[Scottish] The Future of the LUG

[Ian Ruffell]

Just a couple of follow-ups.

On the issue of PDAs, I believe MSPs get nice new shiny, officially-sanctioned 
Palms these days. 

Colin (Speirs) talked of the difficulties of short-term success. Sure - and 
that's true of so many places. BUT, frustrating as it is (and believe me I 
KNOW how frustrating it can be), whether its free software or anything else, 
we're here for the long-term (sustainability, call it what you will). 

On Saturday 13 December 2003 11:27 pm, ptb wrote:
> As an activity/interest group that can't even agree on having
> any need for a customarily-adequate para-bureaucratic committee
> component, 

Well, you can look at this in a couple of ways
- the management of many open-source projects would be regarded as 
not-customarily-adequate, no?
- it's a challenge, but non-hierarchical political activity is surely possible 
(I would say green parties in general are minimally-hierarchical in theory 
and tend to be non-hierarchical in practice)
- a committee is not a magical solution in itself: if the membership isn't 
prepared to get out and do stuff, you're still getting nowhere fast

> SLUG would maybe feel out of place dealing with
> politicians who actually want to govern and are willing to face
> up to trying to do it.  So maybe the ones who are happier with
> opposition jobs 

You can't tell me that John Swinney doesn't want to govern (if anything the 
SNP got criticized at the last election for being *too* managerialist); let 
alone Robin Harper or Tommy Sheridan.  And I seem to remember the Tories 
governing for a few years not so long ago.

>(aren't all three MSPs mentioned and likewise
> the SSP ones 'List' as well?) 

As Willie says, that's the system: so are several of the LibDems and some of 
the Labourites (though given their lock on West-Central Scotland via 
first-past-the-post, not any from round here).

It certainly *is* possible to get stuff done on a cross-party basis at 
Holyrood, and even the smaller parties had successes in the past parliament 
at a time when they were parties of one. 

> Don't get me wrong, SLUG has been fine in terms of individual
> members' achievements and help given but what has it done in
> say the last six months except survive?

Don't knock the personal contacts, help given and expertise shared. In my 
experience, good advice, in a supportive forum, does more - and gets passed 
on further - than you might think. Even advice to read TFM is helpful if it's 
phrased tactfully ;-)  

It's worth bearing in mind, too, that in general terms, the free/open source 
movement has made the kind of technical achievements, formed the wide 
networks and gained the kind of acceptance that radical parties (let alone 
more fringe groups) would give their back teeth for!  

Cheers,

Ian

-- 
Ian Ruffell
Tel.: 0781 3101934
Email: ian.ruffell at dsl.pipex.com