On Fri November 5 2004 10:32, Kevin Anderson wrote:
> Just a suggestion, but since we cannot realistically do a presentation
> which appeals to everyone, (and the reality is, we can't). Lets look at
> other value adds we can provide.
I'm listening... ;-)
<snip>
> It might be sacrilege to say on such a tech oriented site, but email does
> not, and cannot replace face to face kontact.
^------
Little Freudian slip there? C'mon, Kevin -- admit it! You run fat old KDE on
your slim little Gentoo desktop! ;-) j/k
> So personally, I'd propose that rather than continually focusing on "what
> can we present", we should focus on setting up more of a trade show
> atmosphere. I'm not suggesting chaos, but if there was a presentation of
> perhaps 30 mins, followed by 90 mins of socialization, this might make a
> better forum for networking.
<snip>
I agree with this idea -- I attend another meeting on a weekly basis. They
have a set format where a topic is presented, each person gets to share on
that topic (2-3 mins. each), then the meeting formally adjourns. All of this
happens inside an hour, leaving the remainder of the hour for normal
networking; talking with other people about anything of mutual interest,
whether on-topic or not. Often times people will go out for coffee to
continue their conversations when the hour is finished. Anyway, it's a nice
balance of structure and dynamics that leads to constructive involvement
without dissolving into chaos. So I think the principle behind the idea is
sound.
<snip>
> Maybe someone brings in their home PC that's giving them grief. Maybe 2 or
> 3 set up a small Unreal Tournament (can you tell I'm not a gamer)
<OT plug> Cube (http://cubeengine.com)! Fast, fun, free and works on older
comps (like mine ;-). </OT plug>
<snip>
> That value can be learning from a presentation, but it can also be
> mentoring people through the intermediate stages.
Truth. There are a ton of different interests (as Kevin points out below) but
I don't mind sharing a bit if I get a bit. Meaning, I'll happily spend time
with a newbie if I'm learning through that interaction or have already
learned something myself during the meeting.
> The biggest problem is
> that as people become more advanced, they specialize. Some want to do
> admin work, some write code. Some care about desktops. (some Gnome, some
> KDE). Some focus on security, some focus on small networks. Some email,
> some networking. Obviously, there's overlap, but this specialization means
> that Presentations will reach exponentially less people as you shoot higher
> on the skill level. Plus alienating everyone below.
>
> On the other hand, a small group might form to discuss DistCC or icecream.
> Does everyone need it? of course not. But us gentooers sure benefit from
> it. Much as a lan party would hit some people, so would a distcc group.
>
> These are just some examples. And they're just my thoughts. But there
> needs to be more than just big formal presentations.
Agreed.
Of course, you can take my ideas with a grain of salt since I can't regularly
attend anymore. :-( I miss it, though. I think meeting (literally) is an
important part of ensuring community longevity.
My thoughts,
Curtis S.
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