[Gllug] Rekindling interest in London LUG events

[JLMS]

On 1 May 2012 08:44, Caparo <caparo at saltmine.org.uk> wrote:
> On Tuesday 01 May 2012 08:11:18 JLMS wrote:
>> On 1 May 2012 07:57, Caparo <caparo at saltmine.org.uk> wrote:
>> > On Monday 30 April 2012 22:30:32 Chris Bell wrote:
>> >> On Mon 30 Apr, Matthew Copperwaite wrote:
>> >> > 2. Have a 'splitters' like event where different areas have their own
>> >> > LUG.
>> >>
>> >>    My suggestion was for more local hands-on groups, perhaps similar to
>> >> that in London Hackspace, but also a more comprehensive central group
>> >> structure, (in any case I am not very good at arranging talks). I
>> >> learned mechanical engineering by doing it when I was about 7 at the
>> >> family run general engineering and toolmaking company, and there was
>> >> always a queue of locals waiting to have a go at weekends when they
>> >> could attempt their own projects and repairs. I soon learned about
>> >> rebuilding petrol engines, worked on an industrial power wiring project
>> >> at 13, and electronics later. Too many people never even get started
>> >> now, and many are just as nervous about anything "technical".
>> >
>> > I am with you Chris ,people learn more thro doing than
>> > listening.something like 60% knowledge retention to 3% retention after a
>> > period of 3 days has elapsed.
>> >
>> > --
>> > TTFN
>> >   Caparo.
>>
>> All that is well and good, but that would imply the existence of a
>> permanent or semi-permanent computing lab with all the necessary
>> equipment to come and hack away.
>>
>> That costs $$$ (sorry, US English keyboard) which I suppose it is why
>> it doesn't happen...
>> --
>> Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at gllug.org.uk
>> http://lists.gllug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/gllug
>
> Actually it did happen and continued to happen for a period of 2.5 years.all
> the 13 computers was donated from companies updating their equipment. .The
> venue was tiny but again the Cat 5 was donated and the host provided broad
> band . the host was a private individual who organised /  held sessions every
> other Sunday.
>
> Why did it shut down? Lack of REAL linux users who would pass on their
> knowledge wanting to talk & work along side people who knew very little about
> computing.
> The 2 main guys who helped run it got offered work  in the far east and the
> city leaving the main host on his own and he ran out of knowledge and despite
> asking on a lug got no concrete help and it died of fatigue.
>
> the only finance involved was that anyone who attended paid a Fiver for Lunch
> and tea through out the days session of 6 hours.
>
> --
> TTFN
>   Caparo.
>

The thing would be to establish a charity, social enterprise or a
similar set up that keeps running regardless and that has the
capability of paying 2 or 3 staff and a small venue, then all Linux
geekery could volunteer whenever they would have time (coordinated by
one of those theoretical employees) or use the venue for devious
experimentation, it would become the hub of Linux life in London, Red
Hat, Ubuntu, SuSe could come begging for  visibility there....

(wait a sec, would it not be in the interest of Red Hat, Canonical,
whoever owns SuSe, etc. to sponsor something like this?)

As much as I like mailing lists, they are not the right marketing
tool, it is kind of calling the religious to mass :-) We should be
"evangelical" in the approach (think about those obnoxious people that
go door to door trying to save your soul).

One would have to give it an angle of offering specific skills, so
newbies could aim for a specific objective.

We really need some kind of non for profit Linux Academy and Hacking Centre...

Maybe the topic of the first Linux meetup should be how to go about
achieving this (there are several people in the list with business
acumen, surely they would have something to contribute).
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