The SouthEast LinuxFest (SELF) is a community event that is open to everyone who is interested in Linux and Free & Open Source Software. SELF will be held at the Clemson University Hendrix Student Center in Clemson, SC on June, 13th 2009.

We have an "all-star" line-up of F/LOSS speakers who have generously offered to commit their time, and to share their knowledge and insight to help us grow "Linux in the GNU/South." The following speakers have (barring any issues which may arise) confirmed their attendance:

- Chris DiBona, Google (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_DiBona)
- Brian Leonard, Sun Microsystems (http://weblogs.java.net/blog/bleonard/)
- Wendy Seltzer, EFF (http://wendy.seltzer.org/ )
- Mark Spencer, Digium (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Spencer)
- Icculus a.k.a., Ryan Gordon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_C._Gordon)
- Paul Frields, Fedora (http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/PaulWFrields)
- Michael DeHaan, Red Hat (http://www.redhatmagazine.com/author/mdehaan/)
- Russel Bryant, Digium (http://www.russellbryant.net/blog/)
- Robbie Workman, Slackware (http://rlworkman.net/)
- Pete Granger, Canonical/Ubuntu (http://www.canonical.com)
- Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier, openSUSE (http://www.opensuse.org)
- Wade Olson, KDE (http://wadejolson.wordpress.com/)

While we are making spirited progress, we cannot do this without the support of other LUG's and LoCo's in the Southeast. Having strong LUG support is vital to the success of our event, both in it being a memorable and enjoyable experience, and in our seeking additional sponsorship. You can begin supporting this event now by: posting the SELF banner on your blogs, wikis, and Web sites; printing copies of the SELF flyers (http://southeastlinuxfest.org/sites/...SELF-Flyer.pdf and http://southeastlinuxfest.org/sites/...self_flyer.png) and distributing them at your meetings and around your community; and by asking your members to register on the SELF Web site. Feel free to appoint someone from your LUG to join our mailing list, and to attend our weekly IRC meetings (every Tuesday night at 9pm EST on #southeastlinuxfest), so that they can keep your LUG up to date on our plans as we move forward.

We are looking for sponsors! Businesses, non-profits, and educational institutions interested in sponsoring SELF should direct inquiries to info@southeastlinuxfest.org. A vendor prospectus is available on our Web site.

Please visit http://www.southeastlinuxfest.org to:
- Get event updates.
- Submit technical papers for peer review (for a limited time only).
- Register your LUG, and tell us if you are interested in presenting on a particular topic of interest.
- Reserve a table space for your LUG if you'd like to showcase your group and it's activities.
- Get audio and visual materials to help promote the event...and much more!

Help us to spread the word about SELF '09 to your local businesses, non-profits, colleges and universities, and anywhere else you might find Linux users, supporters, and newbies. We want this event to be fun and educational for Linux users of all skill-levels. There will be a number of breakout sessions held throughout the day where users can learn tips and tricks, as well as pick up useful skills and information from their peers. If members of your LUG or LoCo are interested in hosting a breakout session or setting up a booth to showcase your efforts in the community, please contact community@southeastlinuxfest.org.

Don't miss out on this event! Register today at http://www.southeastlinuxfest.org/register.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please let us know via our IRC channel, or by joining our mailing list at http://www.southeastlinuxfest.com/ma...heastlinuxfest.

We look forward to seeing you in June!

Kevin Jones
Community Coordinator
SouthEast LinuxFest
http://www.southeastlinuxfest.org