TLUG vs. GTALUG

[Tony Abou-Assaleh]

Though I am new to TLUG, and not a member of GTALUG, I think I get the
situation here. I've gone through similar politics when trying to
formalize an informal process.

The way I see it:

* GTALUG represents only its paid members. Non-paid members of TLUG,
NewTLUG, and WestLUG have no official represntation at all.

* There are some activities that require a legal entitity behind them in
order to be taken seriously, or even considered at all. These activities
may include sponsorship of events, organizing conferences, going after
grants, doing consulting jobs, etc. Therefore, I think the incorporation
was a good idea. If none of the above activities happened, that's a
different story. As I see it, it is much easier to to carry out such
activities now that the legal paper work is over with then what it
would've been if incorporation was to come second.

* Membership in GTALUG is open to all. Anyone who cares about what GTALUG
does is welcome to join, carry out their activity, and help shape the
general direction of GTALUG.

* There is nothing that requires you to join GTALUG to do whatever it is
that you want to do without GTALUG (e.g., organize meetings, installfests,
community projects, and so on). And if you wish to collaborate with people
from GTALUG, all I've seen so far is welcome and openness.

* If it makes you feel better, one can think of TLUG, NewTLUG, and
WestTLUG as projects that GTALUG helps run, rather than own. It really
makes no practical difference.

* The fact that GTALUG offers few services not a fault of a single person.
If you wish to develop a service that requires the infrastructure of
GTALUG, it's already there for you. If it doesn't, then it's up to you how
you do it.

... just my personal interpretation of the situation.

Cheers,

TAA

-----------------------------------------------------
Tony Abou-Assaleh
Lecturer, Computer Science Department
Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada, L2S 3A1
Office: MC J215
Tel:    +1(905)688-5550 ext. 5243
Fax:    +1(905)688-3255
Email:  taa-HInyCGIudOg at public.gmane.org
WWW:    http://www.cosc.brocku.ca/~taa/
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