[Infopoint] Is this list working?

[Tony Whitmore]

alan c wrote:
> Tony Whitmore wrote:
>>  Alan,
>>
>>  Yes the list is working.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> I can now see this and also my post to the list this morning on the
> archive.

The lug.org.uk server is undergoing some fairly major problems at the
moment, and all services are being affected. This includes
mailman.lug.org.uk, so there may be a larger than usual delay in
delivering mail or seeing it in the archives.

> However, I still cannot see the post which is awaiting clearance. It was
> the lack of that which really troubled me. You may recall I had a few
> probles with email not long ago which complicated my initial use of the
> list (again, thanks for yours and others help then).

I do indeed remember. The mail that is held in the queue for approval
will not appear in the archives or be sent out to list members until it
has been approved by the list moderator.

> I received your reply here as email too - great, so that is ok and
> functional for me. However, I am not yet convinced that I am receiveing
> a copy of my own message (as in the list options configuration), but it
> may be more clear to me soon.

Again, this maybe due to problems at lug.org.uk. All mail for LUG lists
from about 1pm on Friday was queued until about 6pm due to problems with
 the server. They were then sent out in reverse order. The backlog was
cleared by about midnight.

> I then went away for a month...... and only now can I start to commit to
> Infopoint events locally, and the BCF event in Bracknell is on 11th
> Dec.  so I am aware that time is very short for the initialising of
> something very new in this area (and to myself).

Indeed - we took a couple of months to plan our first InfoPoint and
prepare everything we needed! I'm sure you'll have those who are helping
you working hard to get everything ready.

> And earlier comments
> suggested that the central arrangements with BCF may have become a bit
> rusty. I also saw a post or two with suggestions that some
> de-centralisation in organising Infopoint events was being considered as
> possibly useful.

Yes, basically with Kat co-ordinating the northern fairs, Jono had asked
me to consider taking over the co-ordination of the BCF/southern fairs.

> My email-still-awaiting-moderation explains this I think and more,
> including my question/s about contact with BCF.
> Lacking  that being responded to, and with time fast running out, I have
> already made contact with BCF by phone and this was toady, mid this
> Sunday morning (bless them).
> 
> They were flexible and receptive, although they were not obviously aware
> of Infopoint or any agreements. Under obvious  freebie constraints of
> not selling, the 35 pound table fee would I think be waived, and
> possibly material cost only sales may be also accepted - still to be
> negotiated though.
> 
> Apologies if this would normally be done centrallly, but I did not want
> to find any more delays from whatever source to make a pre xmas even
> less likely in Bracknell.

Well, it's good news that they were receptive. One of the reasons for
having a central point of contact is that when Jono set up the
agreements, they will have been done through one individual within BCF.
What I wanted to try and do was pick up on Jono's contacts and re-affirm
the agreement at a high level before looking at individual fairs. This
way we can reassure BCF that the tables are going to be non-profit, for
example and that the other aspects of the agreement will be adhered to.
It also means that we appears to BCF as an organised group with a single
point of contact rather than a disperate group of people all organising
their own things in their own way.

> Tony - please advise me to what extent I should be using the 'Infopoint'
> banner  and (local) SCLUG , and in fact Hants LUG?
> At this stage I need to fill the form in and fax it off. It is formal,
> so the strategy should be appropriate one for the longer term if possible.
> 
> The immediate question is - what 'business name (organisation name)'
> should/can I use? If all else fails I can use a non LUG name, although I
> would prefer to connect into the main projects or LUGs of course.

Well, I'm not sure using HantsLUG would be an appropriate way forward.
We already have an InfoPoint scheme in HantsLUG, but you haven't got
involved with that. Also, HantsLUG doesn't have a remit in Bracknell -
it's not in Hampshire. The InfoPoint scheme isn't an official entity in
the same way that HantsLUG is. You could of course put "InfoPoint
Project" as your company and I don't suppose it would really matter, but
there's no liability beyond yourself for anything you do in the
InfoPoint name.

The best way forward would be to use the SCLUG name, especially if this
is where you've found most of your helpers. But at the end of the day,
InfoPoints aren't specifically LUG events, any FLOSS organisation
*could* get involved. An InfoPoint is an InfoPoint if it follows the
philosophy and remit of InfoPoints as laid out on the wiki.

Tony
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