Re: [activities] President's report, 2010-2011

I would definitely support the running of a "SLUG Students" or something
similar at Uni Campus doing things that are more relevant for students, but
I don't have time to run it myself.

I'm not saying that I wouldn't support moving the normal SLUG meetings back
to a Uni Campus, just that there is also another possibility.

Tim

On Fri, Apr 8, 2011 at 2:21 PM, Samuel Marks <[email protected]> wrote:

> I'll talk with my Sydney Uni and UNSW friends, see what they can do (People
> wouldn't come all the way to Macquarie... right?)
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 8, 2011 at 1:18 PM, James Polley <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> The committee is always interested in venue offers. Please feel free to
>> have any interested groups approach us with details of what they can offer
>>  On Apr 8, 2011 10:20 AM, "Samuel Marks" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> > If it was only a funding problem, then all you need is for the on-campus
>> > Computer Student-Group host the event, they get free room hire.
>> >
>> > They may also help advertise it, which will bring in a new dynamic of
>> > interested students
>> >
>> > On Fri, Apr 8, 2011 at 9:59 AM, James Polley <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >
>> >> The rooms we'd previously allowed to use gratis were suddenly going to
>> cost
>> >> us hundreds of dollars a month.
>> >>
>> >> I wasn't around at the time either, but I believe thus was related to
>> VSU
>> >> and the union suddenly needing to find alternate funding
>> >> On Apr 7, 2011 11:36 PM, "Samuel Marks" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> >> > Perhaps the business focus of SLUG should be changed back to a
>> student
>> >> > focus... I wasn't part of SLUG when it was at UTS, so maybe someone
>> can
>> >> > enlighten me as to why we moved (not that I don't like Google HQ,
>> just
>> >> that
>> >> > our President wants more members...)
>> >> >
>> >> > On Thu, Apr 7, 2011 at 9:16 PM, James Polley <[email protected]>
>> wrote:
>> >> >
>> >> >> President's Report 2010-2011 by Sridhar Dhanapalan
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Experimentation and minimalism have been the themes of the 2010-2011
>> >> >> period. We
>> >> >> started 2010 (prior to the 2010 AGM) by utilising the many rooms
>> >> available
>> >> >> to
>> >> >> us at Google to hold meetings with many streams at once; we ended in
>> >> early
>> >> >> 2011
>> >> >> by having simple brief meetings, with just one speaker followed by
>> >> >> socialising
>> >> >> in the pub.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> = Statistics =
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Prior to the 2011 AGM (ie, for the 2010 year), we had 34 financial
>> >> members.
>> >> >> This is around the same as a year ago, but represents just over 60%
>> of
>> >> our
>> >> >> membership in 2009. Importantly, this number of financial members
>> was
>> >> not
>> >> >> sufficient to meet our costs during 2011 financial year - but our
>> >> >> treasurer'sreport will cover this in more detail.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Mailing lists (lists.slug.org.au) continue to be a major part of
>> SLUG.
>> >> >> Compared to figures from the previous two years (in brackets), the
>> >> numbers
>> >> >> of
>> >> >> subscribers have been increasing, although the rate of change has
>> >> slowed:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> announce = 452 (402) (332)
>> >> >> slug = 787 (778) (732)
>> >> >> activities = 221 (210) (200)
>> >> >> slug-chat = 231 (227) (218)
>> >> >> coders = 190 (172) (155)
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Also important is the #slug IRC channel on Freenode.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> = Minimalism =
>> >> >>
>> >> >> To quote from my email announcing my candidacy for president over a
>> year
>> >> >> ago:
>> >> >>
>> >> >> 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.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Through the year I had discussions with many people in the
>> community,
>> >> both
>> >> >> en
>> >> >> masse at meetings and in private. These discussions revealed a broad
>> >> >> consensus across several areas.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Many people feel that SLUG could use more meetings - meetings with a
>> >> more
>> >> >> specific focus on more technical areas were mentioned; weekend
>> daytime
>> >> >> social
>> >> >> events were suggested. However, no-one has yet stepped forward to
>> run
>> >> any
>> >> >> of
>> >> >> these meetings...
>> >> >>
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Another common theme was that the name SLUG should be retained.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> In discussing the differences between SLUG and other similar bodies
>> such
>> >> as
>> >> >> Linux Australia, there was consensus that SLUG's main differentiator
>> was
>> >> >> it's
>> >> >> focus on the local - it's a forum for people to meet local people
>> with
>> >> >> similar
>> >> >> interests, for people looking for local jobs, and so on.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Lastly, there was general agreement that the fact that our
>> membership
>> >> >> numbers
>> >> >> aren't high enough to pay cover our expenses was a concern.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> To address all of these concerns, several motions were passed at the
>> EGM
>> >> >> held
>> >> >> immediately prior to the AGM. The committee will be approaching
>> Linux
>> >> >> Australia
>> >> >> and asking them to take over the running of the regular Sydney
>> meetings,
>> >> >> and
>> >> >> then winding up and leaving the Sydney FOSS community in the hands
>> of
>> >> Linux
>> >> >> Australia.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> = Conclusion =
>> >> >>
>> >> >> As one of the oldest Linux user groups in the world, the SLUG
>> community
>> >> has
>> >> >> shown a remarkable degree of persistence and adaptability. Hopefully
>> the
>> >> >> work
>> >> >> we've done over the last 12 months (and are doing over the next 12
>> >> months)
>> >> >> will
>> >> >> help the community to grow in size and strength.
>> >> >> --
>> >> >> SLUG Activities
>> >> >> Subscription info and FAQs:
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>> >> >>
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> > --
>> >> > Samuel Marks
>> >> >
>> >> > Degree: Bachelor of Information Technology
>> >> > Emphasis: Majoring in Software Technology
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Samuel Marks
>> >
>> > Degree: Bachelor of Information Technology
>> > Emphasis: Majoring in Software Technology
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Samuel Marks
>
> Degree: Bachelor of Information Technology
> Emphasis: Majoring in Software Technology
>
> --
> SLUG Activities
> Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
>

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