[SWLUG] Not-for-profit formalisation?

[Geraint Edwards]

Sam Radion <sam at samradion.co.uk> said
		(on Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 11:14:04PM +0000):
> I don't know about a geek's drinking club, but I view it as more a geek
> social meet.

Different strokes for different folks.

It seems to me that people are trying to get the cart to lead the horse -
suggesting solutions before identifying problems (proposing organisation
without saying what needs organising!).  I suggest, instead, that we throw
around some ideas of what we would like to (see) organise(d) and get a feel
for who supports what - then (and only then) can we explore what organisation
may be needed.

My expectations/hopes from a local FLOSS organisation[1] are manifold:-

- social meets (all work and no play makes for a dull community);
- lightning talks (share knowledge/experience);
- installathons/fixathons (get practical on your OSS);
- advocacy (have a spokesperson for those seeking soundbites);
- translations/i18n (we are Welsh, we could translate things);
- development (does Wales need a local app/service that FLOSS can provide?)
- volunteering (we can aim any of the above at helping charities and non-profits);

I'm happy to help organise these, where others show interest.

So, to quote from 20-year-old brain cells, let's do requirements analysis
before jumping into designing a solution.  :-)



Footnotes:


[1] But I also have reservations about focusing my energies (provding the
above) via a LUG, since I'd prefer this to be done under a FLOSS banner
rather than a Linux one (my main desktop is FreeBSD).

My confession is that, many years ago, I tried getting five friends/colleagues -
local *BSD-using people - together in a local BUG (BSD user group), and failed.
Miserably.  So, here I am!  Their loss became yours.  :)


[2] Sadly, many of us may find we have more time on our hands over the coming
months (if unemployment projections are to be believed), so FLOSS would be a
good way to pay back (forward?) all the benefits we get from others' toil,
and may also help the local economy!

-- 
Geraint A. Edwards (aka "Gedge")