Here for the record and further discussion (if any), Michael Clark advises:
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Clark <[email protected]> Date: 2009/6/5 Subject: Re: [Slugnet] Spice up your LUG To: [email protected] Cc: Ray Rashif <[email protected]> I made this offer once before and I'll make it again. If we get a new LUGS committee together with an AGM with the 6 committee posts filled, and given that it is being done in cooperation with SLMG (perhaps a new LUGS/SLMG) I will pledge $1000 donation to this new LUGS/SLMG committee. I have made this offer before and it still stands. The intention is that the group uses it to get a single registered adress, PO Box or secretarial service, so that we can have an address for communications that is not tied to one particular committee member (allowing flexible transitions between new committees), which is one of the flaws I saw with LUGS in the past that has some room for improvement (it was usually half way into the term of a new committee until the address had been changed with ROS, ACRA, bank, etc... due to signatures and resolutions, etc), so that the secretarial load for handling of membership dues, etc can be shared between those who have the time available. Preferably an online sign-up for membership (for those of us who can give money as a way to help the group organise its activities) - of course retaining a free (monetary donationless) membership class (e.g. slugnet) as we understand not all should have to pay, and donations of time count too. This was one of the original gripes that I understood was a factor in the SLMG group forking from LUGS community originally (as LUGS used to charge a $10 fee for non-member attendance at meetings, although this fee was subsequently abolished). I think it should be an optional $60 donation for membership (which means we would have roughly 500 members now if we count up slugnet). So are 6 of you guys going to make me poor - so far no one has bitten... I think I may be safe ... :). Sorry for top posting btw... Michael Clark wrote: > Ray Rashif wrote: > >> Perhaps centralising the various resources and organisations? For eg. SLMG >> is mentioned as a "sister organisation", but aren't informal meetups also a >> function of a Linux user group? They're currently seen as two different >> social entities, and it'd be better if they could be merged. Various groups >> serving different communities make sense in larger areas, but not here. >> > > Those who are organising the linux monthly meetings choose to go under a > different banner for various historical reasons. > > Having been a longstanding LUGS member I don't see the need to have > competing meetings so I have not worked actively to create a 2nd meeting to > SLMG (instead I have helped organise SLMG meetings in the past), i.e. if > there is demand for a LUGS meeting we'll probably just ask the SLMG folk to > create an event on meetup.com anyway - it is all the same group of > people... > > I am currently not aware of a great deal of interest from the community in > general to get meetings going again under the LUGS banner. I was suggesting > to Tom Goh that SLMG pick up LUGS. If there is enough interest, we can hold > an AGM to elect the 6 required committee members to keep LUGS going. The > problem in the past has always been one of getting enough volunteers to > actually commit to holding posts on the executive committee. That said, I > encourage you to rake up support and prod the current executive of LUGS (for > which I am part of) to hold an AGM. The required committee posts are all > outlined on the wiki. > > The LUGS site could also be made to appear more active, hence "spicing it >> up". I'd lean towards a simple CMS-based web, like drupal or wordpress. I've >> recently been notified of a wp lookalike, habari [[ >> http://habariproject.org/en/ ]]. Personally, I like wp since it also >> provides seamless integration of forums via bbpress. >> > > Yes - We don't really have a main website at present, only the wiki. The > main website was being run on a colocated machine at one point (running > plone), and there was no backup and the disk failed and became corrupted > beyond recoverability. We redirected the site to the wiki in the interim > (and it has been that way since). I'm not sure if LUGS has an appointed > webmaster at the moment. > > That said, the wiki is completely open (you just need to sign up), only the > frontpage is restricted from editing, and if someone requests to have a link > on the front page (send to [email protected]) I tend to respond quite > quickly. > > In the short term MoinMoin can be made to look quite spicy (ubuntu.comuses > it), so if someone gives me an ubuntu theme they like, I can install > it, and if folk like it we can make it the default. I am happy to work with > anyone who is interested to put a nice theme on the present LUGS wiki. > > Creating a new website would be a later task for a new LUGS committee. > > With those in place, there may be more members, subscribers, and >> ultimately more interest and manpower to participate in events, workshops, >> and the like under the LUGS banner. >> > > I do agree. I think there needs to be a fresh set of 6 people stand up for > the committee posts and prompt for an AGM/election to be held. I am willing > to help out but with my present outside of work commitments, I would not > stand for a committee position at a future LUGS AGM. > > I personally think there doesn't need to be a division within Singapore in > the Linux committee so I think it should be somehow done together with SLMG, > as presently it seems a little strange to how the linux meetings are held > under the SLMG banner with no mention of LUGS.... i.e. the option is open to > use the LUGS banner at SLMG meetings has always been there... > > The fact that people want to maintain a division and partisanship is why > I'm now hesitant to offer any support - as i'm not interested in all of the > politics... I would like to see LUGS keep going and I have in the past > support both groups having organised meetings for both, so I am clearly > non-partisan... If I see a group of people who support both SLMG and LUGS > then I am happy to work together with them (but not with anyone who wishes > to take sides). > > Michael. > >
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