[plug] Clubs, Pubs, Lugs and Mugs

[Tim Bowden]

On Wed, 2011-05-18 at 02:09 +0800, Arie Hol wrote:
> 
> Clubs, Pubs, Lugs and Mugs
> 
> Over the last forty years, I have been involved with several clubs and 
> associations - for a brief period I was the founding treasurer of a new 
> club - but due to changes in my employment I had to step down, because my 
> situation became untenable.
> 
> More to the point:
> 
> Over the years several common factors were observed in all the clubs and 
> associations :
> 
> The successful clubs survived solely on the efforts of a core of 
> dedicated individuals who did ALL of the hard work and got LITTLE of the 
> glory, they were mostly surrounded by a solid group of supporters who 
> helped out and soaked up all the goodness, there was also a fringe 
> element of detractors which I refer to as excess baggage.
> 
> The unsuccessful clubs also had a dedicated core of hard working 
> individuals but they were overloaded with passengers and freeloaders, 
> surrounded by a fringe element of detractors.
> 
> PLUG has proven to be the exception, it has just barely survived despite 
> the freeloaders and detractors.
> 
> PLUG is currently in a transition stage - it is being rebirthed by a core 
> of dedicated individuals - with some willing and helpful supporters.
> 
> Our new President James Bromberger is doing a terrific and highly 
> commendable job - he has brought a new energy and inspiration to PLUG.
> 
> I don't agree with everything he says but he is setting initiatives and 
> achieving the results that PLUG needs.
> 
> He has asked for help and he deserves to get it.
> 
> With all that is happening at PLUG it seems the fringe dwelling 
> detractors are coming out the woodwork - their only contribution being 
> poison pen letters.
> 
> 
> If I may - I would speak from my personal point of view :
> 
> 
> Where else can you gain access to technical experts with high level 
> skills in Linux, open source and computing in general - all for free.
> 
> Where else can you attend meetings, seminars, presentations etc in a 
> friendly environment - for free.
> 
> Where else can you get a feed of pizza - for the cost of a gold coin.
> 
> If you have a computing disaster at hand - where else you can get help - 
> advice - guidance and support for free - but the value is priceless.
> 
> So lets cutout all the garbage about fees like "how much" and which may 
> or may not be the best way to pay them - and lets cutout the poison 
> letters from armchairs in the fringe areas.
> 
> If a person is not happy about PLUG - they should stop writing  poison 
> letters and come to a PLUG gathering and show their face.
> 
> How hard is to reach into your pocket and pay your dues?
> 
> Put up or Shut up.
> 
> Not every body is able to do the sort of things that PLUG needs to remain 
> viable, but everybody is able to support the hard workers that are doing
> the work.
> 
> Regards Arie

Well said Arie.  James is injecting some fresh energy, and if we want
PLUG to survive we should all put some /constructive/ energy in, either
directly or with constructive support.  Tearing down from the sidelines
is gutless and disgraceful imho.  Accusing those who /volunteer/ their
time and energy to make PLUG happen of having nazi like intents because
you don't like what they have proposed and discussed publicly on this
list is despicable in the extreme.  TBH I have no intention of helping
anyone who treats PLUG with such contempt, and I know from previous
experience I'm not the only one.

Tim Bowden