NFLUG MISSION STATEMENT

[Dennis J. Eberl]

Hi James,

This is getting a bit long, but see below.

jsimmons at acsu.buffalo.edu wrote:

> > > In the past it was the group that decided what was presented. This is a
> > > good way to handle things.
> >
> > I partially agree. A lot of newbies will just go along with anything. And
> > often people come up with half baked ideas (or no ideas).
> > I would say the membership ALWAYS has the final say on what will be
> > presented, but it is naive to expect anything to GET DONE.
>
> The biggest fires come from the smallest sparks :) A few people come up
> with ideas and we add some kerosene.

I am totally lost. What do you mean.

> Well the people working on the
> project better get things done. They have to present it.

That is true and you guys delivered. I must be missing something.

> > I think it left a lot of folks in the dust.
>
> If this is true I hope the crowd speaks up and ask questions. 99% precent
> of the time the guy next to you have the same question. In fact if no one
> ask question I think I'm going to ask someone in the crowd a question :->
> He he evil.

Ok, pick me. I'll make up an answer : >

Seriously, my greatest frustration is getting people to speak up, join in, but
it is obviously happening: meeting to meeting I can see an incremental
change.

The way I see it is the problem isn't getting people to speak up or come up
with ideas, it's organizing, planning, and follow through. If you guys
hadn't picked up the ball and run with it, all we would've had was me
doing a lousy job plink-planking on a keyboard, talking about newbie
level command line stuff. John Neff is infinitely better at that than I, but
you are right that it would bore the heck out of more advanced users.
If we don't have that leading edge thrust, fire eating energy our LUG
will sink with a glug.

I like the idea of an entirely separate meeting dedicated exclusively to
the beginning user with the best planning and execution we can
muster. I think those of us who are interested in doing something
along these line should just get together and talk about it

(By the way, I just remembered your "Yuk!!!" comment and it finally
sunk in. No, we don't need anything formal just a few people to meet
over beer/pop + pizza or whatever.)

Anyone interested, please speak up. Neff, you don't have to speak up,
because we will send a limo. John could give a short presentation if he
wanted to (I'd be happy to put stuff on paper for distribution) and then
we could fall out and do one-on-one sessions with anyone would like
it. One thing. It is essential that the newbie do the typing, etc. Kinesthetic
memory.

> > I liked your suggestion about an entirely separate meeting focusing on
> > the needs of newbies (the "install fest") on an entirely separate day.
> > It should not be a substitute for a regular meeting.
>
> It just makes sense. This way the crowd is totally focused on the
> presentation. On install fest we can the one on one situation people
> want. In fact I can tell you from expereince that still in a classroom
> have a teacher blab doesn't really do much for me. Its when I take on the
> problems myself that I truly learn.

Me too.

> Confusious // spelled wrong :(

Who cares. He's dead. In fact, he's more than dead: having attained
enlightenment he's really goooooooooooooone.

>
>
>   I hear I forget, I see I remember, I do I undertand.

Well, I hear no evil, I see no evil, I . . . ooops!

> > Also, I think
> > Bob suggested we have more "unstructured" time at the regularly
> > scheduled meeting for one-on-one assistance, installs, basic
> > instruction, X Windows gotchas, etc.
>
> No installs but answering the basic questions.
>
> > But if you need some handouts, you know where to come. Seriously. A picture
> > helps.
>
> Yes this would be great. Also can get a hold of a transperancy machine?
> That would be cool.

That's no problem. I have a color DeskWriter and a box of transparency
material. I probably even have some cardboard frames left. You're talking
to a guy who used to have a stat camera in his bathroom.

> > > Yes we only have a few memebers who are gurus
> >
> > Are those the guys in the turbans?
>
> We are kernel gods. We find you not worthy to worship us.

Blinky made me say it. Blame him . . .

> > I suggested this at some point on the list but got no response. At least, I
> > think I posted something about it to the list.
>
> Not that I recall. Still its a good idea that we get a idea of what people
> know. The reality to is even for the gurus they don't know every aspect of
> linux. Its a vast OS. I pretty much twiddled my thumbs for awhile when I
> firsted played with the LPR machine.

Sure. And then there's Linus Torvalds, who commenting on the multilingual
capabilities of the Transmeta chips said the chip could run any operating
system, but added it runs Linux just a little better. (My paraphrase, Oh
Gurued Ones.)

> > I would love to do a form with check boxes and radio
> > buttons that members could just click. I think we'd get a lot more
> > useful information that way with the result that members would
> > be better served.
>
> I like that idea as well.
>
> > But remember one thing. We don't have a complete list. In addition to the
> > eleven names (and that was after culling) that aren't on Darin's list,
> > I just found four more that I just put on my list, but aren't on Darin's.
> > Let me be clear about this. Darin is right about insisting that people
> > ask to be put on the list by putting
> >
> > subscribe nflug
> >
> > in the body of an e-mail with the "Subject:" left blank and the address
> > majordomo at nflug.org. But I found the instructions for subscribing
> > poorly worded and therefore confusing when I tried to sign up and I
> > have been doing stuff like this since I was twelve. It took me a while
> > to discover that I had to post to nflug at nflug.org to post to the list.
>
> We really need a web interface for the majordomo list. BTW I noticed you
> send the data for the join section to yourself instead of majordomo.

That's a kludge Darin and I worked out just to make the form work at
their site. It isn't permanent. In fact Darin and I plan to revamp the
whole process, filing the form automatically, and generating a "Wel-
come Aboard" message to the applicant to make sure no one is spoofing
them and to give them instructions on how to subscribe to the list.
The pending application would sit in a queue until we got a subscribe
request at which time all member information would be put in our
database or until a time-out period is reached, generating a rejection
notice mailed to the member's purported e-mail address and flushing
the form contents into the bit bucket next to the water cooler.

Darin and I are working our ASCIIs off on this and will have it
ready "real soon now."

> On
> the web site we should post where you can send email to the group.

No we shouldn't. The have to fill out the form first and actually
subscribe to the list. What are you thinking? We could have a guest
book.

> Also I
> noticed for several site on the internet our LUG has as the contact your
> email address.

Yes, I haven't wanted to appoint myself webmaster (not my place) and
I don't feel we can impose that duty on Darin so the issue is in mind but
unresolved.

> What happens if you get hit by a bus?

You will all miss me.

> I really think
> nflug at nflug.org should be the contact address.

Probably Ok with Bob Colby and Darin, but see above. If Darin doesn't
have time to answer the mail it needs to get forwarded. I would be happy
to receive it (at least for another month or two) but it is not my place to
appoint myself to that position nor to presume to speak for the group.
I am trying to keep things going as best I can without falling into the
trap of feeling "ownership" of the group, something I am not always
successful at doing. But, what the hell, you all know me by now. I am
no violent threat to life or limb; just a big mouth when my buttons get
pressed. I try.

> The next point is we should
> also have a web interface for removal from the list. I can speak from
> personal experience of users being mad because they coudln't remove
> themsleves from a list.

I hadn't thought of that but you are absolutely right. There must be
such a facility already present in majordomo, no? You seem to know
a lot about it. Can you get with Darin and work some of this stuff
out? I don't know beans about majordomo.

Dennis