GNHLUG Summer Summit 2005

Attendees:

• RobertAnderson
• HeatherBrodeur
• MattBrodeur
• BruceDawson
• MadDog
• BillMcGonigle
• MattOquist
• GuyPardoe
• TedRoche
• BillSconce
• BenScott
• CaroleSoule

• Notes from maddog.

Ted,

These are the minutes I took at the organizational meeting yesterday.  Before
sending them out to the discuss list, as I did with the notes from last
Thursday, I think some people may wish to comment on them, add to them, etc.
so I suggest that Ben put these up on the Wiki as a beginning move so people
can comment on them, flush them out, etc.

I also added Heather and Matt Brodeur and Greg Rundlett to the cc: list, since
they were either prominently mentioned in the minutes or attended, or both.

Finally, I think we need to figure out how this meeting is going to be a
"Quantum Leap", bringing the groups further along then they have been before,
"righting what once went wrong", instead of just going being another small blip
along the way.

md
===============================================================================
 
Who are We?
   "only a user"
      likes to use it
      needs "household support"
      "come for dinner anyway"
      "something to gather every month"
      good at organizing
      only found out by meeting thursday night
   group and user base has changed
   "No time anymore, but keep running meetings"
      typical meeting chair complaint
No joint meetings
   bouncing meetings between locations bad
   late notices bad
   not a lot of students coming to UNH meetings
      core group of six or seven people, mostly older
      not aligned on topic
      always meet - consistency huge..core group "just comes"
   How to advertise to tech people
      almost impossible
Different Groups
   What should an ideal user group should be?
      end users, developers, sysadmins, all?
   Dartmouth group
      What was successful, what has not been
   Software Freedom Day
      Software Freedom International - Matt
      September 10th - 200 registered teams
      80-90 teams to receive CDs
      Windows apps plus Ubuntu Live!
More Intros
   Attributions  for who does what in group are needed...connection information
   GNHLUG produce its own license plate?
   "Cash in Gate's environment"
      Rather pay money than downloads
         Wants to see Linux grow
         Wants cross-platform software
   Ring or star topology to groups?
   Too much on organizer's plates
More Summits
   Frustration of leadership
      "volunteers will always let us down" [Ed. Note: perception rather than fact]
   Paul Lussier - wanted to come
   Paul's thoughts
      Can you define "working better"?
      Many people feel it is fine
      Those who have grand schemes
         Most others have no time or desire for visions
      Work with them for years
      "Leisure computer users"
Different ones
   Various attendees:
      Desire but no technical skills
      Skills, but want to drink beer
   Memphis - Djs
   Address and directions for meeting on wiki pages
What Are We When We Grow Up
   Sysadmins meeting after work and having beer
      "Do you have the answer to this?"
   Fraternal organization?
      Where do we go for beer?
   Support group
      Answers in email
      RTFM or "Have you ever heard of Google"?
   World Domination is great...
      but I am busy this week
What Are We?
   Changing
   GNHLUG - was all of NH and....
      Norther Mass
      Vermont
      Maine
      Littleton
   Geographical and SIG pieces of puzzle
Geographical vs Interest
   Python meeting
      reach out to windows users?
      need publicity coordinator
      22 people show up
   Other SIGs?
   Should we be a "complete schitzophrenic"?
   Less kernel stuff, less installation now
   Troubleshooting fest
Installation - Fringe Elements
   General Installation becoming "ho-hum", but:
      Raid/LVM
      Beowulf systems
         What happens when it is done
         Could be done in a computer lab
We Are A Free Software Group
   Essentially based around Linux
      BSD?
   Bring them down from Dartmouth
      Really good speakers
   Video or audio - Publish slides and audio as part of web site
      Podcast
      Slides
      Searchable
   Open course plan
Past Events Page
   Presentations
      Tell speakers ahead of time it is going to happen
      Get copies of slides at end of talk
      Get microphone to record their talk
   Always "GNHLUG should" - not "We"
      "Yup, we agree, so when are you going to do it?"
      "Let's think about what works"
   Mailing lists
      Awaiting moderator approval - announce list
GNHLUG Site
   Updated twiki to find mailing lists easier
   Should we update Wiki
   Ben should head up Wiki
   Approach MV for 1u Cabinet
Identity- GNHLUG
   Manadnoc - Am I GNHLUG?
   Need Chapter identity?
      Automating input into Wiki site - email based?
      Afterward putting meeting stuff into Wiki site
   Australian site that says:  "Is answer here, if not come back and put it in"
   Ben and Bruce to look into co-locating own box
What Do We Want to Be?
   GNHLUG is all groups
      Quarterly ("GNHLUG") meetings are all together
      When do we want them
      A goal
      "Unified group"
      "A really good speaker"
   Too many quarterly meetings?
      Concord
      Nashua too far south
   One announcement list
Needs for Meetings
   Place
   Time
   Projector
   Speaker
   Moderated
GNHLUG List
   Ben volunteering to lead overall group
   GNHLUG - infrastructure and framework for FOSS
      Fraternal org - drinking beer
      Support organization
      Educational aspect
         learn
         teach
      Advocacy
         Schools
What Does GNHLUG Add?
   Intersection of New Hampshire and Linux
   We supply:
      communications
      centralization
      speakers
   Allow this to happen
      create infrastructure to pull stuff together
      New user nights
      Don't re-invent the wheel
   SIGs
What Do We Want To Be?
   Types
      Suits
      Geeks
      Hobbyists
   Levels
      Beginner
      Experts
   More on Wiki
Business Cards on Wiki
   Organizational - BrochureWare
   glabels FOSS program
   Carry them everywhere
GNHLUG.org
   No one can steal money because we have no money
   Register as non-for-profit
      Neighborhood associations
      Expenses paid, not salaries
   Have to have formal structure
   Have to have officers
   Have to do auditing
Money Flow
   Services that we get
      Out of pocket
      Process money in some way, shape or form
   Small group become formal?
   Running afoul of law
   Get BLU's bylaws
   Novell bought Tally systems
   Tax ID number - Secretary of State
      Non-interest bearing
Money Flow - Continued
   Bank Account
   Moved to form a committee to look into incorporation
      bylaws
      articles
   Mail that we voted to form a committee to look at forming the committee
How To Mess Up A Group
   Lots of un-coordinate mailing lists
   Org, Announce, Discuss, Jobs
   Updating Twiki is disruptive
   Audience Targeting of Web Site
      Newbie
      Programmer
      Systems Admin
   Content oriented editors - Newbie
      Angels?
How To Work A Group
   Face Time
      Angels for other things
   Contingency Plans
      Are we prepared to put on things
   Strive to put things two weeks in advance
      Heather
   Publicity out
      Greg Rundlett
   Someone from each of chapters to be accountable
How to Make a Group Work
   Primary and Alternate for each chapter
      Greet Speaker
      Have a room
   Whole group help in finding speakers
   268 subscribed members on mailing list
   One thursday in the month is a floating meeting
   Chair responsible for getting speakers, room, etc. to Heather
Attracting New Users
   Business cards, put them out
      Wear Penguins
   Places to list:
      Radio Shack, Best Buys
   New meeting places:
      CompUSA. Barns and Noble
   Framework for advertising
      Non-Linux users
      List of user groups
      Linux Journal
   Add good respondents to Wiki
Gnhlug
   O'Reilly
   Guidelines for mailing lists
      Don't re-invent the wheel (unless necessary)(TM)
   Heather needs:
      Two names from each group and contact information
DotProject
   MS Project but on Web
   Calendar - more automated?
   Other Tools (Video or Audio conferencing)
Goals, Directions and Visions
   One day Linux events
   Chapter Chairs get together once per quarter
      Before or after quarterly meetings
      Face time important
   TWiki be updated before October 9th
   Need abstracts and minutes on front page of web site from speakers
   Training for new leaders - Once per year
   Speaker notes
We Will Be Glad to Help
   "Talk to"
   "We have done in past..."
   An enabling
   A place to hang stuff - history
   Write stuff down - help other groups
      "How to run a user group"
   "I would like this topic to be discussed at the next meeting"

• Group Photos - see bottom of page for links to attachments.
  • From Ted's Camera (1+MB) GNHLUGSS2005.jpg