(poll) What kind of meeting do you want?

[William Park]

On Fri, Apr 22, 2005 at 11:40:05AM -0400, Paul Mora wrote:
> On 4/22/05, William Park <opengeometry-FFYn/CNdgSA at public.gmane.org> wrote:
>  
> > 1.  Facility is the main thing.  It's free, only because we're
> >     trespassing on UofT property.
> 
> So why tresspass?  Why not try and get formal permission?  Other
> educational institutions host user group meetings, why not UofT? 
> Mohawk College hosts the Hamilton Linux User Group (last time I
> checked), and I doubt they charge for it.
> 
> Also, why does it have to be UofT?  Why not go after some of the
> bigger companies, like HP, Novell, etc.?

They may be friendly now.  But, they wanted money before.  You are the
only reason why we get the IBM location.  TLUG have no formal
relationship with IBM.


> > There are issues which concern only the paying members.  But, I take
> > your point.  You have to recognize that TLUG didn't have any
> > structure until a year ago.  Before that, we were just a
> > get-together of Linux guys.
> 
> Uh, we still are a get-together bunch of Linux guys.  At least 95% of
> us.  The other 5% are you, who want to take the club in this new
> direction.

I would like to see us Linux guys make serious money.  TLUG is good
vehicle to do that, once minor repairs are done.  Opportunities are
coming our ways, and they fit well with "tutorial" style of talk that
I've been grumbling for over the years.

This is something that I will bring up at the next executive meeting.

> 
> TLUG still doesn't really have any structure, not that is communicated
> to the so-called members.  It shows in your above statement.  Are you
> saying that "paying members" are the only ones that really have any
> say in what the current TLUG is or should become?  When was this
> communicated?  It's pretty sad when the person who organizes the
> speakers for TLUG doesn't even know anything about the membership fees
> or these restrictions on what paying and non-paying members can do.

I don't know why it was not done.  We can't fire the guy, because there
wasn't anybody at the job.  This goes back to organization thing.
Before, it was just get-together.  Now, we're trying to implement a
formal structure.

>
> > We can't afford location and/or permit.  We're back to money. :-)
> 
> Not true.  It doesn't have to cost money.  Just look harder.  

Actually, money will solve ALL of our organizational problems.  All free
locations are very difficult to get to.  IBM, Seneca at YorkU, UofT
Scarborough campus, and many others have been mentioned.  But, you can't
get there in reasonable time.  It takes me over 2.5 hours just to get to
IBM/Seneca place.  Even downtown UofT is 1.5 hour of pain.

That's why we formed <WestTLUG> group, based in Mississauga.  But, we
don't have critical mass at the moment, so we just meet for dinner.

-- 
William Park <opengeometry-FFYn/CNdgSA at public.gmane.org>, Toronto, Canada
Slackware Linux -- because it works.
--
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