This thread has already grown to absurd size, but I might as well through in my two bits as long as we're having an old-timers reunion (Hi everybody!) It's true that Linux has become easier to use over the years and is getting much better about all the pesky little problems that used to plague us. For example, I can use a default Fedora kernel now instead of having to roll my own. For my purposes, that works great, I'd rather just ignore my server in the basement and spend my time working on other things (like taking pictures to stock my gallery with rather than tinkering with the gallery itself) I know that this is heresy for some on this list, but I think that Linux (and it's user groups) have lots of room to grow and develop in this sector of the population.
That said, it's not easy to be everything to everybody. I find that I get bored pretty quickly hearing the same thing over and over again (i.e. to install mp3 support in Fedora...) but I also get frustrated when something is over my head. (iptables comes to mind) The real benefit of the group comes from the value that the members can add to the discussion. It seems like everything can be quickly found now with google and so we are less likely to bring our problems to the group (especially when we're trying to come up with smart questions) We've got stuff that google doesn't have, and that's when I find the discussion the most interesting. Anyway, to conclude, here are some ideas that might be fun to pursue: * A Post-Install fest. Have everyone bring back there machines at the end of the semester and try to find unpatched exploits in a safe environment. This gives people a chance to get beyond the basic install and would help make machines more secure. This might also be a good chance to get Apache/MySQL/PHP running for interested folks. * Work on a documentation project. Everyone benefits when there are good resources on how to solve problems and accomplish tasks. This was the idea behind the Articles section of the web site, but it never really took off. Perhaps everything learned in a newbie meeting could be put here so that future newbies can just look to our wonderful website for solutions. * Liven-up the list. Don't be afraid to bring up controversial topics as long as you have something worthwhile to say. I've always enjoyed the distro/editor/desktop wars that happen here because I know the people behind the comments. (I don't really like Fedora, but mostly know how it works inside so I use it; vim rules!; I'm undecided on the desktop, suggestions?) If you're not interested in these posts, they usually crowd themselves around finals and you can just filter any discussion that has more than 30 replies. Thanks for the good times! Nathan -- Nathan Rackliffe Research Scientist MITRE Corp. (801) 913-2406 -------------------- BYU Unix Users Group http://uug.byu.edu/ The opinions expressed in this message are the responsibility of their author. They are not endorsed by BYU, the BYU CS Department or BYU-UUG. ___________________________________________________________________ List Info: http://uug.byu.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/uug-list
