[Cumbria] comments

[David Latimer]

Having just downloaded for the first time since last night, quite a
volume.

Few points.  

I am a Linux novice but started messing with an XT when I started an OU
degree 13 years ago and am experienced at DOS and all the varieties of
Windows.  There are five computers here ranging from a P133 server that
someone was giving away to this XP1700 machine and I am not about to
switch away to machines other than PCs.  For five years I have ran an
amateur radio packet BBS on two computers controlling four radios and
with wholly RF links.  Seeing other sysops elsewhere in the country do
more under Linux than I was doing in DOS was what brought me first to
Linux.  I have also been a Usenet group user for several years after
being a CIX user before.  Some groups have been good but others are full
of opinion and prejudice paraded as facts.  Is that familiar?

I didn't suggest that discussions about distros were not useful just
that they be done using temperate language. 

I am not new to this group having been at the first meeting and at every
one since except one.  We had a number of people attend in the beginning
who stopped attending.  These were all from the Barrow & Furness area.
At least two told me that they found the Jamie & Chris activity at the
meetings to be far from encouraging and sufficient deterrent to cease coming.  
They were of similar experience to myself ie novices who might have gone 
on to embrace Linux as desktop users.

There is a lot more I could say but things would become more poisonous. 
I have tried to support Mike B and Dave Y as friends of mine as well as
pick up something as I go along and I thought the LUG would be an
inclusive rather than an exclusive group but this doesn't seem the view
amongst all.  Dave Murphy and Ken Hough in particular have been
encouraging however.  That said, I have felt out of place here in this
group recently and further acrimony will only develop because I am
willing and articulate enough to speak my mind.  I will leave you lads
to it and continue my Linux experience with friends.

Dave M...please remove me from the mailing list and from any listings as
a LUG member.

Dave
David Latimer