[Scottish] The Future of the LUG (was: Re: Next Meeting)

[William Anderson]

Willie wrote:
> [snip]
> OK not everyone is near Glasgow and like it or not, whether we call ourselves 
> the Scottish LUG we are effectively the Glasgow LUG. Although by all accounts 
> a successful LAN party was held through in the mysterious east at the 
> weekend.

Is it time perhaps to rename ourselves the Glasgow LUG?  Also, the Scottish 
LUG could be reused as an umbrella organisation, perhaps uniting the other 
LUGs in Scotland to form a larger community ... This could be an excellent 
way of getting LUGs to work together in a variety of ways, maybe 
encouraging other LUGs to be formed to cater for local communities where 
there is no LUG (Inverness? Oban? Ayr? Orkneys?) and would allow ourselves 
to refocus on the task of being a user group for Glasgow, and not the whole 
of Scotland.

I personally have been humbled and astounded by the membership of our LUG, 
both by the amount of knowledge we all have as a whole, and in the friendly 
manner in which we (normally!) conduct ourselves.  But as a community, I 
think it's fair to say we're not performing under the remit of embracing 
Linux (and other Open Source / Free Software) communities in and around 
Glasgow, and helping those who haven't the time or experience to get fully 
into Linux.

To my knowledge, it's quite some time since an Install Day took place, and 
as Willie says, all we're really doing these days is meeting at the 
Counting House and drinking (not that that's a bad thing in and of 
itself!), so I think we should all take the time to have a think about the 
LUG, what each of us can contribute, and delurking if possible to have your 
say, and have your contribution made.

Let's muck in! :)

> OK two suggestions -- non IRC folk, please consider joining in if at all 
> possible. 
> I suppose a mini HOWTO is called for here but for now....

excellent :)

> 1) get a client - mIRC is good for starters if you are just beginning cos it 
> is a Win prog and effectively free for 30 days - I won't presume to suggest a 
> Linux client but I'd be surprised if there isnt one installed by default with 
> your distro.

if not ...

      apt-get install xchat
(or) apt-get install bitchx
(or) apt-get install irssi

      http://rpmfind.net/linux/rpm2html/search.php?query=xchat
(or) http://rpmfind.net/linux/rpm2html/search.php?query=bitchx
(or) http://rpmfind.net/linux/rpm2html/search.php?query=irssi

      http://www.xchat.org/
(or) http://www.bitchx.com/
(or) http://irssi.org/

> 2) point it at eu.freenode.net  -- yes there  _are_  alternatives, this will 
> get you started.

connecting to irc.scotlug.org.uk would be a better bet, imo, as a) it 
already points to freenode, and b) if we ever decide to move irc networks 
(to escape the curse of the rehub-mad lilo), it's a clean move to make.

> 3) join #scotlug

/join #scotlug

:)

> 4) Have a lot of fun -- and dont be scared to jump in with the boots on and 
> ask for help, advice whatever.

Absolutely :)

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