[Gllug] My response to Ivan's comments made at the recent GLLUG meeting.

[Jim Bailey]

On Mon, Sep 16, 2002 at 04:29:10PM +0100, Mark Lowes wrote:
> On Sun, 2002-09-15 at 23:24, Colin Murphy wrote:
> [...]
> > At the start of my responsibility towards GLLUG I was left with the mailing 
> > list, a web page and an open offer of a venue to meet in, all of which was 
> > set up by the original organiser.  I'll take the opportunity to express my 
> > thanks and gratitude to Mark Lowes of Ftech who helps host the site and 
> > mailing list for free, not that this will have had much of an impact on 
> > their business, unlike my incompetence at times. 
> 
> Glad to do it.
> 
> [...]
> > 1). Will GLLUG be dumbed down by the input of Westminster University?
> 
> Doubt it.
> 
> > 1a). Is this a bad thing?
> 
> If by "dumbed down" it's meant that 'lower' or 'lesser' issues will be
> dealt with on a more frequent basis I don't think that this is a bad
> thing.  Concentrating on the higher/guru end of Linux is all well and
> good but it does limit the appeal of the group and the meetings to a
> small group.  This I feel would be a worse thing.
>
I like the guru level stuff even if I can not follow some of it on a
technical level.  My first Gllug meet, a time when I could barely
traverse a directory tree included talks on Samba-tng and Linux routing
both of which I enjoyed and appreciated.  Since then the guru level talks
have introduced me to CPU internals and kernel debugging.  I doubt if I
will ever have the knowledge or skills to really put the last two into
use, at least in the foreseeable future but it didn't stop me enjoying
them.

What I would like to see is links to lecture notes for all gllug talks
placed on the gllug web site as a point of reference for the future.

> As with all user/support groups a balance is needed between keeping the
> interest of the 'guru' level people (which with certain people can be
> maintained by seeing if they'll do some mentoring of newbies) and
> getting blood into the group (which also means more people using Linux,
> always a good thing :)
>
If the material is presented in an inteligent and interesting manner we
can all appreciate it whether or not we are a guru or a newbie.  If the
material is so basic that someone is bored go outside have a fag chat
with your mates or snigger quietly at the back row making snide comments
about the presentation.  As long as you don't upset the speaker or people
genuinely interested in the talk all options are valid.

I don't know the details of the situation on Saturday as I had a prior
engagement and to be honest I don't really care.  I will continue to
support gllug in my  small way and do my best to make meets, shift
patterns allowing.

Too all the people on gllug thanks for a good LUG which is sometimes
brilliant.

Peace Jim

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