger appreciation for the community and the nice
people that are in it. It's good to get my name out there as well. That's really interesting.
Oh, it does it does look good on you because you know you're the driving force behind the KW
Linux test. You haven't had a Linux Fest in Ontario since 2009 and we had the last
events around us. It's good to have it have it back again. Yeah, I think one important thing
because is that you look at Linux events and since it's actually been blowing up like like
Linux in itself and the international community and that type of thing, you don't see a lot of
smaller events focused directly on there. So for instance in Toronto, which is not too far away,
we had the it was Linux Linux con North America. There's a limestone. Yeah, yeah, that was that was not
for your average. Yeah, that was $1,300 a ticket. So it was not so I think having that having an
affordable event that was around the corner is kind of nice in this area, especially since we're
kind of a tech hub in that. We've got Waterloo University, we've got Connistoga College,
Laurier University, lots of technical startups coming out of kitchen a lot of the day. So I think
yeah, having having that accessible medium for a very good day of fun. But you were still
be on the co-op next year. So how it would work is actually my program is one of the few that has
a really generous co-op program. So I started in May of 2016 here. So it's 16 months co-op.
And it's actually pretty generous in terms of so there's four months, four months, four months,
but vehicle, vehicle decided to keep me sure the entire 16 months. That sounds pretty good.
And then I and then I have two semesters left of school. So so eight months of school last
coming back to vehicle. If I if all goes well, that is the plan, but we'll see.
So you think vehicle might be a sponsor for the event again next year? Oh, I definitely think so.
They're really generous in their communities as well and they want to make sure that they're
they have a presence and I think this is a good outlet for that as well. So with if
the greater kitchen or water community wants to give you a hand in organizing limits test for
few guys in 18, how can you get all of you? You can you can email me at
kwlinicsfestatgmail.com. So if you if you're interested in hosting that in the area, you can email
email that email address and we will continue talking from there. And keep an eye on the website.
Keep an eye on the website for sure. All the talks, all the slides of the talks and there was
some demonstration that get repost stories and that didn't change. All links of those will be up
and there's some pictures as well. And I'll be up in the next couple days. You know,
if any kind of luck, you'll get some video out of the video as well. Hopefully, yeah, that would be good,
yeah. Yeah, I really couldn't say the event could go any better, so I'm pretty, pretty proud of it.
That was a good day. Thank you very much, Kala. And thanks to the interview. Yeah, for sure.
This is Bob Jockman for Hacker Public Radio. Good to see you, staffed everybody. Bye.
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