[Preston] A LUG needs a purpose

Sat Aug 6 12:29:45 UTC 2016

Guy,

I've been put in touch with someone from Preston Council who is looking 
to extend the use of their makerspace facility, which I will look into 
over the next few weeks.

In terms of a backup plan, in the event that the above is not available 
on the evenings during the week or comes at some cost, could you make 
inquiries into the use of the facilities in the Media factory at UCLAN, 
if there is anyone around?

It still feels like a monthly get together would be sufficient at the 
moment, but there is a strong pull for something mid-week which would 
fit around peoples other commitments (real life!). Its a bit catch 22 at 
the moment with nowhere to meet in order to try and get something going.

I'm away on holiday for the next couple of weeks, but will try and keep 
an eye on the mailing list.

Cheers
Mark

On 14/07/16 19:20, Guy via Preston wrote:
> There you go - I told you: Very little prising required.
> In Phil's case, just a light application of coconut oil was more than
> adequate. :-)
>
> But as the man with the orthopedic shoe said - I stand corrected.
> As Phil said - it was indeed traditionally Wednesdays, not Tuesdays as I
> first thought, for PLUG meetings.
>
> But I'm afraid I can't make this Saturday, unfortunately.
>
> Whilst I'm on I would like to make you aware of these guys:
> http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/raspberry-jam-2308520311
>
> They seem to meet at the Media Factory (the "Lego Brick" building at the
> Uni). They are nothing to do with me BTW, and I have never attended
> their meeting. I recently bumped into long standing PLUGster Mark
> Wallbank (who was having ciggy outside the Dog and Partridge). He
> informed me of this group.
>
> Whilst running a raspberry pi is a reasonable noble pursuit, we should
> not lose sight of the fact that these devices are classed as "fatally
> flawed" in the context of software freedom by the FSF, due to the
> proprietary binary blob one needs to even boot them up in the first
> place :-)
> https://www.fsf.org/resources/hw/single-board-computers
>
> Enough militant FSF ranting from me.
>
> Enjoy the Saturday meeting, and hopefully I'll catch up with the group
> at some future event.
>
> Guy
>
>
>
> Phil Robinson via Preston:
>> Ahhhh my eyes, my eyes! I've been under that rock for a long time now. Hope
>> you are well Guy and others.
>>
>> The domain was indeed as dormant as the group, consider it reactivated. We
>> did have a very good turn out in the glory days, the envy of many other
>> LUGs. Didn't we used to meet on Wednesdays though? I never could do
>> Tuesdays.
>>
>> Anyway, I'm glad to see some potential activity again and maybe a new lease
>> of life for PLUG.
>>
>> Phil Robinson.
>> On 13 Jul 2016 1:50 am, "Guy via Preston" <preston at mailman.lug.org.uk>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Mark (and others),
>>>
>>> https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TlsZq2qUQ8M/UKY8iLgsSmI/AAAAAAAAAxA/2CwSmy5HtHQ/s1600/plug.gif
>>> https://lug.org.uk/node/91
>>> https://prestonlinuxusergroup.blogspot.ch/
>>>
>>> PLUG was originally founded in 2001 by Phil Robinson. (He had the
>>> prestonlinux.com domain registered, but it seems to have lapsed now.)
>>>
>>> I used to organize the meetings in the mid noughties as I worked in IT
>>> at UCLan (and still do) and could get a room booked at Uni (and still
>>> could).
>>>
>>> I stopped organizing meetings in 2008 as my wife gave birth to twins and
>>> I didn't have the time. I seem to have a lot less free time nowadays
>>> than I used to.
>>>
>>> The group has been dormant since then, pretty much.
>>>
>>> I think to run a PLUG as anything other than a drinking society (not
>>> that there is anything wrong with that!) takes effort and organization.
>>>
>>> I was occasionally disheartened when someone had freely volunteered to
>>> present on a topic, donating their time and expertise, and the audience
>>> could be counted on one hand. The effort and organization requirements
>>> are the same if 5 people or 50 people show up.
>>>
>>> But ... as Richard Stallman says - he fights the fight expecting to
>>> lose, so any win is glorious. :-)
>>>
>>> We used to meet on the 1st Tuesday of the month, starting a 19:30 at the
>>> Uni, then at 21:00 go to the Greyfriar pub.
>>>
>>> I would be prepared to attend / contribute to meetings etc, if they were
>>> to occur, but I would say I have served my time as a primary PLUG
>>> organizer.
>>>
>>> I also know there are a few of the old guard still reading this list.
>>> Maybe some of them can be prised from under their rocks, blinking, into
>>> the light of day.
>>> :-)
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>>
>>> Guy Heatley
>>>
>>> Ken Walker via Preston:
>>>> Sorry mate Saturdays not good for me as I'll be at grasshoppers at the
>>> beer
>>>> festival followed by my mates wedding.
>>>> On 12 Jul 2016 20:46, "Daryl Knight via Preston" <
>>> preston at mailman.lug.org.uk>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi Ken,
>>>>>
>>>>> The date and venue are fine for me... but a 3 hour window is a bit vague
>>>>> (guess I like precision a tad too much).
>>>>> If someone could let me know what time they'd be arriving then I'll pop
>>>>> along at the same time, to avoid sitting for up to 2-3 hours waiting for
>>>>> people.
>>>>>
>>>>> - Daryl
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>> Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2016 19:19:15 +0100
>>>>> To: bob.mclellan at gmail.com; preston at mailman.lug.org.uk;
>>>>> keneawalker at gmail.com
>>>>> Subject: Re: [Preston] A LUG needs a purpose
>>>>> From: preston at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>>>>
>>>>> Bob, Ken, Daryl, Nick and Olly,
>>>>> Thanks for the responses, its good to see that there is life out there
>>> on
>>>>> the old mailing list.
>>>>> All your points are valid and very topical. Im especially interested in
>>>>> Nicks views from inside the edtech sector and the opportunity this
>>>>> presents. There could be a very beneficial relationship to be forged by
>>> the
>>>>> LUGs with the schools now having more direct control over their IT, but
>>>>> having limited insight into alternatives beyond MS, Apple and Google; or
>>>>> the downsides to these options that the marketing materials tactfully
>>> avoid.
>>>>> I also had a thought about coding, but using Sonic-pi, Scratch and
>>>>> possibly Squeek or Turtle.
>>>>>
>>>>> It feels like there may be some interest in a meet up.
>>>>>
>>>>> If I suggested somewhere like Cafe Nero opposite the train station in
>>>>> Preston on Saturday afternoon, dropping in/out say 2pm to 5pm would
>>> that be
>>>>> possible for anyone, or would an alternate date/venue be easier for the
>>>>> majority?
>>>>>
>>>>> Mark
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my ASUS
>>>>> _______________________________________________ Preston mailing list
>>>>> Preston at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>>>> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/preston
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Preston mailing list
>>>>> Preston at mailman.lug.org.uk
>>>>> https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/preston
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
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