Linux Australia has a responsibility to minimise spending in order to maximise the benefit to the Australian FOSS community.
This applies to Linux Australia and its subcommittees.
Linux Australia council and sub-committee members dedicate a lot of time and effort to being involved with the organisation. Since face to face meetings are often on weekends, this does make a significant difference to the amount of time one can spend with their loved ones. Because of this burden, it is reasonable to expect council members not to be out of pocket for their already large contribution of time and effort.
Not spending large amounts of the communities money is good, but be comfortable. Go back to your loved ones rested, not irritated. Individuals are expected to exercise discretion in their choices.
This policy gives guideline on what expenses will be covered by Linux Australia for the following events:
The Linux Australia Face to Face (F2F) meeting under normal circumstances happens once or twice a year. Once soon after the election, and usually about halfway through the year. This is important as face to face time of the committee, which is usually geographically dispersed, helps get the council working well together as a team, and on the same page. The meeting is usually an all day meeting. This gives the council time to get on track and to ensure time is spent usefully during the election term for each person.
- F2F is paid for out of the Linux Australia budget.
- F2F should be held in an appropriate city so as to minimise flight expenses.
The Ghosts of a conference past is a meeting where the current linux.conf.au team gets to invite select members from previous years and where useful LA council members (particularly the treasurer) discuss their planning, debrief on the previous year, and basically share information.
- Ghosts is paid for out of the LCA budget. Normally flights and accommodation would be paid for.
- LA has often paid for one dinner for all attendees as a token of appreciation for attending and generally provides coffee + substances to get through the meeting.
- Ghosts should be held in the city where LCA is being held, ideally with a chance to tour the selected venues.
Towards the end of the paper review process for linux.conf.au it is traditional for some of the paper review committee to gather for a day to enable a final decision on papers to occur in a face to face session.
- This event should be paid out of the LCA budget. It is up to LCA as to who, if anyone's, flights or accommodation will be paid for.
- F2F should be held in an appropriate city so as to minimise flight expenses, it does not need to be held in the same city as LCA.
- LA has often paid for one dinner for all attendees as a token of appreciation for attending and generally provides coffee + substances to get through the meeting.
Zookeepr is the software that runs linux.conf.au but hopes to be more generic. As such the hackfest weekend is part of Linux Australia's budget in the interest of including other groups using the software. The invitees are generally ghost zookeepr hackers and the new zookeepr keeper for the current LCA. It provides an opportunity to work through major restructuring, bug fixes and a chance to introduce and train the new keeper to the code.
- This event should be paid out of the LA budget.
- F2F should be held in an appropriate city so as to minimise flight expenses, it does not need to be held in the same city as LCA.
- LA has often purchased a gift or paid for a dinner for all attendees as a token of appreciation for attending and generally provides coffee + snacks to get through the hacking.
Linux Australia will cover the following:
- Plane flight (or other method of transport to the city) -Economy (or equiv)
- Airline is individuals choice
- Transport to/from Hotel (or other Accommodation)
- If driving, cost of petrol will be covered
- Transport to/from the airport. For example:
- Petrol/Road Tolls
- Taxi
- Shuttle
- Train
- Accommodation
- Select somewhere nice, not exorbitant
- Sharing a room with another council member is encouraged as you can end up with a much nicer place for the same price or smaller per person. This is totally reasonable. It also lets you get to know your fellow council members better
- Food + Drinks
- Meals are generally covered by Linux Australia. The reason being if you were not on LA business, this would not be a personal expense for you.
- Coffee during the meetings is generally covered as a necessity for most people to operate.
- Alcoholic drinks may be provided as a thank you (such as wine with dinner) for your efforts but typically it is expected that you buy your own drinks.
- As a general guideline about $30-45AUD is not unreasonable for a meal. Eat good food.
- Economy class flights at best available rates
- Hotel rooms should cost approx $150-250/night depending on the city
- Flying up the night before is encouraged so as to be at the meeting on time and refreshed - feel free to avoid red eye flights
- Staying for two nights to go to night time activities and not have to rush off to flights is fine
- Crashing with a friend is encouraged but not required
- Sharing hotel rooms to save money is encouraged but not required
- You have to pay partners share
Historically it has been that if LA council members were not already going, LA would cover if requested. This has been on two grounds: 1) having council members at a General Meeting of the organisation is a good idea and 2) as the main event of the organisation, it is good to have board members visible and approachable by the membership.
The LCA team organising the conference generally get to go for free (for given values of "get to go" - typically very limited) in return for getting to spend a year planning the conference and making it happen. Helpers / flying monkeys / evil networking bunnies are at the discretion of the LCA organising team but typically get a free ticket (exact processing details are up to the team).