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<http://www.rt100vt.com/bloghome/?currentPage=3>Something I started a little while ago...but I've very little time for it right now. If the little guy or myself can be of any help, let us know. One of the things that I haven't thought through is that if Linux became "mainstream" would I then be shopping for a new OS? I'm amazed at how far it's all coming along. I started back with Redhat 6.2. Those were the days, man...those were the days. On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 8:52 AM, Joe Golden <[email protected]> wrote: > Hmmm. > > VTUX: The Vermont Unix Experience > > Penguins playing Hendrix? That video could go viral ;-) > > -- > Joe Golden /_\ http://triangul.us /_\ People, Ideas, Connections > > > Jacob Beauregard wrote: > >> VTux? >> >> On Fri, 2010-09-17 at 22:12 -0400, Joe Golden wrote: >> >>> As renaming (rebranding?) is considered, let me point out "vague" has a >>> generally negative connotation as does "gimp". To geeks this is kind of >>> cool, but often times the general public doesn't get it. >>> >>> I'm embarrassed when I mention I use "the GIMP" for photo editing to >>> mainstream clients. The GIMP is a great program and VAGUE is a great group, >>> but if we're considering broader appeal, how 'bout a little more sex: >>> >>> * Yankee Silicon Commandos >>> * Freedom and Liberty Unix Technology Enthusiasts >>> * Vermont Penguin Programmers >>> * Catamount Linux Club >>> * VT Penguin Posse >>> * Green Mountain Technology Club >>> * VORTEX >>> >>> My 2c and worth every penny ;-) >>> -- >>> Joe Golden /_\ http://triangul.us /_\ People, Ideas, Connections >>> >>> >>> Josh Sled wrote: >>> >>>> "Matthew Weier O'Phinney" <[email protected]> writes: >>>> >>>>> What about thinking of it in terms of "the unix way" -- which focuses >>>>> on discrete tools, piped together to create complex or new systems? >>>>> That almost perfectly describes what you discuss above -- and still >>>>> keeps the "u" in vague. >>>>> >>>> Well sure, it's a good design philosophy. And one of which I'm >>>> supportive, of course. :) >>>> >>>> But please don't miss my point: I'm not saying "reject unix", I'm saying >>>> "embrace interesting (potentially non-unix) technology". >>>> >>>> ("VermonT Area Group of the-Unix-way Enthusiasts" is pretty horrible, >>>> you have to admit. ;) >>>> >>>> >>>> Brett Johnson <[email protected]> writes: >>>> >>>>> You can't possibly be enthused about Unix without FOSS, BSD, Linux, >>>>> Mac, etc. These have played a large role in the history of Unix and it's >>>>> derivatives. Furthermore, I >>>>> think when one says Unix most people don't think solely of the >>>>> traditional HP-UX, Solaris and AIX Unix flavors. Maybe I'm alone (or >>>>> maybe >>>>> I'll have the older members >>>>> swinging at me with bottles defending the reality they grew up with), >>>>> but to me the term Unix also includes its offshoots, clones and related >>>>> software (those that follow >>>>> the principles of Unix). There may be differences between being at an >>>>> HP-UX terminal and a CentOS terminal, but either way they both largely >>>>> hold >>>>> true to many of the Unix >>>>> principles and are functionally very similar. >>>>> >>>>> I think the term Unix is still relevant. My two cents anyway... >>>>> >>>> Marc Farnum Rendino <[email protected]> writes: >>>> >>>>> "UNIX" is not just a specific product, but a way of life - and it begat >>>>> OSS, Linux, Mac OS X, etc. >>>>> >>>>> It's a living, changing ecosystem and there's nothing wrong with >>>>> continuing to nod to the founders. :) >>>>> >>>> As I mentioned, VAGUE has expanded in exactly this way. >>>> >>>> I think an explicit focus on FOSS is a core part of VAGUE, and/or >>>> whatever entity I'm suggesting. >>>> >>>> But I propose we go further, still … in some undefined way. >>>> >>>> I usually subscribe more to the Bill Hicks school of marketing, but I do >>>> know this: no one cares to seek out a "unix enthusiasts" group, even if >>>> they want to do things in the unix tradition, and especially if they >>>> don't know that, yet. :) >>>> >>>> >>>> Tony Harris <[email protected]> writes: >>>> >>>> I would suggest that changing the focus of the group from Unix (or >>>>> better: *nix) enthusiasts to essentially technology enthusiasts would >>>>> produce a totally different group >>>>> than what we have. I don't often make VAGUE meetings, I confess, but I >>>>> have tended to see the group as one that is focused on >>>>> Linux/Unix/BSD/etc.-based FOSS, including a >>>>> wide range of topics from system administration, programming, and user >>>>> standpoints. I think there's a real need for having such a group, and I >>>>> feel it would be a shame if >>>>> VAGUE became so vaguely defined, so to speak, that it lost its focus on >>>>> FOSS advocacy. Perhaps if there's enough desire for such a wider group, >>>>> it >>>>> might be worth starting >>>>> another one, and letting VAGUE stay with the more *nix/FOSS hacker >>>>> focus. >>>>> >>>> Rubin Bennett <[email protected]> writes: >>>> >>>> I share the opinion that we should not lose focus - there are plenty of >>>>> other groups out there. >>>>> Besides, I always thought VAGUE meant Vermont Area Group of Unix-like >>>>> (ish?) Enthusiasts! >>>>> >>>>> However, if we as a group feel like we aren't vibrant enough (thus the >>>>> idea of a moniker change), then I would suggest getting our collective >>>>> arses >>>>> in gear and breathe some life into the organization we've got :) >>>>> >>>> >>>> I agree that it would be a different group of people; I think the change >>>> in focus would allow for a larger, better group. A superset of VAGUE. A >>>> rising tide lifts all boats, and having more regular meetings over a >>>> wider set of topics, many of which are "VAGUE-focused" would lead to >>>> more VAGUE meetings than we've been able to sustain. Said another way: >>>> would you rather have a group that had good content every month, 6 of >>>> which were "unixy", or a VAGUE that meets on and off maybe for 6 months >>>> of the year, and with only 3 presentations? >>>> >>>> >>>> A good example is http://twitter.com/DanBowles/status/24380896554 . >>>> Would someone start something as narrow as a jquery user's group >>>> (something I would imagine destined for failure in the sparse hills of >>>> Vermont) if there was a friendly pan-technology interest group to talk >>>> about it within? The Microsoft/.NET ecosystem is large enough to be >>>> self-sustaining, and I don't know how the PHP guys do it, but they seem >>>> vibrant. :) >>>> >>>> What about "unix enthusiasts" would draw in a web developer who develops >>>> on a Mac and deploys to Google App Engine? Or a Java developer on >>>> Windows (who's operational peer might deploy on Linux, but that's not >>>> her concern)? Or someone setting up MySQL on their office Windows >>>> server? Or someone making HTML5+WebGL+js apps that run on Android >>>> tablets? Or people doing hardware hacking on Arduino boards? Or people >>>> building web-services for open street map/GIS data? >>>> >>>> (Those last two examples being two of the most-successful VAGUE meetings >>>> of the last couple of years, btw. :) >>>> >>>> If these sorts of meeting started happening under the VAGUE moniker, >>>> would people complain? I don't think so, as some already did. But it >>>> does invite the question about the scope of a "unix enthusiasts" group >>>> … and here we are. :) >>>> >>>> Of course the unix tradition is important. Technologies with liberal, >>>> foss licenses. Projects that are open rather than closed. That value >>>> privacy and user autonomy. That respect the creator/user's ownership of >>>> their data, instead of the site's ownership of their data. All those >>>> "unix tradition" things, that we must struggle to promote, but without >>>> the (frankly, dying) attachment to "unix". >>>> >>>> I seek to frame it in a way that is both broader than VAGUE, but still >>>> focused concisely and concretely. One where all the (copious! ;) VAGUE >>>> mailing list traffic would not be out of place, and "VAGUE" meetings >>>> would still be held. But that was also perhaps more discoverable to and >>>> inclusive of people of various backgrounds to participate, leading to a >>>> more self-sustainable community. >>>> >>>> >>>> I'll stand up and offer to host a November meeting at rbTech if there's >>>>> interest in a field trip out to EastMont. We could demo our *really damn >>>>> cool* phone system (the non-FOSS Digium SwitchVOX SMB with the FOSS >>>>> Asterisk >>>>> as the base), and/ or talk about our FOSS WANBalancer multi-WAN firewall >>>>> system that we build (and developed) here. >>>>> >>>> Thank you for offering. We need more like this, of presentations, >>>> content, venues, &c. >>>> >>>> >>
