[ubuntu-uk] Linux User Group of Glastonbury (was High Wycombe LUG)

[Alan Pope]

On 29/07/12 10:57, Sean Miller wrote:
> We need to get LUGOG (Linux User Group of Glastonbury) going again,
> haven't had a meeting for a couple of years, but the challenge is
> exactly this...
>
> On 29 July 2012 10:18, Gareth France <gareth.france at gmail.com> wrote:
>> I didn't really picture it as being something so formal as having speakers
>> really. At Reading nothing like that goes on and it's a very casual
>
> Nobody in the LUG seems to be able to agree on what they want.
>

Sounds about right for most LUGs tbh. The same discussions about "should 
we have social meets or tech meets" have been held on lug mailing lists 
up and down the country. Each lug seems to figure out its own way of 
doing things.

Personally I think the days of lugs are somewhat numbered, but then I've 
been saying that for about 3 years. The ones near to me are seeing 
dwindling attendance, difficulty getting quorate for meetings and a hard 
time finding venues.

> The other problem, of course, is that Linux is a kernel not an
> Operating System so whilst the users no doubt have a lot in common
> there is a lot that is different too.... we need to recognise that
> most "Linux Users" are no longer trying to do obscure things from the
> command line but are far more likely to be running applications and
> (of course) we have the 90% of "Linux Users" who don't even know
> they're "Linux Users" but are running the kernel on their Android
> smartphones.
>

And those who are using smartphones probably don't want/need/care about 
a "user group". Just as there's no user group for Philips 234EL monitors 
or a user group for Humax FOXSAT PVRs.

> Not to mention that if you get a Debian user, a KDE user on another
> distro, a Gnome user and a Ubuntu together in one room there is
> guaranteed to be fireworks.  We have the challenge of "evangelism",
> people not trying to help but rather convert, saying things like "that
> wouldn't happen on *MY* distribution"...
>

Shouldn't happen IMO, but of course will because the kinds of people who 
attend LUG meetings are often passionate about the choices they make. :) 
Take a Ford owner/fan to a Fiat owners club and you'd probably get the 
same thing.

Cheers,
-- 
Alan Pope
Engineering Manager

Canonical - Product Strategy
+44 (0) 7973 620 164
alan.pope at canonical.com
http://ubuntu.com/