[Blackpool] more on moving on

[MJ Hewitt]

Hi Elizabeth/Simon - thanks for the replies.

Elizabeth:
 please don't think you are dead weight, I think you and Keiran have been
valuable additions to the group and I would like to thank you for
continuing to attend. It was at your request that we did the video of the
computer dismantle/rebuild, and that was one of the busiest weeks we have
had.
No one is going to be excluded because of their skill level,  in fact,
personally, I think we could (should) do more to help new users. New users
give us insight into problems we have perhaps forgotten about as our skill
have evolved, but we were all beginners once, and maybe still are in some
areas.

Simon:
Good to hear from you. Thanks for your input. As you say, when a project
starts, it is likely to be one person that does most of the works with
others joining in where they can. I think it might have been Jon and me
that wanted our Mythbuntu project, mainly because we wanted to learn how to
use it as a media centre. But Donald did most of  the technical stuff
because he knew most about it. Just as Elizabethh wanted to see a computer
rebuilt.
Getting the balance right for a project is probably part of getting the
balance right for the group as a whole, and this is what I am struggling
with.
Input from other groups would be very welcome. Thanks again for sharing
your thoughts.

Mike


On 27 April 2014 14:14, Elizabeth C <elizabethcoop1945 at hotmail.co.uk> wrote:

> Even though I am long in the tooth & at the lower skills end (& too long
> in the tooth to improve very much!) I'll add my 2 pennerth if that's ok?
>
> I obviously cannot contribute skills to the group. Maintaining my use of
> Linux was my 1st aim in attending and then, of course, bringing Kieran as a
> budding computer youngster in the making.  I had hoped that Susan could get
> a glimpse of "stuff that happens" at the meets & get the same pleasure (&
> learn a bit) as I do.
>
> I am very aware, however, that the lower end of the skills range could
> drag down the upper range who may not want to be constantly
> teaching/explaining/repeating etc for the sakes of the lesser knowledgeable.
>
> My knowledge re robots is zilch as is my desire to build one.  The chance
> to watch one being created though is an entirely different matter & I
> would be enthralled by it. (As, I suspect, would Kieran & Susan).  But
> all 3 of us would be dead weights in terms of production......
>
> I don't use Twitter or Facebook or G+ or any other social media site.... I
> just don't have the time for it.
>
> Does the success of the community have to be measured in what it literally
> visibly achieves in terms of innovation?  (Who are the judges?)
>
> I feel that if I could please have my current OS's updated to keep me
> going using Linux I shall be very grateful..... & I will continue to spread
> the Linux word whenever & wherever I can ~ but I don't want to feel like a
> dead weight.
>
> Having said that, I would have loved to strip a scanner (or any other bit
> of kit) for spare part usage/cannibalisation...... lol!  That would have
> been right up my street!
>
> If the Group steers a fully innovative course with social networking then
> it isn't for me..... but please can I have the Linux support when needed?
>
> Elizabeth
>
>
>
> >
> > I still can't shake the feeling that we are going 'downhill' as a group
> >
> >
> > *"Many communities don't take a particularly organised approach to
>
> > projects, which can kill motivation.
> If there's one thing that can cause a
> > community to struggle, it's a sense that nothing happens or gets done."*
>
> >
> >
> > The above quote struck a cord first time around, and still does.
> >
> >
> > We have already discussed a robot project, but did not get as far as how
> we
> > would organise/collaborate on it.
> >
> > We still have the wiki, with just the MythTV project on it from the last
> > formal attempt at collaboration. It only 'sort of' worked.
> >
> >
> > In my last post I noted that some of the past events we put on had been
> > quite popular, but they have been few and far between. *Should we do more
> > of these?*
>
> >
> >
> > We all have different interests and skill sets, and I started to wonder
> if
> > there might be a better way to bring it all together somehow. Some of us
> > use Twitter or Facebook or G+ or ...........
> >
> >
> > Instead of making more work for ourselves by forcing ourselves into a
> > collaborative project, perhaps we should try to utilise what what we
> > already do, and showcase it somewhere.
> >
> >
> > For example, last week, Les posted pictures of his robot on Twitter, I
> > posted schematics of a logic probe, Ollie posted on G+ and Tony has a
> blog.
> > Les also described taking a scanner apart for robot parts.
> >
> > Perhaps we should 'curate' the appropriate posts/tweets onto an open wiki
> > or similar, where people could participate if they wanted to.
> >
> > A project could evolve organically if it was popular enough for people to
> > want to join in. Even if joining in meant asking questions, rather than
> > actual input.
> >
> >
> >
> > I realise that we are all busy, but if we make it really easy (or better
> > still, automatic) for these tweets/G+'s...etc to end up on some platform
> of
> > our choice it is more likely to happen.
> >
> > It would also be a better showcase for the activities that we do than the
> > rather bland and generalised blog posts I have been doing lately.
> >
> >
> > *What do we think?*
> >
> >
> > Mike
> > _______________________________________________
> > Blackpool mailing list
> > Blackpool at mailman.lug.org.uk
> > https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/blackpool
>
>
>