"rudi" had an interesting comment to mention of the SARS Enterprise Linux tender - that the tender sounded like it was designed for Novell. I think there's a likely explanation - it was designed by Novell.
Post-Fiesta
21 Mar
The Fiesta is over, and I'm taking to bed for the well-positioned public holiday. I've posted pictures of the Internet Fiesta from the first day. I think we learned a lot of lessons from this first Internet Fiesta in South Africa, and this will be useful if the talk of further Fiestas in the country becomes reality.
Fiesta!
19 Mar
I'm about to head off to the Internet Fiesta being organised in Cape Town by the Internet Society of South Africa. It basically involves putting down 50 computers with Internet connectivity in an underprivileged area, and providing volunteers to assist the first-time users to find out what they can do with the computers and the Internet. The computers are sponsored by our friends at The Shuttleworth Foundation, and they will be running Linux and thin client technology. It's not too late to help out - contact Jenni via the Fiesta page, or just pitch up.
Zen's birthday at Seidelberg
19 Mar
Zenobia (famous for her creative birthday locales) threw a birthday bash under a marquee at Seidelberg (previously De Leeuwen Jagt). As background, the discomfort index was 39 degrees that day...
Clue to flysaa.com
18 Mar
Having just opined that I'd try stick to 1time (and made the mistake of trying to book for the weekend after the Argus), the full-booked flights from 1time have forced me to use FlySAA, South African Airways' online store.
Flying Kulula
16 Mar
I normally fly 1time (for non-South Africans, a budget airline here) because of the good service and good prices. Unfortunately, due to bad planning on my part (gee Neil, perhaps the tens of thousands of people coming for the Argus need to fly back to Johannesburg?) 1time wasn't an option for my latest trip. Since my finances are creaky at the moment, Kulula was the other option.
Outer Limits
16 Mar
After Open Enterprise (and Kulula), I needed a drink, and Jaco took me with some friends to Outer Limits. It seems up-market in the fact that it has some good cocktails and slightly-higher-than-usual-Johannesburg prices. I was quite impressed with the waitor - was confident enough to suggest food (and a cocktail for me). The cocktails were great. Their vegetarian options weren't inspired.
Open Enterprise
16 Mar
I'm at JHB International at the moment, waiting three hours until my boarding due to some transport arrangement mismatches. Nevertheless, I'm here because I was at the Open Enterprise one-day-conference run by ITWeb, held at The Forum at Dimension Data's The Campus.
My favourite Linux company, Obsidian, recently was recognised as the top RedHat trainer in the EMEA region. Great stuff guys! Training over 120 RHCEs is quite impressive for the South African market. Combine that with about a hundred LPI level 1 certifications in the coming weeks, and South Africa's certainly shaping up to lose its proprietary software stronghold perception.
Official LPI exam day pics
09 Mar
The more-official LPI exam day pictures are up. Some great photos showing the magnitude of the exams, with about a hundred people in some sittings. Nice picture of about 70 of the examtakers (I was writing an exam, so no point playing "Spot the nibbim" on that picture).
