[SWLUG] Re Quietist Meeting Ever

[Julian Hall]

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Glasiad wrote:

> Hi folks,
>
> Although previously intending to, I didn't go to the Swansea
> meeting last night partly because I had gone to a meeting in
> Cardiff the other day and taking a 4 hours out to drive 50 odd
> miles (both ways) and drink beer in a smokey pub once a week is
> enough for me. I rarely drink alcohol anyway and quit smoking years
> ago.

Hi All,

I've never actually attended a meeting (I live in Barry so Cardiff
would be my obvious choice anyway).  My reasons thus far have been
partially as Glasiad said the lack of attraction (to me) of a smoky pub.

Also I am disabled, in a wheelchair.  This presents a couple of issues;

1.  I'm always driving so zero alcohol consumption makes the pub a bit
of a waste of time.
2.  Over the last couple of years finding a (legal) parking space in
Cardiff has become nigh on impossible - I recently drove in with a
friend, took 20 minutes to get there, 25 to find *no parking space* so
drove home having wasted over an hour and a half.
3.  Access.  I'm not familiar with the venue, perhaps someone could
advise me what wheelchair access is like?  Is access to the pub flat,
and is it flat *inside* also?

> When I questioned meeting places the other day one respondant
> claimed he/she 'saved' £20 by drinking/eating at Wetherspoons
> rather than a locally owned pub. That's probably an exaggeration
> but does testify to the fact that SWLUG meetings must be expensive
> affairs if you are to keep face and consume at a level comparable
> with fellow attendees.

I'm not concerned with face-saving because as I said above I would be
driving anyway, therefore no alcohol.  However I like my lungs and I'm
not keen on smoky atmospheres.

> Another reason I was reluctant to go (apart from distance, expense,
> and pressure to over-consume) is my concern that it may largely
> consist of a spell of subtle oneupmanship

This doesn't worry me too much, being a *relative* newcomer to Linux.
However I would expect those using (or overusing) acronyms to explain
what they mean in plain English.  RTFM is all very well in an email,
but face to face is out of order, IMHO.  I'm in UWIC at the moment
doing a Computer Studies course, and I'm there to *learn*, so it
wouldn't help me much if the lecturer started at the advanced level
that I couldn't understand.  The same is true of LUG meetings.
Granted there will always be *something* I (or other newbies) don't
understand, but it would be helpful to know that those who attend are
willing to explain what they mean, and not succumb to the alpha geek
mentality Glasiad referred to.

It's rather like speaking Welsh in a large group of English speakers.
It's rude IMHO to deliberately talk in terms that you know other
members of the group don't understand.

> I suppose I'd be much more inclined and motivated to attend if it
> didn't revolve around eating, drinking and 2nd hand smoking. A
> meeting in a computer lab where we can all demonstrate and learn
> new things about various Linux distros would be ace. Then those who
> want to eat and drink could make their way to the pub after.

Agreed.  *thinks*  I wonder if they'd let us use any of the "open
access" rooms in Colchester Avenue?  Mind you all those are Windows XP
machines and locked down by the Administrator.  There *is* an ancient
lab downstairs not connected to the main network at all though.  In
essence all we would really need is a room with enough power points
for any laptops people wanted to bring along.

I'm the kind of person who will listen and understand an explanation.
However when I go away to put it into practise I usually find I have
questions that are unanswered.  Personally I find it much better to be
in an environment where I am *shown* how to do *whatever*, and in that
light the room with computers as opposed to the pub is far preferable.

Kind regards,

Julian
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