[Lincs] [Fwd: Re: [Lincoln LUG] Lincoln LUG: launch of new LUG]

Fri Aug 26 20:23:32 UTC 2011

More stitching back into the larger mailing list

-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Thomas Morton <morton.thomas at googlemail.com>
Reply-to: Lincoln LUG mailing list <lincoln at mailman.lug.org.uk>
To: Lincoln LUG mailing list <lincoln at mailman.lug.org.uk>
Subject: Re: [Lincoln LUG] [Lincs] Lincoln LUG: launch of new LUG
Date: Fri, 26 Aug 2011 02:05:43 +0100

*grabs the popcorn* 

(this message contains a) criticism b) positive thinking and c) a kick
up the bum) .... 

In all seriousness though; you *all* seem to be talking past each other.
Which doesn't bode well for us lurkers. 

Brutally; I've seen this sort of thing numerous times in all sorts of
different communities/forums. It always seems a shame. It's confusing to
me, really, why we have to hang up on things like "who is in control"
and passing over the website address etc. when the *core problem* is
"when are we going to have a meetup". 

Had Becky posted with a focus of having a meetup and getting something
done I suspect a lot of this bad blood wouldn't exist. 

Becky; as nicely as I can put this - as a lurker with no prior
involvement in LLUG, your messages so far have been enthusiastic,
interesting and from a certain point sorely lacking in sensitivity. My
impression is that you had a vision in mind to get LLUG up and running,
and when that floundered a little (which I will get to in a minute) you
kicked off Lincoln LUG.  

It was interesting (as someone interested in observing interactions
online) to see your first few messages - you seemed to have a view in
mind to become the driving force in LLUG, but failed quite to pitch it
as "hey, lets do something" (and naturally move into control). I
personally was slightly put off, as it happens, by your emails to Iain &
others where you basically appeared to demand control of the websites &
other aspects of the group. Maybe that was a communication issue... you
both appeared to feel to have been aggressed first in your
communications... maybe you could both mull on that outsider view?  

Ignoring the renewed enthusiasm of those guys in relaunching the forums
was a major problem for me.. the dead silence and then this new
initiative was.. worrying, shall we say. 

Such things are never going to end well.... 

As to the old guard; you definitely should have recognised
this enthusiasm and possible miss-communication. And instead of rising
to it, tried to work with Becky.  Hell, give her some control, she
appears to have drive (and if it peters out, how is that any worse than
now?).  

Of course, you might not like the way it was pitched (I perhaps
wouldn't) but the best approach is probably to say "look, you've not
pitched this at all well - this is how it looks.... - but here's X, Y, Z
permissions - this is a good move forward & we'd love to be involved". 

Yes, this has floundered in the past as an active group, and may do
again with Becky's drive, but sometimes there things take off. You never
know.  My successes have never, ever, come from the arena I expected
them to. 

Everyone seems entrenched, and I am not really sure *why*. I mean, good
god, I feel like someone should be cracking your skulls together. :)  

----------------- 

But then, I don't think all is lost - so long as we can rewind a little
bit and try again? Perhaps with a little more discussion and little less
ignoring each other? 

----------------- 

So when's the meetup? (this is part c, by the way) 

I am just in the process of finishing organising an un-conference for
about 50 people with the help of one other person (who is 14, fwiw, and
an amazing driving force). I've done this a few times in the online
communities I hang out in (from social sites, through technical ones
through to Wikipedia) and the best way forward is just to push hard for
a first meet. So, from experience (take it or leave it), here is my
advice: 

- The best way to avoid persistent problems in organising a meet is to
simply get on with it. Some people won't be able to make it, which
sucks, but never mind, there will be future events. A major part of the
stalling of meets is trying to get everyone onboard. 

- The next step should be to name a date and a place. It should probably
be social (forget the idea of technical meetups from the off, I tried
that a few times and they flounder) and involve a pub :) ][unless we
have younger members..?] It is much easier to work out what to do next
if everyone has a nice drink and is sat in the sun realising that the
person they were emailing is real person. 

Some food for thought, maybe :) 

Tom 

x 

On 26 August 2011 01:25, Rebecca Newborough <bobobex at bobobex.org>
wrote: 
        On Thu, Aug 25, 2011 at 11:56 PM, Chris Marr
        <chris at majicsoft.co.uk> wrote:

        > Becky - I hope you don't take what's said here as a personal
        attack.

        It's a bit hard not to take something as a personal attack when
        in
        fact, you are being personally attacked! :D
        >
        > So if you'll pardon me a little
        > cynicism - in my own efforts I tried to gear towards moving
        the
        > community smoothly rather than grabbing it by the scruff of
        the neck and
        > frogmarching it to the firing line.

        I am frog-marching no-one anywhere.  I have simply offered an
        alternative which people are free to join or not. Their choice,
        no
        pressure.
        >
        > So, maybe you can't please all the people all the time. Maybe
        I'm the
        > most outspoken person here, but I don't think I'm alone.

        Thank you for sharing your thoughts so eloquently.

        > At the end of
        > the day, if I think someone's doing something wrong, I'll
        speak up about
        > it,

        Please can you explain what it is exactly that I have done
        wrong?

        I actually think a little perspective is needed here - this is a
        local
        LUG that I have started, not a plan for World domination!  :-)
         All
        joking aside, I hope that you can see that I do mean well.

        Regards

        Becky

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