On Friday 28 Jan 2011 20:29:56 Geoff Wicks wrote: > Having written all this let me be the first person to state in public that > the time has come for Quanta to be wound up. When an organisation is > reduced to breaching its constitution to survive it has become a gigantic > farce. If we needed Quanta we would be using it. In practice the active > members of Quanta represent under 10% of the UK QL community and under 5% > of the international QL community. The demise of Quanta is something the > QL community can survive,
I wholeheartedly agree that the QL community could easily survive the demise of Quanta. I wholeheartedly disagree that Quanta should be wound up. Let me explain my position and my personal reasons why. I am a very bad Quanta member. I pay my subscription. I read the magazine. I attend the local subgroup. I will even go to the AGM. I avoid anything to do with the committee, partly because I have such strong views and do not want to sway my wife, Alison, who is the current secretary. I have twice in the past been on the Quanta committee, once with Geoff. I have no wish to be on the committee again, because the last time I received a letter threatening legal recourse because someone was upset about something or other and while it was all settled with a shake of hands, life is too short to be that bothered about a computer club for enthusiasts. I like the QL. I use mine although not as often as I would like, but probably more than I should. I have FAILED to upload all the survey that everyone kindly submitted. I have FAILED to write some articles that I have promised the Editor often. I do much that is half hearted. I have a QL on a stick that both lets me install uQLx under Linux or boots a Linux distribution off the stick with uQLx ready to run, but once done the challenge was over and interests move on. I think there is much that the community should be doing, but again that is my opinion. However, when it comes to Quanta, I am of the opinion that if you personally, do not want Quanta, for whatever reason, then leave it. People do for many reasons, be it apathy, no longer have the time or just want to move on. That is fine. I am grateful that they enriched the Quanta community. Some stay in the QL community. Great. That is their choice and they continue to enrich it. Some leave altogether and I am sad, but again that is their choice. I want to be in Quanta, I want Quanta to continue because I like it and gain benefit. I see no reason to wind it up because someone else does not get benefit from it when if that is the case they are not forced to remain and can leave. Like most things apathy wins. It is easier to do nothing and let the flow continue. As you, Geoff, seem to care for the community and have done so in the past, are you willing to assist Quanta? If you are willing, I will gladly propose you as a committee member. We would just need to find a seconder in time. Regards John Southern _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
