ubuntu-ca.org needs help!

[Brett Alton]

On Fri, May 7, 2010 at 12:18 AM, George Standish
<george.standish at gmail.com> wrote:
> INTRO
> I'd like to share "my" take on http://www.ubuntu-ca.org site and the
> Canadian LoCo as a whole.
>
> Please remember, "I'm new" and have only been around for a couple of
> days.  My perceptions of certain things about the Canada LoCo may be
> very incorrect or misinformed.
>
> I've certainly received a variety of input from various Canadian LoCo
> members over the last few days.  On a number of topics concerning the
> Canadian LoCo.  It's been "interesting" for sure.
>
> UBUNTU COMMUNITY
> For me, attending the Karmic Release party here in Ottawa (organized
> by John Gill), 6 months ago, demonstrated to me how beneficial
> Ubuntu's ideals, especially that of "community", can be.  Although I
> had spent quite a bit of time in the #ubuntu IRC channel helping out
> over the last year-or-so  - computing has always been a
> private/isolated activity for me.  A sense of "community" adds a whole
> new dimension to the computing experience.  Even the name "Ubuntu",
> demonstrates the desire for creating communities between people.
>
> CANADIAN LoCo ROLE
> Canada is a huge geographical land mass; thus smaller/local Sub-LoCo
> groups only make sense.  There already appears to be several of these
> Sub-LoCo groups in Canada - Quebec, Toronto, Kitchener/Waterloo and
> Vancouver jump to mind.  Personally, I'm interested in adding an
> Ottawa chapter to that list.
>
> So what is the role for the Canadian LoCo?  I feel the Canadian LoCo
> should act as "umbrella" group to the smaller regional groups.  I feel
> Ubuntu-ca can help organize these geographically distant groups
> together, provide services such as the mailing list, webpage, etc.
> that perhaps the sub-LoCos couldn't provide, or warrant, for
> themselves; based on size, membership or resources.  I also think
> there is something to being Canadian, or living in Canada, that binds
> us all together.

I agree with all the above.

> WEBSITE
>
> http://www.ubuntu-ca.org is poor, there is little to no argument
> there.  My attempts, as a non-web developer, to improve this situation
> have largely been a failure (although I think "some" progress has been
> made, by adding some new content to the main page).  I'd like to thank
> those that has patiently worked with me in this regard.
>
> There has been several suggestions about purchasing a VPS/Hosting
> solution to move the web site onto.  While this is certainly an
> option, I believe we should "try" to use the resources we have freely
> available to us to their maximum potential.  Regarding the web site,
> specifically - this may not extend much farther then its current
> "crappy" state.  I have been trying to update the site with stories or
> links that I receive either by email/IRC or on the mailing list
> (although the later may be redundant), that pertain to activities in
> any of the Canadian Sub-LoCos and will continue to do so (unless
> requested to stop).

I'll come up with a draft, but I think the first things people should
see is "What is Ubuntu" "Download Ubuntu" and "Help". Then have a
blogroll of all our blogs (displayed better than it is now) to show
the events that are happening. I'll try to come up with a draft in
between work.

> FORUMS
> The idea of a Canadian forum has been suggested to me on more then one
> occasion.  I'm not personally interested in a forum, more specifically
> administering a forum - but a CA sub-forum on ubuntuforums.org could
> certainly be created.  I researched the steps to creating one, and
> they are not difficult.  One of the requirements was that the
> individual named on https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoTeamList needed to be
> contacted to approve the forum (I am happy to see that Corey Burger
> posted earlier in this thread, I had the impression from IRC that
> Corey may have been MIA).
>
> To quote Brian Burger:
>
> "One of the things we've always used as a touchstone for any version
> of the Ubuntu Canada website is "thou shalt not duplicate efforts and
> dilute the community!" - thus, no forum (we have a mailing list), no
> seperate wiki (Canonical already has TWO for Ubuntu projects to use),
> links to existing lists of Canadian LUGs instead of starting our own,
> etc"
>
> I think Brian introduces some important points here.  Does a forum
> dilute the support/community Canada LoCo has already created?  Does it
> add anything?  The Quebec group already has http://qc.ubuntuforums.org
> which has 38 moderators, and a single post.
>
> The best argument I've heard for justifying a forum: Mailing Lists are
> considered old-fashioned by newer Ubuntu users, who are very
> comfortable with forums.

We can asked ubuntuforums.org to make a Canadian LoCo sub-forum for
us, as many others have done. See here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=183

I'm pretty active on those forums, so I could moderate.

> CONCLUSION
> I'd like to see the Canadian LoCo Team grow and develop beyond where
> it currently is.  My message to all the sub-groups would be to have a
> hard look at what Vancouver is doing, and try and be more like them ;)
>
> If there is anything I can personally contribute to growing and
> improving the Canadian LoCo I'd like to offer my services!
>
> George
>
> --
> ubuntu-ca mailing list
> ubuntu-ca at lists.ubuntu.com
> https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-ca
>

I'd really like to be given the opportunity to develop and host the
next website, so I'll come up with a draft ASAP.