[ON Topic] How 'bout them Linux? Ain't they somethin?!

[bmcculley at rcn.com]

To quote a popular phrase from my racing days "I'm only here 
for the beer" :-)

I tend to agree with the market analysis, but think you've 
overly discriminated.

Seems to me that (a) and (b) are similar, the main 
difference being that group (a) wants to gather at some pub 
to quaff and palaver face to face, while individuals in 
group (b) prefer to drink at home and chat mediated by 
silicon ?

Seriously, groups (a) (b) and (c) seem fundamentally the 
same, enjoy sharing a common interest with others of the 
same ilk.  Group (d) adds evangelizing the topic, and of 
course welcomes the others (there's nothing like preaching 
to the choir to get enthusiastic hosannas!).  And members of 
group (d) are also members of groups (a) (b) and (c).

So I'd posit there are only two audience categories, those 
who just want to share the appreciation of FOSS technology 
with others already converted, and those who also want to 
spread the word to the ignorant heathen.

FWIW I personally am somewhat in group (d), there is a need 
to advance the cause to survive (eat or be eaten in the 
competitive marketplace of ideas) and am also somewhat in 
group (c), enjoy the appreciation of where we've already 
reached.  Most importantly, I tend to be a moderate so blind 
enthusiasm for flawed examples turns me off regardless of 
the philosophical ideals underlying the implementation.

To answer the specific questions:
>
>What do you look for in GNHLUG?
>
Enthusiasm, appreciation, shared knowledge and assistance.  
A COMMUNITY.

>What brings you to a meeting?
>
My car.
Seriously, time availability is major determinant, topic 
appeal is next most important (I'll try to make time for 
interesting topics, but can't always do it even for the most 
interesting).  The fellowship is an attraction that may get 
me to attend meetings with otherwise uninteresting topics, 
but it won't get me to a real yawner or outweigh other 
priorities.

>What drives you away from a meeting?
>
See above.

>What would it take to get you to bring new members to a 
meeting?
>
Their interest in topic of discussion, or in FOSS.

>Would you be willing to volunteer for helping to pull off 
some "activity"?
>
In my copious free time?  ROTFLMAO trying to grasp the 
concept.
Yes.

>Would you be willing to spend a Saturday once or twice a 
year in staffing
>some project?  Could you get your neighbor to do it?
>
Unlikely.  Time and energy constraints for me, and lack of 
interested/knowledgeable neighbors.

>If so, do you have any activities that you would especially 
like to do?
>Particularly ones that you would be willing to participate 
in?

Nothing gnhlug appropriate.  gnss is the closest so far.

>
>Finally, after thirty-five years in the computer business 
it took a kid from
>Finland to remind me that I got into this space to have 
FUN....so what things
>would you like to do that would be FUN?

BEER.   :-)

Actually making and using the technology, more than talking 
about it or sharing the appreciation of it.  Not sure that 
lends itself to group activities or meetings.

just MHO FWIW.

- Bruce McCulley

---- Original message ----

>On another mailing list we are discussing some of the 
issues of the LUG:
>
>(1) Relatively low attendance at meetings
>(2) Lack of growth in the LUG to match the growth of the 
Linux industry
>(3) Distance between some of the goals of various members
>
>I glean that there are currently four types of people in 
the LUG and on this
>list:
>
>(a) The people who just like to get together every once in 
a while, have
>a beer, talk about Linux and Free and Open Source, see some 
new widget or
>program
>
>(b) The people who just like to talk about Linux and FOSS 
in email, share
>ideas, talk about problems
>
>(c) a+b
>
>(d) The people who would like GNHLUG to be pro-active, 
driving Linux and FOSS
>forward, but also admittedly welcome "c"
>
>Now believe me, I have no problems with any of the people 
in any of these
>groups.
>
>Usually the people who become the 'leaders' are in 
group "d", and they go on a
>while and burn out.  Part of the burn out (IMHO) is trying 
to make the people
>in groups a-c be more like them.  I never really "burned 
out", I just started
>traveling too much to attend meetings (but then again I am 
crazed.....)
>
>In the past we have done some nice things:
>
>o New User Nights - gone out to towns and talked about free 
and open source
>in the libraries.  Handed out floppies with information on 
them
>
>o Install fests
>
>o The Linux Business Show
>
>o Hoss Traders - You can't really say you have been at Hoss 
Traders until you
>have spent the night going around with a little flashlight 
looking for
>cheap (er, ah inexpensive) computer junk.
>
>o Had a couple of tables at the Northern New England PC 
shows, gave
>hardware compatability lists to the different 
vendors.....now I would just
>give them a KNOPPIX CD.
>
>o Had lots of good speakers
>
>so we have nothing to really apologize for, but I do think 
we need to get more
>people into the LUG and be active in it, while still 
meeting the needs of the
>current members.
>
>So....
>
>What do you look for in GNHLUG?
>
>What brings you to a meeting?
>
>What drives you away from a meeting?
>
>What would it take to get you to bring new members to a 
meeting?
>
>Would you be willing to volunteer for helping to pull off 
some "activity"?
>
>Would you be willing to spend a Saturday once or twice a 
year in staffing
>some project?  Could you get your neighbor to do it?
>
>If so, do you have any activities that you would especially 
like to do?
>Particularly ones that you would be willing to participate 
in?
>
>Finally, after thirty-five years in the computer business 
it took a kid from
>Finland to remind me that I got into this space to have 
FUN....so what things
>would you like to do that would be FUN?
>
>md
>-- 
>Jon "maddog" Hall
>Executive Director           Linux(R) International
>email: maddog at li.org         80 Amherst St. 
>Voice: +1.603.672.4557       Amherst, N.H. 03031-3032 U.S.A.
>WWW: http://www.li.org
>
>Board Member: Uniforum Association, USENIX Association
>
>(R)Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in 
several countries.
>UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the US 
and other countries.
>
>_______________________________________________
>gnhlug-discuss mailing list
>gnhlug-discuss at mail.gnhlug.org
>http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss