[plug] New Years' Resolutions

[Leon Brooks]

Gary Allpike wrote:
> On Fri, 22 Jan 1999, Christian wrote:
> > Leon Brooks wrote:
> > > So, what do we actually do?

> > > I think an install-fest is good. Perhaps iinet would like to host it, if
> > > we push them as an ISP in return (ie, use iinet as the default ISP when
> > > setting up machines to dial). Should we charge? $20? Or does that make
> > > us more liable if someone whinges? When should we do this? How should we
> > > advertise? Should we take business cards to chase followup business, or
> > > tell them to post on the list? Should we add other 'phone numbers to the
> > > Web page? If so, who wants theirs added?

> > I feel guilty doing this but... I don't think PLUG (or any PLUG events)
> > should promote one ISP instead of another.  A lot of us (including
> > myself - I admit complete bias and nearly zero objectivity) work for
> > competing ISPs so the idea of PLUG promoting one ISP doesn't really feel
> > quite right.

I work for at least two, soon three and possibly more ISPs myself.
Perhaps I don't have as much identification/emotional-investment in them
or something...? I'm not greatly fussed about the venue, as long as it
is respectable (sorry, the UCC definitely doesn't count). IBM would be a
nice venue, but how do we interest them? Sure, they're planning on
supporting Linux directly, but will they count *UG's as fellow
travellers or (brainless move) competitors - or as undignified
embarrassments, to be generally avoided?

> > The best place to host an install-fest (which is
> > definitely a good idea) would be either somewhere provider-neutral (eg,
> > Global Warriors possibly?)

GW would be fine for hoi polloi, and I think combining
installfest/(quake|xpilot|whatever)fest there is a good idea and should
definitely be done, and soon, but if a significant part of our aim is
interesting business we'll also need a more serious venue. Sadly but
truly, and whether they know/admit it or not, the average human _will_
judge a book by it's cover, so to speak, and so this section of our
target audience _will_ require a businesslike front in order to accept
us.

> > or at an ISP but without any explicit
> > promotion by PLUG (eg, if we have it there then we obviously have to
> > advertise their name and also they, owning the premesis, can put up as
> > many ads and signs as they like and just happen to leave their
> > propaganda^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hadvertising material lying around).

Fine. Whatever. Perhaps we can also possess and offer without force
other business cards as well? Better some crumbs than a squabble and no
cake at all. PLUG is not about competition, although businessess can and
do benefit from PLUGlike activities.

To borrow the cake motif back again, PLUG (and open source) is about
enlarging the whole cake. In fact, from some industry points of view,
it's like turning "five loaves and two small fishes" into a feast for
five thousand. Possibly bad for the fishing (MicroSoft) and breadmaking
{insert random other proprietary software co here} industries, it could
be argued, but certainly good for the five thousand (us and others like
us). Am I getting too philosophical here?

> Why the hell would I want to put any effort into an event to promote the
> services of one of my competitors ???

To get a respectable installfest venue. Perhaps we could have venues by
rota or something? Also, and here's a challenge with a twist, try
answering your own question and see if anything reasonable pops out.
You're a bright boy - _if_ anyone can answer that positively, maybe you
can?

I'm glad that y'all responded to the post, it's been most enlightening.
Now, are there any other concrete ideas for PLUG activities in this
second-last year of the millennium?

-- 
"Oh Bentson, you are so mercifully free from the ravages of intellect."
		-- Evil, The Time Bandits