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</head><body><p>Thanks Paul, <br></p><p>I have had quite a few mails from helpful people like you, all very helpful and encouraging.<br></p><p>My particular side hobby is private community ISP's on the cheap, especially in remote areas, I can make a piratebox but thats about it, my technical skills don't go further than that. <br></p><p>I did not consider U3A but am glad I didn't from what you say, too many restrictions it seems. <br></p><p>What sort of power requirements would any meeting hall or space require? A few laptops would consume more ergs than is realised, and as for broadband? <br></p><p>This is a big learning wotsit for me, and the Pompey LUG sounds wonderful.<br></p><p>Best wishes, Tim.<br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><blockquote type="cite">On 27 May 2017 at 16:35 Paul Willis via Sussex <sussex@mailman.lug.org.uk> wrote:<br><br><div dir="auto">Hi Tim,<div dir="auto">Sorry to be so late replying. I have found myself group leader of the Rustington LUG which was formed as a U3A group, so very much senior geeks like yourself. While the u3a enabled the group initially I often think their structure is more a hinderence than help with all their concerns about insurance, health & safety, insisting on u3a membership and so on. We tick over with "bring a box" type meetings and occasional talks by a member on something interesting that isn't necessarily about Linux, open source or computing - one on GPS comes to mind, researched to give to a science group but welcomed at ours for a test run. Normally we are happily interested in each others Linuxy problems and the solving of them. Somehow this keeps our members happy. </div><div dir="auto">I regularly recommend the Portsmouth LUG which has a good supply of university illuminati who (among others) are happy to inform and entertain on a variety of subjects and is enthusiastically driven by Lisi and her team. I feel that "proper" lugs meet out of working hours - evening or weekends so folk working in the field are available. I didn't smell the rat when ours started up on Wednesday afternoons! Still, any lug is better than none at all :-)</div><div dir="auto">For a startup, if no-one can offer their own home to get things moving, I would suggest a quiet time in a pub where there is likely to be usable broadband and often a big screen you can plug in to. A web presence and mailing list can be had for free from lug central as someone else pointed out. We had to abandon a lovely council room because the WiFi was unusable, sadly out of the employees control, doubtless part of some corrupt deal higher up. We had some luck with a mifi for a while and occasionally a mobile phone hotspot helped. At present we use a church hall with WiFi laid on by our founder member, Frank who funds it to help the church. Portsmouth and Sussex use rooms in sports clubs which have some virtues, but internet access can still be a problem. Portsmouth now has its own 4g deal.</div><div dir="auto">Good luck whichever way you go. What will you call yourselves, TumLUG? W-KLUG?</div><div dir="auto">Let us know how you get on and keep up the tradition of asking for help or advice when needed.</div><div dir="auto">Paul</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><br><div class="gmail_extra" dir="auto"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 23 May 2017 3:08 pm, "woodman tim via Sussex" <<a href="mailto:sussex@mailman.lug.org.uk">sussex@mailman.lug.org.uk</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><div><p>Hello to you all.<br></p><p>I am Tim, a senior geek living in Tunbridge Wells who wants to form a West Kent LUG.<br></p><p>Myself and a few friends moan and whinge about the non existence of a group around our area so I am trying to start one.<br></p><p>There is nothing concrete planned as yet, we have not had a meeting yet, never mind finding somewhere to hold it, I am mailing this list to get advice and some people interested. We are not professional developers or tecchies at all, just amateurs who have a Tux habit.<br></p><p>I would be glad of any feedback or suggestions from you all, the difficulties of setting one up and keeping it active, encouraging others, the legal aspects and funding. We are not rich folk at all so need to do this on the cheap, it that is possible.<br></p><p>Yours, Tim Woodman.<br></p></div><br>--<br> Sussex mailing list<br> <a href="mailto:Sussex@mailman.lug.org.uk">Sussex@mailman.lug.org.uk</a><br> E-mail Address: <a href="mailto:sussex@mailman.lug.org.uk">sussex@mailman.lug.org.uk</a><br> Sussex LUG Website: <a href="http://www.sussex.lug.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.sussex.lug.org.uk/</a><br> <a href="https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/sussex" target="_blank">https://mailman.lug.org.uk/<wbr/>mailman/listinfo/sussex</a><br></blockquote></div><br></div></div>-- <br>Sussex mailing list<br>Sussex@mailman.lug.org.uk<br>E-mail Address: sussex@mailman.lug.org.uk<br>Sussex LUG Website: http://www.sussex.lug.org.uk/<br>https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/sussex</blockquote><p><br> </p></body></html>