[Gllug] Future meetings - philosophy

[Stephen Nelson-Smith]

Hi,

On Tue, Nov 11, 2008 at 5:02 PM, David L Neil Mailing list a/c
<GLLUG at getaroundtoit.co.uk> wrote:
> Should we bother organising GLLUG (physical) meetings - isn't the
> mailing list and IRC channel enough?

Not sure we can answer that ourselves.  I'm a part of HantsLUG and
I've spoken at Surry Lug - they're thriving, and enjoying physical
meetings in addition to the mailing list and IRC.  I think having real
meetings where people can meet up, make friends, bring along kit, and
attend a talk or a lab are a key part of Linux culture - it's be a
sorry tale if London of all places couldn't get it together to do
this.

> During LinuxLive, I wondered around various stands and talks 'taking
> names' of people who might be prepared to speak at future GLLUG events.
> If everyone holds the line and GLLUG sticks to a bi-monthly frequency,
> this list would just about take care of 2009. (yes, I'll be happy to
> summarise these ideas - soon)

I am very happy to work my network and built it to locate speakers.
I'm also happy to give a talk a year on whatever the latest
interesting thing I've been using is.

> It appears 'a number' of (?old time) GLLUGers believe the interest in
> holding meetings has declined, that the organisation has 'moved on' and
> no longer needs a physical meeting point - and indeed there has not been
> anything like a regular schedule during 2008.

Gllug has a habit of meandering around talking about having a meeting
to decide whether to set up a committee to vote on whether there
should be a preliminary round of elections to form a working party to
decide which pub to go to to discuss what the direction of Gllug
should be.  It lacks leadership, purpose and vision.  I suspect
solving the vision comes first - there are able leaders willing to
help, and that we are having this discussion indicates that there is
willing to do something different.

> However the majority of the folk coming to the GLLUG stand in the
> LinuxExpo's .ORG Village wanted to know 'when's the next...', 'what
> happens at...' - to a man*!

Agreed - I think there is much demand for a regular meeting, and for
there to be a bit of a buzz around the LUG.

> Here's me poking a stick in the ant-hill: is the "Greater" part of
> GLLUG's name a word for "too spread out to meet centrally", or have we
> reached a point in GLLUG's evolution where the 'youngsters' want to DO
> something whereas the mouldy-oldies are slipping into ever increasing
> levels of abstraction or virtualisation - where do you stand on this?

Commit to holding regular meetings.  Put effort into locating
speakers.  Get some publicity.  Get some buzz.  People will come.
They may not come from the extremities of greater london - so what if
they don't.

S.
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