NFLUG MISSION STATEMENT

[James Simmons]

> Thanks again. We need a Meeting Planning Committee of something
> to get our nflug list straightened out and coordinate our efforts on what
> is to presented, when, and by whom. 

In the past it was the group that decided what was presented. This is a
good way to handle things. Understand I had my reasons for pushing the
firewall presentation. Just like at edge I would get in trouble for this.
My boss would ask me why are doing that? I would say because I can then do
... and then from there do ... which means we can do ..... So I should
make my reasons clear to the group why. The reason was Alt Press needs a
firewall machine as do computer for kids. So I figured why not turn this
into a meeting. Yes it more advance but every now and then you have to
dazzle the crowd. I hoped people walked aways saying wow thats neat.
Someday I will be able to do that. As for some meetings what is talked
about will be based on the situation. Take this firewall as a example. If
someone from corel came down to talk to us then well we would do that for
the next meeting.

> I was frankly insulted by not being invited to the meeting you, James,
> and John had. 

Then speak up. You knew that we where going to do firewalls. Do you think
we be insane enough to do it on the fly of our pants? No way. You also
know that well will finish up firewalls this next meeting. So if you want
to work with us then say something. The same goes for anyone one else on
the list.  

> I had been posting regularly to the
> list about the need to walk newbies through command line stuff,
> which is something I had planned to do, but gave up on the minute
> I walked into the meeting. 

The reality is one not every memeber is a newbie. Yes we only have a few
memebers who are gurus but we have alot of memebers that have been using
linux for a year or 2. This means they understand the basics. Perhaps
another thing to place on the join.html page. Advance and average users
would get bored very quickly if it was all newbie meetings. After the
firewall I have no problem going back to something more basic. So we
needed to address everyone.  

> I loved the presentation, but I am sure
> it left most newbies up a creek as far as learning how to run Linux.
> To expect them to object and speak up is to expect the dead to walk.

Ah. Thats what the mailing list is for. I found most people are far braver
on a mailing list. Or even better yet how about a poll on the web pages so
people can anonymously tell us what they think about the meeting.