On Mon, Mar 24, 2003 at 07:23:41PM +0000, Syd Hancock wrote:
On Sunday 23 Mar 2003 11:31 am, Adam Bower wrote:
They have? I didn't even know there was a Norwich PC user group
Well, I did post to the list about the first one! Not much response though. Perhaps you didn't read the post?
Possibly not, I have moved house or changed job about 7 times in the past 18 months, most of that time although still trying to be a regular alug contributer it has been hard (sometimes involving an 1 hour journey to a cybercafe to turn up for IRC meetings and then an hour home again)
They do have a website and regular meetings. And a formal membership struture complete with annual subscriptions etc but non-members can attend one meeting free of charge. When I have some free time I plan to see what they're like.
This is one reason I would not be interested, a formal membership structure doesnt' really suit things like a group of like minded hackers wanting to meet up for a discussion and a few beers. Will they sue me if I started another local group?
Actually I don't live anywhere near Martelsham, I mentioned it only because someone else from Martelsham was talking on the list about having local meetings so it seemed a suitable place to choose as an example. I sort of assumed people were keeping up with the discussion!
(Oops - sarcasm - lowest form of wit etc - can't resist it sometimes though, heh).
I don't know where you live, should I?
Maybe I am just a bit sullied at the thought of people nearly (but not quite) getting around to the old suggestion that nothing happens with Alug so they want to setup their own groups but these people never seem to want to get involved with Alug in the first place.
I assume this is ageneral comment on the thread so far.
Of course it was, this is why i said "old suggestion" and you can see what I mean in MJRs reply.
But, in my defense, I have posted to the list about events such as the NPCUG meeting about linux - with minimal response (MJR only).
You don't need a defense, just I am trying to get people to do more any contribution is better than none.
Not only that but I posted suggestions for a couple of possible venues for the meetings planned for Norwich area when UEA facilities are not available in the summer - again, there was almost no response at all (once again, only MJR) which, as I also posted to the list soon after, rather speaks for itself, doesn't it? Feedback saying they were not suitable venues would be preferable to seeing the ideas vanish into a black hole.
Well seeing as I wasn't living in or around EA at the time I didn't reply to the mail as I knew I would not be attending or likely to be attending so adding my contribution to a discussion for a preffered venue was not really going to help anybody very much.
See previous paragraph re both these points - what if anything happens if anyone does post things to the list? Does anyone take a blind bit of notice? My experience is that it is hardly worth taking the trouble, to be honest, if no-one shows any interest. So I read messages about the need for venues etc with rather a wry smile.
Well you need to get some momentum, if you take the attitude that you have a run of bad meetings so things won't get better then giving up isn't much good to anyone. If you think that we no longer need venues as there is no Alug you are very very wrong. The last meeting I attented in Suffolk was very interesting and we managed to get another person using GNU/Linux. Basically if everyone takes the attitude that its not worth it and nothings happening then it can only help to propogate those feelings. If you really feel it is not worth taking the trouble then why mail the list and say so?
If so then perhaps in a few months' time, when (fingers crossed) life becomes less pressured for me, then I might well be interested in setting up something (small, informal and low-key). I may not know much about linux but I do have some experience of organising stuff.
So, is anyone interested?
Of course, start something and make it happen. I would be very interested.
Adam