Is this really a Linux user group?

[CLIFFORD ILKAY]

Yes, this is really a Linux user group with real people who have more 
than one dimension to them.

On 10/27/2010 06:00 PM, Xane wrote:
> Hey guys,
>
> I am really disappointed about this group.

Why? Have you asked a question that wasn't answered? Did it get drowned 
out in all the off-topic discussion? Do you have some Linux-related 
questions? If so, fire away and you may get responses.

> I have joined here couple of
> days ago just because I am interested in Linux,

Welcome!

> but since then the only
> conversation I am getting is around Toronto's Mayoral candidates, recent
> election, Toronto public transit etc.

Then "tune out" that conversation. You have the option in most decent 
email clients of ignoring threads you're not interested in. Even when 
the messages are on-topic, they're not all interesting to everyone all 
the time.

> These have nothing to do with the
> purpose of this group. I don't really get it why those of you who are
> interested in these topics do not go and join other thousands of groups
> or forums where you can better enjoy yourself. Under the description of
> this group, it is clearly mentioned "This list is for the discussion of
> Linux related issues, news, problems, and ideas. This list is not
> anyone's personal soapbox. It is not for the discussion of political,
> social, or religious issues, bad jokes, personal rants or similar non
> Linux related discussion": http://gtalug.org/wiki/Mailing_lists
>
> Don't get me wrong, I am not against any of the city or mayoral
> conversations, my point is why we don't do it somewhere else where you
> can really enjoy talking about it with same people interested like you.

It appears there were more than few people interested in those topics 
right here on this list so there was no need to go elsewhere.

> I am not here to argue or anything, if this continues, I will simply
> unsubscribe, but I thought I give it a try before doing so.
 >
> Thanks for your understating.

You should search the list archives. I think you'll find lots of useful 
discussion, and the occasional off-topic discussions, too. I, for one, 
don't mind if we veer off-topic once in a while, particularly when it's 
very difficult to separate politics from technology and particularly 
when the subject clearly indicates messages as such. Someone has already 
touched on how the new Mayor might be open to using open source software 
to save money so the discussion isn't entirely off-topic, not that I 
think it has to be on-topic, all the time. Whom we elect to govern us 
certainly matters even if we're only narrowly focused on the open source 
software agenda.

If you decide to unsubscribe based upon a sample of two days when 
understandably, the talk has been about the municipal election, that 
would be unfortunate and the list will somehow manage to survive without 
you but we would be happy to have you back should you reconsider later. 
I suggest patience, and ignoring threads that don't interest you.
-- 
Regards,

Clifford Ilkay
Dinamis
1419-3266 Yonge St.
Toronto, ON
Canada  M4N 3P6

<http://dinamis.com>
+1 416-410-3326
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