KLUG, etc.

[CJGIDMAN@xxxxxxxxxx]

     Hi,
     
     I haven't seen much coming from deepthought, so I thought I'd 
     send something that would, hopefully, stir up a little 
     interesting conversation.  But first, in case you don't know me, 
     I showed up for my first meeting when Bob did the Linux 
     installation on my PC.  I really enjoyed that meeting.  It 
     reminded me of the "old" days when computer user groups were 
     everywhere and, people of all backgrounds went to the meetings.  
     I immediately decided that KLUG was something that had a lot of 
     potential and that I would enjoy being a part of.
     
     When I first started coming, I was under the impression that the 
     group had been around for quite some time and that there was an 
     established framework and direction for the group.  Now, I see 
     that it is just getting started and still trying to define 
     itself.  If it's all right, I'd like to throw in my two cents.  
     If it's not all right, just ignore the rest of this message.
     
     I can't imagine a large group surviving very long without some 
     sort of direction or vision.  Often times, this is provided by a 
     single leader.  However, when that leader doesn't exist, each 
     member of the group must take on a portion of the leadership 
     responsibility.
     
     My personal preference for KLUG is that some leadership be 
     established.  I question the ability of an anarchical group to 
     survive.  It smacks of a project being run by committee.  Those 
     of us who work in the corporate world are well aware of the 
     ineffectiveness of such projects.  I think Sunday's 
     (11-Jan-1997) meeting provides a little example of what happens 
     without leadership.  It took about an hour before we finally got 
     around to a presentation, there was nobody there to say "Hey, 
     let's get started."  Imagine what might happen with twice or 
     three times as many people.
     
     One possible way that it could work is if we serve our own needs 
     and agendas by serving the needs of others.  If my goal is to 
     learn more about a topic and you have a question about that same 
     topic, it is in my best interest to research and answer your 
     question.  Having done so, you are more likely to help me when I 
     ask you a question about a topic that interests you.
     
     IMHO The vision for KLUG is to provide free support to members of 
     the growing linux community.  That support takes on the form of 
     technical advice from knowledgeable users, but it also shows up as 
     camaraderie among fellow users.  With these two elements we can all 
     work together to resolve common problems.  I need that kind of 
     support for the tasks I'm trying to accomplish.  I'd hate to see it 
     go away or be diminished because the group never established a 
     framework upon which it can grow.
     
     We each have our own reasons for running linux.  We each have our 
     own agenda.  We each have our own interests and knowledge level.  
     It is important that we express those in this forum.  If we 
     don't, the group won't grow and thrive.  If that doesn't happen, 
     then nobody's needs are served.
     
     With that said, I'll share my agenda, interests, and linux 
     knowledge level.  These are areas that I'm happy to have open 
     dialog about, answer questions about, put work into, etc.  Feel 
     free to talk to me about any of these subjects.
     
     I'm very new to the linux community.  [Sunday's meeting gave 
     everyone an indication of just how new :-) ]  I'm in it for 
     cheap.  My objective is to establish a database driven website on 
     a linux platform.  This makes me interested in RDBMSs (Probably 
     Typhoon) and Web Servers (Like Apache).  Currently I know 
     virtually nothing about this, so don't expect volumes of info if 
     you talk to me about this one.  Do expect, however, that I'll 
     tackle any issues with great resolve and interest.
     
     Putting money into KLUG right now in my life is definitely not 
     desirable.  Later, when I have more positive cash flow, perhaps.  
     But, I don't think I'd ever want to see involuntary dues.  
     Becoming a Not For Profit Organization would likely increase the 
     chances of people giving voluntary donations.  So, I'd certainly 
     be willing to get involved in a group that was working towards 
     this end.
     
     The co-op ISP project idea is something that clearly piques my 
     interest.  This might mean discount internet access for me.  It's 
     also the sort of thing that could mean a better job for me later 
     on.  I think it'd be silly for me to miss an opportunity to be a 
     part of a project like that.
     
     Finally, I have a natural fascination with growth and startup 
     organizations.  I like to promote things that benefit people.  
     And, I find marketing in general very interesting.  So, I'm 
     intrigued by the idea of being involved in membership drives and 
     group promotion.  This would benefit all of us  by increasing the 
     size of the ... "collective".
     
     Well, I've rambled on quite a bit here.  I hope you can see how 
     actively sharing your knowledge and interests increases the 
     likelihood of things happening. This is because people with 
     similar interests gravitate toward each other.  And remember, if 
     we each contribute an hour a week to the group, we can have 20 
     productive hours a week.  Where I come from, that's called one 
     half of a full time equivalent (0.5 FTE).  That's a lot of 
     resource!  (Market value is between $20K and $40K per year on 
     average.)  So, what's your agenda?  What interests you?  What 
     would you volunteer for, and what would be your payback?
     
     Chris.
     CJGidman@am.pnu.com