[wellylug] Nandor on Linux - clarification

[Jonathan Harker]

Edouard Chalaron wrote:
>>>we are just giving an individual the chance to learn and share
>>>their knowledge with other like-minded folk.
>>
>>Exactly.
> 
> It is a privilege reserved to the few lucky of us then ? Why not sending 
> formal invitations to all Wellingtonians saying they are interested in Linux 
> and have a laptop ???  It comes out that  you are sending an invitation 
> because he's known as a politician and not because he has an interest in 
> Linux... So would you please send an invitation to Clark, Peters, Brash, and 
> others (nor order of preference neither any preference at all)

Sorry to be blunt, but this is nonsense. Is there a language barrier here?

I sent Nandor an invite because he expressed interest in Linux in the NZ 
Herald article, and since he spends time in Wellington I thought I'd drop him 
a note to see if he was interested in joining the email discussion or dropping 
by one of the meetings.

Nandor also happens to be an MP. Get over it. Personally I'm quite interested 
in anything he might have to say about open source in government, having 
attended a GOVIS open source seminar recently, but only because he says he's 
clued up on Linux, not just because he's a politician.

If Helen Clarke or Don Brash ever publicly stated that they personally used 
Linux on their laptops, I would invite them too. But since they haven't, and 
aren't ever likely to, I haven't.

To be absolutely plain, here's what I sent him, but to be honest I doubt he'd 
bother joining now all this silliness is in the archives:

------------
Hi Nandor,

In the light of your recent spot in the NZ Herald regarding your use of Linux, 
and considering your presence in Wellington as an MP, I'm just wondering if 
you would like to join the Wellington Linux User Group. It is primarily an 
email forum and discussion group, and we also have monthly meetings (though I 
haven't attended one yet, being in Palmerston North!)

Of course if you're too busy to join, perhaps you could swing by one of the 
meetings for an informal talk, I'm sure many of us would be interested to hear 
your views on open source in New Zealand.

Cheers,
Jonathan Harker