Hi everybody, It feels like it's been a long time coming but it's almost here - the next Melbourne free software discussion meet-up is this Thursday 17th. We have some interesting topics lined up too, including: * Alex's Cargo game release. If you enjoy computer games but don't know what this is about, learn about one of the most interesting free software game releases this year. We want to get the word out, so we will be discussing ways in which we can promote this great software, as well as free software projects in general. * The Cloud is great, but what about freedom? Getting up and running with software is easier than ever thanks to "cloud" technologies such as SaaS (or SaaSS!), but does it respect your privacy? Do you have the ability to change the way it works, install it on your own computers, or give a custom version to your friends? How can we protect our freedom? * Volunteer burnout Organizing conferences based around free software (and in general!) is usually a lot of work, and Bianca will briefly discuss the problem of burnout. Burnout isn't limited to conferences however, and being a major contributor to a popular free software project can be a lot of work as well. This should make for an interesting discussion topic. Pizzas will be generously provided by VPAC Innovations! It should be a fun and interesting night, so don't forget to mark it on your calendar if you have not already. Date: Thursday 17 October Time: 6-9pm Location: VPAC Head Office Training Room Level 1, Building 91, 110 Victoria Street A map is on the website: http://www.freesoftware.asn.au/melb/ If you've not come along to one of these meet-ups before, I encourage you to swing by see what it's all about. To everyone else, I hope to see you all there! Cheers, Adam