Installfest thoughts

[Allen Taylor]

Some intemperate remarks have been made by some of the players involved
in this discussion. I just want to add my interpretation to the
discussion and I hope I'm actually contributing and not just fanning the
flames. Please forgive me for quoting but not attributing. I want these
comments to be aimed at the structural problems and not being critical
of specific individuals

So, some disjoint thoughts and comments on TLUG, GTAlug, and intallfests.

By nature (typical geek I suspect), I am not a social type. Helping out
at things like an installfest or at a "TLUG" booth at a trade show is
one way I can give back to the community without stretching my social
aversions too far (It's also one of the reasons I teach basic computer
courses at my wife's church). Due to some of the points in the
discussion here and the general tone, I'm having to rethink whether
TLUG / GTAlug events are something I want to continue to help out with
in my small way.

Things we wonder about at this stage (who speaks for GTALUG?): 
- Was this an official GTAlug event, sanctioned by an agent of the legal
  entity referred to here as GTAlug?
- Was Colin McGregor authorized to volunteer to invest a lot of his time
  and effort in setting up this event as a GTAlug event? 

This mailing list [TLUG] is *not* an official communications vehicle for
GTAlug that I'm aware of (please correct me if I'm wrong). This mailing
list *was* the primary vehicle, as far as I'm aware, in setting up the
installfest in question. As has happened before, using the TLUG list to
discuss what was apparently a sanctioned GTAlug event has led to
confusion as to who is in charge and what are we really getting involved
in. 

My feeling is that the TLUG mailing list is a good vehicle for
discussing the details (including waiver forms and other legal matters)
of an event such as this installfest because it keeps the event in the
public eye (the public being local linux enthusiasts in this case) and
hopefully encourages other to become involved. This good publicity is of
course offset by serious and personal attacks by some of the involved
parties.

> With regards to multiple release/waiver forms, the more; the better.
> Personally, I would like to have every version, I could find, signed.
> Then there might be less likelihood that there could be a claim that
> all the release/waivers were not understood.

This statement has me very worried about the attitude of the GTAlug
executive towards legal issues (I was originally going to say that is
scared the sh*t out of me!). I have not had formal legal training
but, from my limited layman's background, having more forms to sign is
much worse than just having one form because it can easily open up more
loop holes and conflicting statements that a good lawyer can use to
advantage in front of a  judge / jury.

Apparently the GTAlug Installfest Release Form was prepared using input
from a sample form from The Linux Documentation Project, with added
input from the web sites of the Victoria Linux User Group, and the
Kitchener-Waterloo Linux User Group. Again, major red flags here unless
this document was created by someone with some legal training and vetted
by an Ontario based solicitor. A legal document created out of bits and
pieces of multiple sample legal documents is not automatically a solid
legal document, no matter how solid the source documents were.

Summary: I think a lot of people are going to be very wary of
involvement in future TLUG / GTAlug events and our public image, such as
it is, is going to suffer unless we can get a handle on some of these
issues and concerns.

Allen
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