New Names

A place to put possible new names for Linux Australia.

Reasons to Keep

 * Short and specific
 * Sponsoring other events could be used to show how supportive Linux users are of other open technologies
 * Name has been in use for 10 years and is known and recognised
 * Could just strengthen byline

Reasons to Change

 * LA's focus has changed beyond just Linux, and now covers many Open Source interests
 * Difficult to explain the relationship between 'Linux Australia' and non-Linux conferences ("PyCon is sponsored by Linux? Does this make it a Python on Linux conference?")
 * How is this different to say HP sponsoring a conference? ("HP sponsors linux.conf.au?  Does this make it a Linux on HP conference?")  Maybe this is more of a problem with the way the sponsorship is promoted than the name.
 * Linux Australia is not a sponsoring organisation, it is the parent organisation of these conferences. See this post for a detailed explanation of this issue --Christopher Neugebauer 15:03, 24 April 2012 (EST)
 * Can keep "Linux Australia" as a subcommittee of the new name, which can be focused on Linux advocacy on a national basis (like the current SLUG and LOGIN subcommittees do on a local basis).

Australian Association of Free and Open Source Societies (AUS-FOSS)

 * Alternatively, "Australian and New Zealand Association of Free and Open Source Societies" (ANZA-FOSS)
 * Tagline: Representing Free & Open Source Software / Hardware Development and Promotional Organisations all over Australia

Pros

 * Descriptive, not overly generic, but broad enough to be suitable for an umbrella organisation
 * Inclusive of hardware, software and other things based on similar ideals

Open Technology Australia
opentech Australia

Technology Liberty Australia
techlib Australia

freetech Australia
A federation of Australia's free and open technology communities.

== The Australian Federation of Free and Open Source Software and Open Hardware clubs, societies and associations. == tAFoFAOSSaOHCSaA

fanzfoss communities
Federation of Australian and New Zealand Free and Open Source Software communities

Software Hardware and R? E? (SHARE) Technology
sharetech

Pros

 * Encapsulates the current focus of LA as an organisation representing Open Source projects in Australia.

Cons

 * Easily confused with "Open Source Industry Australia", a pre-existent body.
 * Too close to OSDC
 * Does not mention Free Software - risks community split

Pros

 * Encapsulates the current focus of LA as an organisation representing Open Source projects in Australia.
 * Open source easily expands to cover software, hardware, community stuff
 * "org" and "au" cover both the "community" and "Australian" aspects
 * Using a (non-dot-com) domain name hints that it's a geeky/technology group
 * Using a domain name as the actual name ties in with linux.conf.au
 * Using a domain name is different from OSIA, OSDC, OSI, etc
 * LA already has the domain name

Cons

 * Does not abbreviate easily (ooa? osoa?)
 * Same as "OSA", particularly "Does not mention Free Software - risks community split"?

Pros

 * Avoids confusion with OSIA
 * Encapsulates focus of LA

Cons

 * Does not mention Open Source - risks community split
 * Would be mistaken for free beer, not free speech by some

Pros

 * Encapsulates the current focus of LA as an organisation representing Open Source projects in Australia.
 * Has a pronounceable acronym
 * No known namespace clashes
 * Complements the pre-existing "Open Source Industry Australia" body, representing LA's focus on user and developer communities

Cons

 * Doesn't include the entire community that the new organisation aims to represent
 * Potential alientation of the 'Free Software' folks
 * Doesn't mention anything about hardware

Pros

 * See OSCA
 * Includes Free Software too

Cons

 * see OSCA

Free and Open Source Communities Australia NewZealand (FOSCAN)
(name space availability TBD)

Pros

 * Encapsulates the current focus of LA as an organisation representing Open Source projects in Australia;
 * Inclusive of NZ in line with longstanding activity (LCA speakers, delegates, hosting Dunedin, Wellington)
 * Has a pronounceable acronym, even contains fun marketing potential (FOS CAN)
 * Complements pre-existing "Open Source Industry Australia" body, representing LA's focus on user/developer communities
 * Inclusive of Free (Software)

Cons

 * Doesn't mention hardware and open standards specifically
 * you can only fit so much in a name... technically software isn't mentioned either as it relies on the word source carrying a specific interpretation -- by Arjen Lentz 12 Jul 2012

Pros

 * Portrays how broad LA is

Cons

 * Sounds like a government housing scheme

Open Technology Australia (OTA)
Would "Open Technology Australasia" be more appropriate, given the organisation's focus on New Zealand as well as Australia? --Christopher Neugebauer 13:59, 23 April 2012 (EST) Yes

Pros

 * Indicates the current focus of LA, whilst allowing for expansion beyond software; e.g. representing Hackerspaces etc

Cons

 * Namespace clash with Open Technology Foundation Australia

Pros

 * Similar arguments in favour of "Open Technology Australasia"

Cons

 * Long and unwieldy, not a very nice acronym imho.

Pros

 * Encompassing everything
 * Acronym is OTAG, which is OK

Pros

 * 'Community Software' can mean both software written by and to benefit the community, two things the organisation supports
 * Avoids 'open source' vs 'free software' arguments

Cons

 * Focuses on software, making it harder to include open hardware

Pros

 * covers all (except hardware!)
 * keeps linux in there and could serve as a stepping stone to another name change

Cons

 * Mentions Open Source and not Free Software
 * Acronym will be pronounced "loser"

Pros

 * Mentions both Free and Open Source

Cons

 * Suggests the focus is on Australian-written software rather than all open source software

Cons

 * Very broad and vague

Pros

 * Short (3 letters difference). Same acronym.
 * Embraces free and open without being too specific

Cons

 * Sounds like astrology or feminine hygiene (didn't hurt iPad)

Pros

 * Indicates the current focus of LA, whilst allowing for expansion beyond software; e.g. representing Hackerspaces etc
 * Focus is on Open.
 * Encompassing everything

Cons

 * Long

Pros

 * Sounds like a meta body

Cons

 * Sounds like a meta body

Pros

 * covers all (hardware and communities included)
 * Mentions Open Source and not Free Software
 * sounds like a meta body
 * OSCA could be a mascot

Cons

 * OSCA.com.au is taken by an ironing service ;-)
 * Mentions Open Source and not Free Software
 * sounds like a meta body

Joke names
(to avoid cluttering the real suggestions)


 * Libre Open and Linux Conferences Across the Tasman (LOLCAT)
 * Libre Open and Linux Communities Across the Tasman Sea (LOLCATS)
 * The.Org.au - Pros: Inclusive, Cons: None
 * Open Sauce Australasia (OSA): the perfect mix of software and hardware :)