[ubuntu-za] Ubuntu-ZA Startup

[Craig Adams]

Hi All,

Welcome everyone to the Ubuntu South Africa Local Community Team mailing
list.

Now that we have a number of people on the list (28 at this time) we can
now start paying attention to what we can, should and may be doing. ;-)

This message is mainly a rehash of a message I sent to the list on 5
July, but with some modifications.

Ubuntu LoCo Teams are responsible for a number of functions including:

        * Translation
        * Local web presence
        * Local Marketing
        * Media Relations
        * Advocacy
        * Distribution
        * Representation

In many ways this is similar to the way a LUG works.

Now that we have a number of people, we need to identify how we can
fulfill the expectations of the greater Ubuntu community including it's
users.

1. More Team Members
If you know of anyone who may be of assistance or interested in
participating, please invite them to join the list.

2. Ideas
If you have any ideas, please feel free to voice them here. There is no
such thing as a stupid idea or question.

3. Ubuntu-ZA Website and Wiki
Canonical / The Ubuntu Foundation provide web hosting and mailing lists
for us. What we need to do is make proper use of these services to
provide relevant information and services. If anyone can assist with
maintaining the website and wiki, please let the list know. Karl has
already indicated that he is comfortable with MoinMoin
(http://moinmoin.wikiwikiweb.de/) but the hosting server also offers PHP
and MySQL, besides the usual static html functionality. I will start a
thread later wrt the proper use of the web hosting services. (Maybe
someone else will get there first.)

4. Action Plans (Informal)
When it comes to FLOSS projects, I am not a believer in formal marketing
plans or detailed action planning, for various reasons. We do however
need to identify some activities that we can undertake. Please feel free
to brainstorm regarding usefull ideas and initiatives on this list.

5. Translation
LoCo teams are not necessarily directly responsible for translation into
local languages, but we should support this in any way that we can.
Looking at Rosetta, the Ubuntu translation engine
(https://launchpad.ubuntu.com/rosetta/), we seem to have only one person
involved in translating Ubuntu into Xhosa, Carlos
(https://launchpad.ubuntu.com/people/carlos). If we can drum up interest
and volunteers for this and other languages, all the better.

6. Representation
We need to put some kind of structure inplace wrt the public
representation of the LoCo. Media relations should be fairly simple, but
we need to formalise it in terms of spokesperson and feedback
structures. This would normally consist of a person elected to act as a
spokesperson for the team. Ideally, I would also like to see a team
leader in each major center or province in South Africa.

7. Advocacy
General advocacy is something that we can support an nurture through
working with users and lugs. Ideas here are welcome.

8. Ubuntu Distribution
If you do not know the community distributor programme I have developed
for OpenOffice.org, please drive on over to www.openoffice.org.za to see
how it works. I would suggest trying to emulate this model in conjuction
with the ShipIt facility. This model does, however, need some level of
financial support to work properly, fortunately the ShipIT programme
does take a lot of the issues I face on the OpenOffice.org side away.

Your ideas, comments and constructive criticism are welcome.

Kindest Regards

Craig A. Adams

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