[wellylug] Re: Formalising WellyLUG - revisited

[Wood Brent]

--- Damon Lynch <damon at photo.geek.nz> wrote:
> On Thu, 2004-01-29 at 01:01, Jamie wrote:
> > >
> > Hear hear! Linux itself came to be without a committee or formal
> > structure. WTF do we need it? 
> 
> So naturally you are going to issue a public letter to the Gnome
> Foundation telling them their structure is not needed and they should
> just hang out over IRC and get together from time to time?
> 
> Linus is renowned for his organisational and people skills.  For the
> rest of us, structure helps, not hinders.


(Note: my opinion only. Flames to www.microsoft.com, or to me personally :-)


I fully agree, Damon. Those trying to organise events (like last year's
Installfest) have a very difficult time of it when we try to get sponsors,
rooms etc. Asked "What is WLUG?" the (honest) response of "a bunch of
unorganised enthusuiasts interested in playing with Linux" results in a
noticeable lack of interest in providing any sort of support. A formal setup,
whether we like it or not, does provide a level of credibility to many,
particularly those we perhaps should be most interested in evangelising Linux &
OSS to. Even a title of Secretary/President of a club can open doors we need to
get messages through.

If WLUG is to help gain Linux & OSS any credibility outside of those aleady
involved, it needs to appear credible to those we want to convince. A more
formal structure is necessary, if we are to be able to effectively push Linux
in the corporate and government arenas. (I'll even wear shoes if necessary!)

If all members want is a venue to play/learn a bit about Linux, the current
setup is fine. If enough members want to support an effective presentation of
Linux to the wider community, then we need to change and to grow WLUG to help
enable this.

Personally I believe that the more formal setup won't actually change much at
the coalface of monthly meetings, just provide a local platform & some basis
for credibility for those who want to help foster Linux & OSS, to work from.
Those who turn up simply to play/discuss/chat/learn Linux can & will continue
to do so (I still plan to- it is a fun thing to do, but I think WLUG can be
more than this).

Anyone who believes that Linux & OSS have had any success because they are
unstructured & unhampered by rules is living in ignorance. Richard Stallman's
widely acknowledged greatest contribution to OSS is not GNU or FSF, but his
role in devising the GPL. A document providing the rules by which OpenSource
software can be distributed. And there are variants & alternatives to this,
like BSD's. Rules enabling people and groups to cooperatively construct have
been the key to the growth and success of Open Source.

Even the internet only exists because rules AKA protocols (eg: TCP/IP) were
agreed to (some might say imposed) as the basis from which to work & grow. 

I personally believe that any Linux enthusiast who genuinely wants to support &
grow Linux & OSS outside of the enthusiast community will support the move to a
more formal organisation, irrespective of their desire or ability to
contribute. 

Desiring to restrict the role of WLUG to an informal, unstructured meeting of
enthusiasts is a very selfish attitude, contrary to the goals of the Open
Source movement globally, and hopefully only held by a minority.

Your opinions may vary :-)


Brent Wood