[clug] What to say about CLUG

[Michael Carden]

On Sun, 4 Sep 2005 10:45 am, Andrew Pollock wrote:

> Does anyone have any thoughts on what we should say for ourselves?



Um... I think that there's a great deal to be said if anyone is willing to 
step up and say it.

<soapbox:view="one eyed">

For a start there's the CLUG ethos that you touched on in your original reply. 
Turn up to a meeting or join the mailing list and you're a CLUGGer. No fees. 
No formal structure. Sod-all bureaucracy. And yet...

CLUG members had an enormous amount to do with the running of LCA 2005, and 
not a little to do with other major conferences around Australia and around 
the world.

CLUG might boast (if it were so inclined) of a membership that includes some 
of the world's foremost contributors to Linux and free software. We have a 
very wide spectrum of people, ranging from the hacker elite to plain old 
hacks (my category) to enthusiastic newbies. Where else can you have the guy 
who created Samba quietly sit down with you and show you how to get your 
Debian box working? Where else can you have a high school student get up in 
front of a group and demonstrate his passion for Graphic Design with Linux 
and the GIMP?

CLUG is an online repository of almost boundless expertise (see the list 
archives) and a dynamic face to face forum for the sharing of ideas. I have 
never, ever, come away from a CLUG meeting without learning something new and 
valuable.

CLUG owes a great deal to Bob Edwards, Steve Hanley and the ANU for their 
continued indulgence. Their personal interest gives us a venue, usually a 
pizza getter and very often an interesting talk (apart from all the other 
interesting talks).

I can't recall a meeting where we all turned up and there was no one stepping 
up to present a talk (often a full-on seminar) on something interesting. At 
most meetings we're fortunate enough to get two or more presentations.

To me, CLUG embodies everything I love about Linux, computers and free 
software in general. Smart, interested people getting together to share ideas 
and information about really cool stuff. Stuff we love to play with, to learn 
about, to challenge and to do better.

Those are some of my thoughts. I expect others will have thoughts that echo or 
differ from mine. Bring them on I say.

</soapbox>

MC