[activities] Nomination: James Polley for President

SLUG just doesn't make sense any more. We don't gather because we're Linux
users any more; Linux has been wildly successful and using it is no longer
remarkable. We gather instead for a variety of other reasons. We have people
who aren't hugely interested in the philosophy behind Open Source, but want
to know is how to make videos of their children using tools they can afford.
We have people who don't care about the fiscal cost, but who feel that the
cost to society if we lose sight of the ideals behind the Open Source
movement would be too great. We have people who understand what Open Source
and Open Standards are and why they matter, and who can make informed
choices about what they lose (and what they gain) by using systems that
aren't open, while most of the world doesn't have a clear understanding. We
even have people whose main focus is Open Government - perhaps not directly
related, but sharing many of the same goals and ideals.

I do believe there's a place for an organisation very much like SLUG, I just
don't think it makes any sense for that organisation to be called the Sydney
Linux Users Group; nor do I feel that SLUG, as it currently exists,
adequately serves the needs of the people I've just talked about. SLUG is
slowly dying a natural death; I want to be President so I can help ease the
suffering and pain and ensure that its death is swift, painless, and serves
a purpose.

Obviously I'm not just going to disband SLUG after the election - even if I
wanted to, making such a change would require a majority vote at a General
Meeting, and those require weeks of notice before they can be called.

What I propose is that the newly elected committee should immediately start
investigating options for reinventing - everything from adopting a new
trading name to better reflect the goals of the current membership, to
completely winding up the organisation and handing all assets to LA, on the
understanding that they'll form a sub-committee charged with continuing to
hold monthly meetings along the lines of the existing SLUG meetings.

A vital part of this will be finding out what *you*, the current membership,
want from SLUG. Should we continue to have Linux in the name, or should we
have Libre or Open Source in their somewhere? Should we continue to be an
organisation largely focused on user group meetings, or should we try for a
broader advocacy role? Should we continue having monthly meetings - or
should we go for more frequent, smaller meetings? Less frequent larger
meetings? Perhaps we should stop holding meetings directly, and turn into an
umbrella organisation that assists lots of smaller user groups to hold their
own regular meetings.

If you're interested in working on this with me, I encourage you to stand
for election alongside me. Even if you don't want to do that - I need a
seconder!

If you abhor the idea of even investigating making changes to SLUG, I
encourage you to stand for election against me. There will be plenty of
opportunity to prevent me from doing any damage after the election, but if
the majority of people don't support the idea of making changes to SLUG, it
will be better for everyone if I get defeated quickly. Remember: if I run
unopposed, you don't even get to vote against me.

Either way, please be sure to come to the AGM - Friday 27th March, from 6pm.
Pay your $25 (less for students and other concession holders) - you'll get
the right to vote AND you're helping to ensure SLUG's future - whatever that
happens to be - is secure and funded.

-- 
SLUG Activities
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