[Wolves] LUG meeting summary - 20/11/2002

[fizzy]

fantastic report James, i'd just like to add:

10 print fizzy is cool
20 goto 10

look, code on the LUG list!
i can't remember if you need quotes in basic or not...

fizz
 --- James Turner <jamesfturner@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: >
Here's a draft summary of the meeting, if anyone
> wants to add/change
> anything.
> 
> 
> 
>     LUG meeting summary - 20/11/2002
>     --------------------------------
> 
> Tonight's LUG meeting featured a bumper crop of new
> recruits attending 
> for
> the first time. The total turn-out was 11, spread
> across a record four 
> (4)
> tables. The regulars (sometimes affectionately
> refered to as "The 
> Kernel")
> in attendence consisted of:
> 
>   - Aq
>   - James
>   - Jono
>   - Peter
>   - Ron
>   - Rob
> 
> The newbies, more about which later, were:
> 
>   - Steve and Vinny from A2RT
>   - Goththing, sometimes also known as Alex
>   - Richard
> 
> The meeting also featured a rare sighting of Steve
> Parkes, who helped 
> set
> up the LUG way back in the mists of antiquity.
> 
> Fizzy didn't turn up to demonstrate his "elite"
> skills, and missed out 
> on
> a chance to try out Xandros Linux. Mr and Mrs Laptop
> have also been
> mysteriously absent for a while. Now where could
> they have got to?
> 
> A new venue
> -----------
> 
> The high turn-out and anticipated future growth
> prompted talk of 
> finding a
> new venue for the meetings. Though they have proved
> adequate in the 
> past,
> the Moon Under Water and Clarendon Suite are not
> without their various
> shortcomings. The general consensus of opinion
> regarding our 
> requirements
> for a new venue were:
> 
>   - A room suitable for presentation-type events as
> well as more 
> informal
>     discussions, equipped with multiple power points
> and enough tables 
> and
>     chairs for aprox 15+ people, and ideally a
> screen or place for a 
> screen
>     for a data projector or OHP. The price should be
> as low as possible.
> 
>   - High quality, low cost beer, available in large
> quantities. There 
> was
>     some disagreement over the relative priorities
> of cheap beer vs.
>     facilities for presentations.
> 
>   - A selection of decent food, preferably available
> at low cost. 
> Ideally,
>     this should include the ubiquitous LUG
> favourite, the cheesecake.
>     (Integrated fun-size Mars bar optional).
> 
> Due lack of local knowledge, no specific decision
> was made as to where 
> to
> go, so if there's anyone out there with a wide
> experience of nearby 
> pubs,
> we welcome your input.
> 
> The Access to Recycled Technology (A2RT) Project
> ------------------------------------------------
> 
> As mentioned earlier we had several new members come
> along tonight,
> including Steve and Vinny from the A2RT project
> (www.a2rt.org). They 
> were
> both handing us leaflets enthusiastically
> throughtout the course of the
> evening.
> 
> They are involved in "growing" a media lab out of
> old/unwanted equipment
> donated by a variety of companies and universities,
> at which members of
> the public will be able to learn about computers,
> web site development,
> various forms of digital art and of course Linux.
> 
> They have had quite a few computers donated already
> and amused the LUG
> members by quantifying the size of their haul by the
> tonne rather than 
> in
> terms of the number of machines. Proposed E.U.
> recycling directives make
> it seem likely that they will have no shortage of
> donations in the
> forseeable future.
> 
> Their various computers, which range from humble
> 486s to newer Pentium
> II-based models are being configured to run the
> Linux-Mandrake
> (www.mandrakesoft.com) distribution (chosen due to
> its
> beginner-friendly reputation), operating as thin
> clients (X Terminals?).
> The lab should be connected to the Internet. (????)
> They are due to move
> in and begin construction of the lab/network on
> Monday 25th November.
> 
> Steve and Vinny were interested in getting the LUG
> involved in their
> activities, including as a source for technical
> information and
> guidance. Anyone from the LUG who wishes to pay them
> a visit and see 
> what
> they're up to is invited to go along on Saturday
> 30th November (address
> below).
> 
> They are looking for advice on software to support
> PHP-based community
> web sites, "blogging" sites and such, all of which
> should be fairly easy
> to customise to their more specific requirements.
> (To Steve and Vinny -
> please post any specific requests or queries to the
> mailing list). Jono
> was approached about giving a talk on the PHPNuke
> (www.phpnuke.org)
> content management system.
> 
> The suitability of Linux for adoptation by
> non-profit groups such as 
> A2RT,
> charities and so on was mentioend, allowing cost
> savings to be made so
> that more money could be made available for
> philanthropic purposes 
> rather
> than lining the pockets of the likes of Bill Gates.
> Friends of the Earth
> (www.foe.co.uk) was mentioned in conjunction with
> A2RT.
> 
> Jono suggested that we might be able to somehow take
> advantage of the
> nationwide LUG infrastructure/administration to
> raise awareness and 
> gather
> support for this type of activity. Provision of
> training and technical
> support were areas that were considered to be of
> particular
> importance in fuelling the take-up of Linux in
> non-profit organisations.
> 
> A2RT (which is related to The Lowtech Media Lab -
> www.lowtech.org) is 
> due
> to open from 25th November to 20th December from
> 10:30am to 6:30pm at:
> 
> Unit 311F
> The Big Peg
> 120 Vyse Street
> Jewellery Quarter
> Birmingham
> 
> See the project web site, the leaflet Steve or Vinny
> pressed 
=== message truncated === 

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