Re: anyone insterested in social events
Kathinka <[email protected]> Fri, 15 Mar 2019 14:17:03 +1300
| Newsgroups | gmane.org.user-groups.linux.dunedin.general |
|---|---|
| Message-ID | <CAMWvXDZ=aBrt0upfGQhcoXJvb8LXMAxw-+LiTQcGhSJO13qGew@mail.gmail.com> |
--===============0932619594017087022== Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="00000000000017e360058417ce35" --00000000000017e360058417ce35 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Belfast LUG sounds like helluva fun! Most of what we did back in the Arc Cafe days wouldn't happen now because Linux is so much easier, so many off the shelf programs, so few people using anything except Ubuntu apart from the people who really like under the bonnet & command line. I remember the most amazing of the talks, largely because I could understand what it was about though how to do it myself was pie in the sky dream. Drew Whittle talked about recording TV programs, could even turn the recorder on remotely!!! Absolutely amazing expert stuff, way beyond common folks. Other talks were long, with command-line projected on a screen, mostly of interest to people who wanted to do that thing with the computers. I always hoped the LUG would do more to help beginners, like the installfest where people brought along their Windows and left with Mandrake, or ____ or ____ and were set up for years of distro wars. People who can and do already use Linux, our main need is getting to know peers and people who know more, we ask for specific advice, exchange experiences of what we've tried and discarded or currently use. Being genetically political, I like the idea of LUGS freeing more people from exploitation, spreading Linux to the people who don't have the skills, money or confidence to alter the device they bought at Warehouse Stationery and really only want to do what used to be pen-and-paper keeping in touch, listening to records, and watching the sole TV in the livingroom. Kathinka. On Fri, 15 Mar 2019 at 05:36, Phil Weir <[email protected]> wrote: > Hullo all, > > Long time, no post, but I'm still alive in UTC+0 :) > > On Mon, Mar 11, 2019 at 3:00 AM Kathinka <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> IMO the most valuable thing about meetings is meeting people. That's how >> to find out who knows the solution to one's problem, is using a program >> that's much better than the one you're finding slow & clunky and has >> discovered all the tweaks that make it perfect for purpose. >> A *short* talk or demonstration is fine, with the reservation that we do >> such varied things with our Dr Who screwdrivers that what's fascinating to >> 2 people is irrelevant to 20 others. Meetings advertised as "talk by X on >> YZ" is likely to make some busy people decide, "No, that's not for me." >> >> Just as a thought, partially to feed back our Belfast LUG [1] system > originated in DunLUG... > > I'm not too sure if this has remained the case anyway, but one takeaway > from DunLUG that we've brought over and used in Belfast for 4 years now is > (roughly) rotating through types of meetup. I think when I was still in > Dunedin, there was a period of 1 talk / 1 social in rotation - it seemed to > mean the regulars kept being regular, as it didn't lose the regular > socials, but there was something for folks who would only give up their > evenings for a more structured event, and it was fairly predictable so > people could plan around it. > > Here, we tweaked it a bit to 1 technical, 1 social, 1 general interest - > maybe a few more socials when I'm too busy :D The general interest are > things that don't require any technical knowledge to get the most out of it > - for instance, we did a mascot-hunt trip to the zoo (with kids' > workbooks), install-fest, FLOSS community-coordination roundtable, "our > favourite desktop progs" show and tell. Even the technical ones aren't talk > nights too frequently - under that heading, we have done "Language" and > "Should be in the CS syllabus" balloon debates, an ancient hardware night, > a competitive bug splat - in so doing, we've probably kept a broader range > of attendees than any one class of event would on its own. Our next one is > due to be (when I extract the digit), lightning talks themed on FOSDEM > talks from Brussels. > > In short (as someone not affected, I acknowledge!), I'd agree with > Kathinka that it'd be easy to lose people with too much technical focus, > but there was a time when DunLUG would throw in the odd technical session > (not _completely_ abstruse to general users), without losing its casual > focus. > > Regards to all! > PTW > > 1 - http://meetup.com/belfast-lug/ > 2 - https://www.meetup.com/belfast-lug/events/past/ > -- If you forward this e-mail please delete the forwarding history which includes my e-mail address. It's a courtesy to all of us who may not wish to have our e-mail addresses sent all over the world. Thank you. . --00000000000017e360058417ce35 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,= serif">Belfast LUG sounds like helluva fun!</div><div class=3D"gmail_defaul= t" style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_defaul= t" style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif">Most of what we did back in the Arc = Cafe days wouldn't happen now because Linux is so much easier, so many = off the shelf programs, so few people using anything except Ubuntu apart fr= om the people who really like under the bonnet & command line.</div><di= v class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><di= v class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif">I remember th= e most amazing of the talks, largely because I could understand what it was= about though how to do it myself was pie in the sky dream. Drew Whittle ta= lked about recording TV programs, could even turn the recorder on remotely!= !!=C2=A0 Absolutely amazing expert stuff, way beyond common folks.</div><di= v class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><di= v class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif">Other talks w= ere long, with command-line projected on a screen, mostly of interest to pe= ople who wanted to do that thing with the computers.</div><div class=3D"gma= il_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class=3D"gma= il_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif">I always hoped the LUG woul= d do more to help beginners, like the installfest where people brought alon= g their Windows and left with Mandrake, or ____ or ____ and were set up for= years of distro wars.=C2=A0</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"fon= t-family:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"fon= t-family:georgia,serif">People who can and do already use Linux, our main n= eed is getting to know peers and people who know more, we ask for specific = advice, exchange experiences of what we've tried and discarded or curre= ntly use.=C2=A0=C2=A0</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-famil= y:georgia,serif"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-famil= y:georgia,serif">Being genetically political, I like the idea of LUGS freei= ng more people from exploitation, spreading Linux to the people who don'= ;t have the skills, money or confidence to alter the device they bought at = Warehouse Stationery and really only want to do what used to be pen-and-pap= er keeping in touch, listening to records, and watching the sole TV in the = livingroom.</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,= serif"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-family:georgia,= serif">Kathinka.=C2=A0</div><div class=3D"gmail_default" style=3D"font-fami= ly:georgia,serif"><br></div></div><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir= =3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On Fri, 15 Mar 2019 at 05:36, Phil Weir <<= a href=3D"mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>= > wrote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px = 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div= dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div>Hullo all,</div><div><b= r></div><div>Long time, no post, but I'm still alive in UTC+0 :)<br></d= iv><br><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><div dir=3D"ltr" class=3D"gmail_attr">On = Mon, Mar 11, 2019 at 3:00 AM Kathinka <<a href=3D"mailto:kathinka.dunedi= [email protected]" target=3D"_blank">[email protected]</a>> w= rote:<br></div><blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0p= x 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir= =3D"ltr"><div style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif"><font style=3D"vertical-a= lign:inherit"><font style=3D"vertical-align:inherit">IMO the most valuable = thing about meetings is meeting people. That's how to find out who know= s the solution to one's problem, is using a program that's much bet= ter than the one you're finding slow & clunky and has discovered al= l the tweaks that make it perfect for purpose.=C2=A0</font></font></div><di= v style=3D"font-family:georgia,serif"><font style=3D"vertical-align:inherit= "><font style=3D"vertical-align:inherit">A </font></font><i><font style=3D"= vertical-align:inherit"><font style=3D"vertical-align:inherit">short</font>= </font></i><font style=3D"vertical-align:inherit"><font style=3D"vertical-a= lign:inherit"> talk or demonstration is fine, with the reservation that we = do such varied things with our Dr Who screwdrivers that what's fascinat= ing to 2 people is irrelevant to 20 others.=C2=A0 Meetings advertised as &q= uot;talk by X on YZ" is likely to make some busy people decide, "= No, that's not for me."</font></font></div><div style=3D"font-fami= ly:georgia,serif"><font style=3D"vertical-align:inherit"><font style=3D"ver= tical-align:inherit"><br></font></font></div></div></blockquote>Just as a t= hought, partially to feed back our Belfast LUG [1] system originated in Dun= LUG...</div><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_quote"= >I'm not too sure if this has remained the case anyway, but one takeawa= y from DunLUG that we've brought over and used in Belfast for 4 years n= ow is (roughly) rotating through types of meetup. I think when I was still = in Dunedin, there was a period of 1 talk / 1 social in rotation - it seemed= to mean the regulars kept being regular, as it didn't lose the regular= socials, but there was something for folks who would only give up their ev= enings for a more structured event, and it was fairly predictable so people= could plan around it.</div><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><br></div><div class= =3D"gmail_quote">Here, we tweaked it a bit to 1 technical, 1 social, 1 gene= ral interest - maybe a few more socials when I'm too busy :D The genera= l interest are things that don't require any technical knowledge to get= the most out of it - for instance, we did a mascot-hunt trip to the zoo (w= ith kids' workbooks), install-fest, FLOSS community-coordination roundt= able, "our favourite desktop progs" show and tell. Even the techn= ical ones aren't talk nights too frequently - under that heading, we ha= ve done "Language" and "Should be in the CS syllabus" b= alloon debates, an ancient hardware night, a competitive bug splat - in so = doing, we've probably kept a broader range of attendees than any one cl= ass of event would on its own. Our next one is due to be (when I extract th= e digit), lightning talks themed on FOSDEM talks from Brussels.</div><div c= lass=3D"gmail_quote"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_quote">In short (as some= one not affected, I acknowledge!), I'd agree with Kathinka that it'= d be easy to lose people with too much technical focus, but there was a tim= e when DunLUG would throw in the odd technical session (not _completely_ ab= struse to general users), without losing its casual focus.</div><div class= =3D"gmail_quote"><br></div><div class=3D"gmail_quote">Regards to all!</div>= <div class=3D"gmail_quote">PTW<br></div><div class=3D"gmail_quote"><br></di= v><div class=3D"gmail_quote">1 - <a href=3D"http://meetup.com/belfast-lug/"= target=3D"_blank">http://meetup.com/belfast-lug/</a></div><div class=3D"gm= ail_quote">2 - <a href=3D"https://www.meetup.com/belfast-lug/events/past/" = target=3D"_blank">https://www.meetup.com/belfast-lug/events/past/</a><br></= div></div></div></div> </blockquote></div><br clear=3D"all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir=3D"ltr"= class=3D"gmail_signature"><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><div><div= dir=3D"ltr"><div><div dir=3D"ltr"><br><br><font face=3D"garamond, serif">I= f you forward this e-mail please delete the forwarding history which includ= es my e-mail address.<br>It's a courtesy to all of us who may not wish = to have our e-mail addresses sent all over the world.=C2=A0 Thank you.<br><= br>.<br></font><div><font face=3D"garamond, serif"><br></font></div><div><b= r><br><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div> --00000000000017e360058417ce35-- --===============0932619594017087022== Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Disposition: inline X19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX19fX18KRHVuTFVHIG1h aWxpbmcgbGlzdApEdW5MVUdAbGlzdHMuZXRoZXJuYWwub3JnCmh0dHA6Ly9saXN0cy5ldGhlcm5h bC5vcmcvbGlzdGluZm8vZHVubHVnCkR1bkxVRyBXaWtpIC0gaHR0cDovL2R1bmx1Zy5rYWxsaXN0 aS5uZXQubnov --===============0932619594017087022==--