[Gllug] LinuxVolunteering summary

[Pavel Bradut Boghita]

On Wednesday 02 October 2002 10:33 pm, you wrote:
> Rev Simon Rumble wrote:
> > Thanks for the summary Alex.  Very good!
> >
> > On Tue 01 Oct, Alex Gonzalez bloviated thus:
> >>1) Decide a name. Proposals: squad-geek ( Simon, correct me if incorrect
> >>),  LinuxVolunteering.
> >
> > Geek Squad.  LinuxVolunteering is just a bit too, umm,
> > straightforward, for my liking.  But hey, I used to work for dot-coms
> > with names like "Spike" and "Wide West" :)
> >
> >>2) Set up a mailing list. Maybe introduce ourselves and send some kind
> >>of skill list to make clear areas of expertise, who to ask when and
> >>about what, and what we can offer as a group.
> >
> > Yes.  Who runs the linux.co.uk mailing lists?  The sooner we get this
> > set up, the better.
> >
> >>4) Speak about PC recycling. What if the NGOs don't have adequate
> >>equipment, can we help?  In www.do-it.org.uk I found a NGO which recycle
> >>PCs and equipment. Should we contact them to see if they would help
> >>other NGOs?
> >
> > PC recycling is a high maintenance job.  It requires someone who is
> > very dedicated and, here's the hard part, a good amount of work and
> > storage space in a location that is centrally accessible to everyone.
> > Transport is also needed.
> >
> > Great idea in principle but in practise it needs a very dedicated
> > champion to make it work.
> >
> >>Thinking about how to make decisions, I suggest a flat structure were
> >>issues are decided on simple mayority, were we are under no obligation
> >>and we invest only the time we can. If as a group something is decided,
> >>individuals are free not to feel tied to the group decisions.
> >
> > I suggest no decisions.  Mailing list run by a benevolent dictator
> > (don't like it, set up another one principle.)  We don't need an
> > "organisation", just a mailing list and a loose network of people.
> > Will explain next week how it works in rent-a-geek.
>
> My concern is that if we go for a no decisions basis, everything is
> going to be too slow.
> As an example, I count at least 2 offers to set up the mailing list, and
>   plenty of dates for a meeting, but no decisions. As I see it, if we
> had a fix number of people ( i.e members of a mailing list ), we set a
> period of time to give a vote on something, and we apply simple mayority
> after that time, at least things move.
>
> Any other input on this?
>
> My vote for mailing list would be Jason Clifford's ukpost, and date for
> a meeting 12th October, possibly arriving after 5.
>
> The PC recycling point was not to get involved in it, but mainly acting
> as a bridge between NGO's. If a NGO recycles PCs ans send them for
> example to developing countries, maybe they would offer to help out
> other NGOs, but need to make sure that the equipment is going to be
> installed and used.
>
> Finally, a vote for LinuxVolunteering. I just think that a name easy to
> understand and that links clearly with the purpose of the group is easy
> to market and will make it easier to attract NGOs.(Have I counted 3
> easies?) Most NGOs and non profit organizations have names which are
> very explicit with what they do. I think that's the way to go.
>
> Alex

In my humble opinion we need the mailing list set up a.s.a.p. (read now)  
whoever wants to do it.

I aggree with Alex that we need a quicker way of taking decision. In my view 
this will be best achieved if we first agree upon a person with "a last word" 
on things. Someone who like Alex did in a previous post can colate overall 
opinion on things, draw conclusions and say "it will be done this way". This 
should work for now until we meet and possibly decide upon a more formal 
decision structure. So someone please, be "the boss" for now.

Things like name are not that crucial for now. It is important to start with 
a couple of key points about what we want to achieve and how we want to 
achieve this - establish our mission statement so to speak (something fairly 
low key though, sorry about the big sounding words) We can use any name for 
now, it won't come into its own until it is aggreed what we are all about, 
and it usually emerges naturally after this. (all this stuff reflects my own 
experience and in no way should be understood as the only way of doing 
things) I too think LinuxVolunteering is good enough for now, it's general 
and reflects what we sort of established so far about this initiative - i.e. 
we want to do volunteering and involve Linux.

PC recycling is quite a market in itself and there are companies being paid 
money for doing just that, so again in my view is an issue which deserves 
separate discussion and planning if we are to be effective in this field once 
it will be decided a role could be played in this.

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