[Wolves] New website discussion

[Steve Parkes]

On Thu, 2005-08-18 at 11:51 +0100, Peter Cannon wrote:

> 
> You're making the classic mistake all techie/in the know people make, when you 
> know something its difficult to see things from a don't know, don't 
> understand perspective.

I think the point Aq is making is that it's going to be pretty much
impossible to discover Wolverhampton Linux User Group without already
knowing the terms 'Linux User Group' or 'LUG'

The problem we have is that we aren't a LUG, or a GNU User Group or even
a *nix group because the reach and knowledge of the members covers such
a wide range.  I doubt there will be a new term that covers what we do
and better than LUG so LUG it is.   One problem with the whole LUG thing
as always been that if you don't know about LUGs they are almost
invisible.

Again the wiki is the place for noodling on terms like LUG, it's no
problem to link the phrase on the main site to a defined definition and
lists of international LUG lists making full use of the both the
hypertext nature of the web and the interactivity of the wiki.


> 
> Yep it is, the way you have it set at the moment its too easy, most green 
> individuals are scared enough without automatic subscription to something 
> they know nothing about or how to use or what to expect. 

It's not a problem for jono to change the email you get after
subscribing to include links to what a mailing list is and netticate but
if the return reciept email from mailman contains too much infomation it
will get ignored.  Sign up to freecycle (bugger the rules about
promotion before acceptance, blah, blah blah) to see an example of how
not to do it ;-)  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wolves_freecycle/


> Huh? I thought the site was to promote Wolves-LUG? not promote fortnightly 
> meetings! they are just spin off benefits that only a lucky few are able to 
> attend which then makes the group very secular.

The meetings are an ever changing focus.  The mailing list details never
change.  The web needs to show that things happen in rl as well as
online so the meetings calendar needs prominance.  Although I understand
your concerns a date and meeting place that changes every 2 weeks won't
undervalue the rest of the lug communications.

> 
> True if Wolves-LUG starts having talks and demonstarions then the meetings 
> take on a more important role but I remember being at the standard when 
> another LUG was slagged off for doing whats being proposed now?

There's a difference between having extra content and focus and being
anal about it ;-)

> 
> I still think its a brilliant idea and what, 3 years ago, I thought a LUG was 
> all about, members passing on their skills and abilities free of charge 
> basking in the glory of open source providing tutorials and demonstrations.

the whole community is based on sharing and the kudos that comes your
way (both direct and indirect) as a result of being a part of the gift
culture.  These parts of the lug will always exist and due to the nature
of the way our society works they are interwoven into the social aspect.

Techical discussions swing into chat and chat comes full circle to the
technical.  Wolves lug provides and excellent medium for this
communication it doesn't matter what extra mediums we create and how
they are managed the open exchange of ideas and help feeds back into the
system at some point.

> 
> This seems a classic chicken and egg scenario, 

egg came first, the young is always the first of the new species.  You
have to create eggs to nurture new ideas.  Even if some of the eggs turn
bad or some of the young die on the journey you have to keep laying eggs
to get a benefit.  

The mailing list, website and meetings all perform valuable but
different functions for the community.  
> 
> I missunderstood Jono's remit I thought the idea was to in effect conduct some 
> marketing to encourage membership growth and world domination given my 
> marketing experience I'd have thought these valid suggestions.

shusssss!, don't tell anyone without the trouser leg rolled up about the
world domination plans ;-)

sparkes