[clug] LLG idea - minutes

[Michael Carden]

On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 11:19 am, Neill Cox wrote:
> This all sounds really cool and I'd like to be involved, but I think I may
> be to much of a GNU fanatic :)

Well said Neill, but I think your philosophy is in the 'advanced' category in 
this discussion. As you admit, you have moved from being an 'Open Source' 
person to being a 'Free Software' person. I think we need to take steps one 
at a time and we should gradually introduce people to something other than 
what they're accustomed to before introducing concepts like liberty in 
software. Let's face it, the average computer user has no desire to hack on 
code, so why alienate someone by extolling the virtues of FOSS  (as we 
understand them) up front?

As an aside, I come at this from a position of advocating Open Standards and 
Open Source. While I admire the Stallman-esque position, I won't characterise 
20th century software companies as evil; just slow and greedy. Strange as it 
may seem, I believe that the world has room for companies like Microsoft. I 
just hope we can craft a world in which the playing field is fairer. Or 
saner.

Anyway, I wish I had been at the PSIG meeting. All of you have posted 
interesting and carefully considered initiatives. I agree that it's something 
we ought to do. By all means let's talk with the PCUG people, but I see no 
harm in doing stuff separate from or additional to their efforts.

In response to Paul's call to action, I hereby volunteer to perform 
unspecified duties at an unspecified place and time in support of this. Heck 
I even have some ideas about getting the message out and finding our 
audience.

In my few years with CLUG I have seen amazing things. LCA springs immediately 
to mind. So do the remarkable presentations at CLUG meetings by some well 
known luminaries of the FOSS world. I haven't seen much on the installfest 
front though, and I know that CLUG has a number of people who could turn an 
installfest into a religious experience for a newbie. And just quietly, I 
reckon that I'd learn a lot there too.

P.S. - Has someone ordered a metric buttload of Dapper CDs?

-- 
Cheers,
MC