The bi-annual Ubuntu Developer Summit (UDS) has been a firm fixture of many developers’ and users’ calendars for years.
Every six months, following the release of Ubuntu, an event for developers to come together to hammer out the details for the next release cycle was held in either the US or in Europe.
But as of next week, the traditional UDS transitions from being a physical event to a remote one, held online.
It’ll also be shorter, no longer a week-long sojourn but a virtual summit taking place over two days, albeit help more often, once every 3 months.
Why the change? Canonical say it’s to allow for greater collaboration, participation, and accessibility from users, developers and interested parties more routinely than the current schedule allows.
‘Canonical wants to continue improving and refining the openness and accessibility of the event’, explains Ubuntu Community Manager Jono Bacon.
‘We…want to open the opportunity for those to participate who cannot travel physically to the event, particularly those who can bring specialist experience and expertise across the convergent goals of Ubuntu across the client and cloud orchestration in the server.’
UDS Adopts a New Format
In the age of face-to-face Google+ hangouts and real-time collaborative work tools, the notion of flying people around the world to spend a week in each others company is perhaps superfluous to needs.
While the new virtual UDS will mean no more huddle of developers around a crackly microphone in an echoey conference room (with every awkward in-seat shuffle picked up), the new virtual UDS will offer:
- Google+ Hangouts On Air – 4 channels: Client, Server/Cloud, Apps, Community
- 2 video streams per channel
- Integrated IRC, Etherpad, social integration, and media sharing
Familiar elements of the physical event will remain, including the opening Keynote, Plenary sessions, and the quick-paced Lightening Talks (now free of a mad dash down a corridor to find the right room in time).
“The new online format is open to all to participate as a contributor or viewer, and we are confident that the online format will open up UDS to more and more people around the world,” say Canonical.
First vUSD Date
The first online UDS will take place next week on the 5th and 6th of March. More details, along with tips of what tracks to tune in for, will be shared on this blog in the coming weeks.
Lest you fret thinking you’ll now never get to chance to meet Ubuntu rockstars like Jono Bacon and Jorge Castro in person, Canonical says it will evaluate the effectiveness of this new “online” approach to make sure it’s delivering what it needs to.