[clug] [Wanted] Someone to manage CLUG meetings
Michael Still
mikal at stillhq.com
Mon Sep 6 11:58:09 GMT 2004
Telek, John wrote:
> You can't just waltz in there. You have to have a security card. Don't
> worry, I like other visitors
> Have spent a half hour or so freezing our asses off because we couldn't
> get in.
Thinking about this whilst watching my Linux based PVR this evening, it
occurred to me to compare and contrast CLUG with some of the Microsoft
users groups I have attended [1]. The differences?
- You have to find the Microsoft building in Canberra. They're
unmarked, and Microsoft doesn't seem to like have ground floors (first
in the city, and now in Barton). The buildings are secured, and you need
to be swiped in. There's probably obvious security concerns that cause this.
- You need to RSVP. Your name is marked off at the door. There are
RFID tagged membership cards you are encouraged to carry at all times
[4]. They make no secret of the fact that there are RFID readers in the
room.
- Microsoft pays for the pizza. People eat just as much as they do at
CLUG, and the ratio of pizzas to people is about the same (is there a
metric geek measure here?)
- The talks aren't as good (or a least the few I have gone to).
- They hand out vendor crap [2].
- It's all about the "business benefits that can be derived from rapid
development of WinForms applications talking to SQL Server".
- They go for a couple of hours.
That's actually a pretty close comparison to CLUG, except our building
is marked, the room is on the ground floor, and there are two maps on
the web site. A detailed description is given in the reminder email.
We don't ask people to RSVP, and certainly don't mark you off at the
door. I don't know anyone at CLUG except me who would willingly carry a
RFID tag around [3].
You have to pay for your own pizza. Get over it.
We have remarkably well prepared talks compared with the amount we pay
the speakers.
No vendor crap. I don't even know how you would say [For Sale] aloud.
I'm not sure most of the people in a CLUG meeting know what a WinForm
is, let alone care. Better yet, I suspect most of them don't know a SQL
Server when it just out at them.
They're about the same length.
Therefore, based on industry standards, CLUG is quite good. It's also
the right price, and run entirely by volunteers. In the past I've been
told off for suggesting that we should thank the people who hang around
until midnight (ish) to lock up after us, and have for years. They don't
like having attention drawn to them, but we all know who they are. We
certainly don't get paid in loyalty points which lead to discounts at
Harris Technology [4].
[5]
Love,
Mikal
1: I'm bored with hating Microsoft. It's just one of those things you
have to live with. Also, dotNet is actually kinda nice. It's better than
Java [5], more open than Java was at this stage in it's life, and
facilitates the graceful porting of commercial applications to Open
Source platforms. Even if _you_ want to hate Microsoft, it pays to know
your enemy.
2: I like vendor crap. It keeps me from being naked. It does feel like a
bribe for attending though, much like the Harris Tech thing.
3: Mine lives on my desk at home most of the time.
4: http://www.microsoft.com/australia/msdn/connection/
5: I feel no urge to establish my geek credientials here, there is no
employment goal to my involvement with CLUG.
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