Who is going to Linux in the Park?

[Christopher Browne]

On Tue, Aug 19, 2008 at 5:46 PM, Marc Lanctot <lanctot-yfeSBMgouQgsA/PxXw9srA at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> Colin McGregor wrote:
>>
>> Just wanted to know who else is going to Linux in the Park this coming
>> Sunday? A summary of the event can be seen here:
>>
>> http://www.cluecan.ca/node/737
>>
>> I don't want to get there and find I am alone :-) .
>
> Not that this helps, but I would totally go... but I'm only going to be
> living in Toronto as of Aug 30th. How often do these happen? When's the next
> one?

Alas, this is an annual thing.  Once September arrives, the weather
starts to get less cooperative.  I wouldn't characterize it as "gets
too cold," but others might.

> You know it's nice to see such an active LUG. I've been part of many and
> have been someone disappointed by each. The good intentions are there but
> meetings/presentations/events just never seemed to happen. Have you guys
> done an Install Fest at/with UofT or a general one?

We tried an installfest ~2 years ago, unfortunately, the interest didn't emerge.

Toronto is a very, very strange place for this: it expresses,
internally, two VERY "distinct cultures" that are relevant:

a) Suburbanites expect to have decent vehicle-based access to things,
e.g. - routes that are convenient for driving, as well as decent
parking.   There is no "central" location that offers either of those
things, and no particular "locus" has grown up that has become any
sort of "centre" to that end.

Perhaps the nearest thing is the once-a-year "Ontario Linux Fest" that
takes place near Pearson Airport (e.g. - near the intersection of Hwys
401 + 427).  But that's once a year, and, being for those that are
already enthusiasts, the value of installation help isn't *that* high.

b) Urbanites consider places that aren't within walking distance of a
subway stop to "not exist."

The "TLUG" contingent that hold meetings walking distance from Bloor &
Spadina have a strong tendancy to fall into this category.

Unfortunately, such locations are not amenable to installfests:
- It's fairly much a given that anywhere that's near to a subway stop
will be challenging to get to by car, both due to constricted traffic
conditions and a paucity of easy parking.
- Who, as a newcomer, is likely to be prepared to carry a tower PC on
public transit and wheel it in and out?  Risk of PC damage as you
rattle the machine around is way too high.
- We'd need someone bringing a whole truckload of equipment (e.g. -
monitors, computers, possibly network infrastructure) so that the poor
guy who's already bringing his PC isn't forced to fight a fragile
monitor through traffic as well.

I was involved with NTLUG (North Texas, covering Dallas/Fort Worth)
who operated an InstallFest in parallel with meetings for *years*, but
Texas doesn't have category b) above :-).

Some things work; some things don't :-(.
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