LISA '02 Home

Conference Overview

Important Dates/Contact Info.

Conference Organizers

Conference Themes

Refereed Papers

Invited Talks

Tutorials, WIPs, and BOFs

Sponsorship and Exhibit Opportunities

Call for Papers in PDF Format

An Invited Talk discusses a topic of general interest to attendees. Unlike a refereed paper, this topic need not be new or unique, but should be timely and relevant, or perhaps entertaining. An ideal Invited Talk is approachable, but perhaps controversial. The material should be understandable to beginners, but the conclusions can perhaps be disagreed upon by experts. Another form of invited talk is a "panel discussion" in which several acknowledged experts discuss some aspect of the practice.

Proposals for invited talks and panels can take two forms. First, you can propose a topic about which you would feel comfortable giving an Invited Talk. This should be accompanied by an abstract describing the content of the talk. Similarly, you can propose a panel discussion topic. It is most helpful to us if you suggest possible panelists and alternates. You can also propose an Invited Talk that you would like to hear someone else present!

Invited Talks track range from the highly technical, to the highly informative, to the highly entertaining! Past Invited Talks have covered:

• Cryptography and security "hot topics"
• Emergent trends in the profession
• Issues in "terascale computing"
• Legal briefings on new laws and regulations
• Myths and realities of the profession
• Overviews of new technologies and languages
• Strategies for career development

• Which scripting language is best for system administration?
• How difficult is it to write a sysadmin book?
• What is the future of computer security?
• What do computer buzzwords really mean?
• What problems plague University environments?
• Which mailer is best?
• Should "certification" be a job requirement?

If you have a topic of interest to systems administrators that is suitable for an Invited Talk or Panel Discussion, please submit a proposal to the Invited Talk coordinators. Proposals of a business development or marketing nature are not appropriate for submittal. Please email your proposal to lisa02it@usenix.org. Invited Talk proposals are due April 29, 2002.

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