[plug] Tuesday Meetup and directions, Notice of 2024-10-08 PLUG SGM/Special General Meeting

[Nick Bannon]

On Mon, Oct 07, 2024 at 12:09:27PM +0800, Harry McNally wrote:
> Hello
> 
> This email started as a reminder of the PLUG meeting on Tuesday night at 
> SpaceCubed (see Events and a mobile number will be on the door if you can't 
> arrive until later) but the ABCNews article I posted on the weekend has got me 
> thinking about Linux-in-everything and whether that has limits to usefulness.
> 
> We planned to get the official business out of the way and close the meeting 
> promptly. It would be great if past committee members can make it so we can 
> offer a vote of thanks. Volunteering can feel like a dry landscape and we need 
> to acknowledge the work everyone does. I wondered if, post-meeting, we can 
> talk informally about "when Linux might not be the best choice".
> 
> What I took away from Giese's talk in the Robots thread is that Linux has 
> clear steps to boot. If he can penetrate and re-purpose the device then that 
> is proof that other actors can. Attempts to obfuscate the booting steps won't 
> help if methods of access can still be discovered.
> 
> So the next thing I did was search for YouTube videos about unplugging the 
> microphone. I figured if I had one of these then I wouldn't need to command 
> the vacuum robot with my voice or in any way. It is an expensive and pointless 
> thing if it isn't ubiquitous.
> 
> There was nothing I could find and, after Greg's comment in the Robots thread 
> that:
> 
> > More broadly, we stopped talking about IoT as being ridiculously insecure.
> 
> can we point out issues with the security of things (or at least ways to 
> reduce risk) ?
> 
> This might be simply creating an "unplug the microphone" session if someone 
> has a device we can "adjust" (reversibly!) so we can upload a video.
> 
> It might be a more complex task like rooting the device and setting up 
> Valetudo if anyone on the 200+ strong mailing list has done this.
> 
> As a committee, we have had to consider the association's role for tax status 
> reporting. What we do is educate (mainly each other) about Linux and all its 
> applications through regular meetups.
> 
> Can we, though our usual activities, extend what we know to a wider audience ?
> 
> All the best
> Harry

We can, indeed!

3. Objects of Association

3.1 The objects of the Association are to educate interested
    parties, facilitate discussion and share resources, share information
    and knowledge related to the features and benefits of:
    3.1(a) the Linux computer operating system; and
    3.1(b) other Free & Open Source Software and Technology
3.2 The property and income of the Association shall be applied
    solely towards the promotion of the objects of the Association and no
    part of that property or income may be paid or otherwise distributed,
    directly or indirectly, to members, except in good faith in the
    promotion of those objects.

See you soon,
Nick.
PS: I think we're still take some WA pride in the current era of the "Noble Numbat".
Who's up for a https://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/zoo4you visit?

> ps A pull-out from a page I was reading recently:? Learning Together - A 
> Defense and Analysis of Cooperative Learning By Alfie Kohn
> 
> there was a quote:
> 
> INTERVIEWER:? What is it like to work in a group?
> JUSTIN (age 10):? You have four brains.
> 
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On Tue, Sep 24, 2024 at 11:55:18PM +0800, committee at plug.org.au wrote:
> A (Special) General Meeting of the Perth Linux Users Group will be held at
> Spacecubed.com
> Located at 45 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000 on Tuesday 2024-10-08
> at 19:00.
> 
> Agenda:
> 0. Pizza!
> 1. Opening (Starting 7:00 PM sharp)
> 2. Committee Reports
> 3. Committee call-out and ratification of current Committee
>    - Acknowledgement of the departure of prior Committee, thank you for
>      your service
>    - We made a call-out on 2024-07-09 for members willing to help us fill
>      our casual vacancies and help organising and promoting the monthly
>      events - thank you to those who stepped up, there's room for more!
>    - Get paperwork underway - i.e. bank change-of-signatories
> 4. General Business
>    - continue meetup.com ?
>    - other PLUG services?
>    - Sponsorship?
> 5. Meeting Close
> 6. Best-of video from GUADEC? Celebration of Ubuntu "Oracular Oriole" 24.10?
> 
> Constitution https://www.plug.org.au/pages/constitution/current.html
> Proxies:
> You may appoint another member to attend and vote on your behalf, by
> writing to the Secretary (committee at plug.org.au)
> 
> Note:
> All proxy requests must be received by Sunday
> 2024-10-06 12:00 noon.
> 
> If you have any questions please email us.
> 
> Nick Bannon, for the Perth Linux Users Group Committee
> https://www.plug.org.au/

-- 
   Nick Bannon   | "I made this letter longer than usual because
nick-sig at rcpt.to | I lack the time to make it shorter." - Pascal