I was talking to a gentleman today and the subject of Linux came up. While not in Calgary itself he is relatively close and has attended some of the meetings, and while getting some valuable information, he commented on how there can sometimes not be enough value in being a CLUG member. He also commented how often times at the meetings it seems very cliquey and that a stranger doesn't always feel welcome.
WOW...may sound harsh....but its true. Often times we don't get a second chance to make a good impression on someone, and any seeds that may have been planted may just have hit infertile ground, just based on that one meeting. I fully admit that I have been guilty of this in the past and the current executive is fully aware of this and continues to try and change things up to make CLUG a more relevant, directed and valuable resources to not only the FLOSS community but the general public; the business community an dother communities also. Now to be fair, this person did mention that other groups he knows of or is involved in have some of the same challenges in trying to "re-create" or "re-establish" themselves to be more relevant in their sphere of influence. This is why I am personally such a proponent of creating a strong, clear consistent image for CLUG and as something that "works" for as many people as possible. But that only works when the membership, the executive, the communities we work with/trying to reach and even the critics are allw orking together and communicating effectively. I would challenge those people out there, to look at what you want from CLUG, but also what you might be willing to share. Evey little bit helps, and sometimes just by being there, it makes a difference. If you have something you think you can share... or have questions about needs for CLUG, ask an executive member...get involved with an existing project...or start a project on your own. _______________________________________________ clug-talk mailing list [email protected] http://clug.ca/mailman/listinfo/clug-talk_clug.ca Mailing List Guidelines (http://clug.ca/ml_guidelines.php) **Please remove these lines when replying
