Start: Feb 3 2015 19:00 End: Feb 3 2015 21:00 Location: The Buzzard Lecture Theatre. Evan Burge Building, Trinity College, Melbourne University Main Campus, Parkville. Link: http://luv.asn.au/meetings/map Speakers: • Kieran Nolan and Martin Harris: CoderDojo • Stewart Smith: OpenPower and POWER8 Kieran Nolan and Martin Harris: CoderDojo ----------------------------------------- CoderDojo sessions emphasise fun and creativity. Kids love to code when it is taught in a fun way. By extending their minds through games they are encouraged to think creatively and to build problem solving skills and learn through exploring. As well as helping solve a future skills shortage, it also hones problem solving abilities and builds digital confidence for children today, and will help them to better understand the world around them in the future. Whether children want to become farmers, doctors, teachers, or entrepreneurs, it will be easier for them to achieve their dreams in the digital age if they have some background in computational thinking. Keiran Nolan's career has evolved over the past few years from a role as Network Administrator for primary schools (implementing open source and cloud based technologies) to a Cloud Migration Architect role with one of the leading K-12 schools in NSW and more recently to an eLearning/Cloud Migration role at one of the most pedagogically innovative schools in Melbourne. Martin Harris is far from an expert in programming or computers, however there is a connection. Almost all broadband fibre communications networks incorporate components that he helped develop at Australian Optical Fibre (Research) Canberra in the early '80's. After leaving AOFR he set up Optiscan, a company in Dandenong developing novel medical endoscopes. These allowed high magnification images of the cells of interior of the human intestine without the risks of biopsy and the delays of conventional histological sectioning. This uses a scanning spot principle to isolate the focal plane using a mechanically rastered single mode fibre tip. The principle and the associated devices resulted in an R&D 100 award and a Clunies Ross medal. Stewart Smith: OpenPower and POWER8 ----------------------------------- IBM has opened up over 420,000 lines of Power8 firmware code under the auspices of the OpenPower Foundation. The two main elements of the firmware are called hostboot, which is the hardware power-on and testing chunk of the code, and OPAL, which is short for the Open Power Abstraction Layer and which itself is comprised of three sub-components called skiboot, skiroot, and skirun. Stewart Smith currently works for IBM in the Linux Technology Center on KVM on POWER and OPAL firmware, giving him a job that is even harder to explain to non-Linux geek people than ever before. Previously he worked for Percona as Director of Server Development where he oversaw development of many of Percona’s software products. He comes from many years experience in databases and free and open source software development. He’s often found hacking on free software, taking photos, running, brewing beer and cycling (yes, all at the same time). He once helped build a monorail in the middle of the desert. The Buzzard Lecture Theatre, Evan Burge Building, Trinity College Main Campus Parkville Melways Map: 2B C5 Notes: Trinity College's Main Campus is located off Royal Parade. The Evan Burge Building is located near the Tennis Courts. See our Map of Trinity College. Additional maps of Trinity and the surrounding area (including its relation to the city) can be found at http://www.trinity.unimelb.edu.au/about/location/map Parking can be found along or near Royal Parade, Grattan Street, Swanston Street and College Crescent. Parking within Trinity College is unfortunately only available to staff. For those coming via Public Transport, the number 19 tram (North Coburg - City) passes by the main entrance of Trinity College (Get off at Morrah St, Stop 12). This tram departs from the Elizabeth Street tram terminus (Flinders Street end) and goes past Melbourne Central Timetables can be found on-line at: http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/route/view/725 Before and/or after each meeting those who are interested are welcome to join other members for dinner. We are open to suggestions for a good place to eat near our venue. Maria's on Peel Street in North Melbourne is currently the most popular place to eat after meetings. LUV would like to acknowledge Red Hat for their help in obtaining the Buzzard Lecture Theatre venue and VPAC for hosting. Linux Users of Victoria Inc. is an incorporated association, registration number A0040056C.