[plug] Changes to PLUG

[Patrick Coleman]

Hi all,

At the July Monday workshop we had a guest - Pia Waugh from Linux Australia
and Software Freedom Day. Pia facilitated a discussion on PLUG's current
direction, and where it might be going in the future.

PLUG has not been running smoothly of late - due to a number of factors.
The monthly seminars - originally the backbone of PLUG - have been let
slide, with just the workshops continuing and these are really morphing
into social occasions.

A number of ideas to improve PLUG's image and community standing were
floated at the meeting, and have since been discussed by committee, with
the big one being relevance to the current Linux community and community
participation.

Here is the committee's plan to start with:

1. To make PLUG more accessible, move all events to Christ Church
Grammar School, the
new seminar venue, on the second Tuesday every month. If people feel
there is still a need
for the hands-on workshops, we are open to running a workshop-style
event in the seminar slot.

The meeting format would consist an opening welcome and discussion followed
by two simultaneous talks/demonstrations, aimed at interested linux
users and techies respectively.

The current workshop venue is difficult for new members to find, doesn't
present well and is not necessarily appealing to either a technical
audience or new users. Changing the format and venue will address this
issue.

The first event will be in three weeks, 14th August -
more details to follow. Initially we will have just be the one talk so we
get used to the new format. The subject will be Xen and virtualisation, courtesy
of Adrian Chadd.

We have a number of talks in both categories lined to cover the next few
meetings. Over the next few weeks the committee will be confirming the
topics and posting them up on the website.

2. Organise an event for Software Freedom Day, which is Saturday
September 15th.

In brief the plan at this stage is to have people handing out CDs (either
Ubuntu or the Open CD (see http://www.theopencd.org) or both) and possibly
run a small booth/stall

- in the UWA Guild on Tuesday 11/09/2007
- at Forrest Chase in the CBD on Saturday 15/09/2007
- in Fremantle on Sunday the 16/09/2007.

More info will follow shortly. There is a reasonable amount of planning
involved, so stay tuned. Anyone interested in being involved, please
contact the committee via the committee list or reply to this email.

3. The website will change in time to reflect the new direction PLUG is
taking. Ideas were raised at the meeting, and looks like they are being
discussed pretty well in another thread.

That covers the bulk of proposed changes and ideas at this stage. Feedback
on anything above would be appreciated, either to committee@ or this
thread.

Thanks to everyone who contributed at Monday's meeting, and has
contributed since on-list.

Cheers,

Patrick Coleman
Vice-President, PLUG
On behalf of the PLUG committee