SCALE is on again. This year, Free Software Magazine will tease you about this ever-growing event with some numbers and some highlights. Hopefully, you will want to go as much the we do!

Some numbers about SCALE (some of them are estimates):

• Attendees in 2002 (SCALE 1x): 400
• Attendees in 2006: 1100
• Attendees in 2007: 1300
• Attendees in 2008 (forecast): 1500
• Number of speakers: 70
• Core organisers: 9
• Volunteers working over the SCALE week-end: 45
• SCALE-related emails received (and answered) by one of the organisers: 5800

If this is not enough to convince you, have a look at some of the key scoops:

• Is Misys releasing their open source connector API?
• Is Medsphere going to speak to the community for the first time since their lawsuit with the Shreeve brothers was settled?
• What is SCALE University? Does it have anything to do with LOPSA and SCALE offering 2 half-day tutorial sessions about anti-spam techniques and Xen and Virtualization on Linux?

Plus, some key speakers:

• Jono Bacon (Ubuntu) and will talk about the coming of the GNU/Linux desktop. People who witnessed Jono’s previous speech will not want to miss this one!

• Stormy Peters (OpenLogic) talks about the motives of contributing an open-source project on a volunteer basis

• Akkana Peck will talk about — and demystify — the GIMP

And this is only the beginning. Hopefully, I will see you there!