Just some observations and ideas for your outreach program. Vermont is a great place to live and here the word community is a way of life for us. Ditto that for the Open Source community as well and for that reason extending the invitation to the entire world to come to VAGUE or whatever name you decide on would seem the thing to do.
For me the internet is made up of communities of all stripes. Photography, writing, technology and many, many more to boot. People are out there, 24 hours a day seeking knowledge for their hobbies or professions. Linux forums and podcasts are terrifically popular items and with each passing year Linux becomes more adept at providing alternatives to conventional software to aid in the pursuit of those hobbies or professions. If I can just veer off the 'nixcentric for a bit to illustrate a larger point about the internet. Just today, I typed in "wheel bearing noise" and I was met with youtube videos of the sound of a bad wheel bearing. I shot down to the autoparts store, bought some stuff, jacked up the beast (my work van), and now here I sit...typing this out with a bit of the grime that I couldn't wash off altogether but my wheel is once again...a quiet wheel. More and more people are attempting do-it-yourself projects and they have more heart and pride in their work than some of the pro's that I deal with during my day job. (Construction, btw) These people are special, devoting their time and efforts to help others with no expectation of reward or payment. I love to see all this and I find now that I want to put back into the system that has helped me time and time again to fix a variety of things over the years. We are more empowered than ever before and it's good feeling. Undoubtedly, the people that come here have diverse skill sets, aptitudes and hobbies and with the proper organization and presentation you could certainly provide a place for the world to come by and spend some time and share some knowledge about OSS and what it can do for them. Maybe you could up the ante and collect a dues or contributions to fund a website that would in turn provide functionality and build your community. It doesn't need to be much but it should be a self sustaining enterprise and there is no reason why it shouldn't be. Articles, videos, how-tos, employing OSS in the real world would expand your universe and you would have a lot of fun doing it. It could be more like an online magazine and an open source one at that. Forums, a podcast, pictures and photo contests, writing contests, heck the sky isn't the limit, it never was the limit. The only limit has been only that of the imagination and what time allows. The talent and expertise you most likely already possess so you just need to define a direction and say - Let's go! On Sat, Sep 18, 2010 at 6:26 PM, rob mehner <[email protected]> wrote: > http://www.rt100vt.com/bloghome/?currentPage=3 > > <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. >>>>> >>>>> >>> >
