[TriLUG] Trilug -- Current Status

Fri May 10 12:19:48 EDT 2024

There is no question that TriLUG has stagnated to a very concerning level.
Having served on the steering committee in the past, I can attest that
running TriLUG takes a substantial amount of time and energy from
volunteers. We've been lucky to have contributions from each person who has
volunteered recently or in the past. Like any volunteer-run organization,
it's normal for people to cycle through; people show up with ideas and
energy, spend a few years making things happen, and then pass the torch as
their interest and ability to continue contributing wanes.

It's obvious that the current SC needs help. I don't mean to criticise
anyone, but we can all see that the most basic functions of the
organization aren't being fulfilled. One of the most essential functions is
the annual election, which is critical to enable new (and returning!)
volunteers to step up.

When was the last election? It appears that one was scheduled for the June
2022 meeting, but I can't find any record of results being shared. The
by-laws *require* an election each May, so we are at least an entire year
overdue.

" Article V: Meetings
  Section 1: Election
  A meeting must occur each May to elect a new Steering Committee. "

If any member of TriLUG would like to make a difference and contribute
toward reviving the organization, I suggest that you insist on an election,
and recruit additional candidates to fill out a steering committee that is
committed to maintaining TriLUG as a functioning organization.

As for the nature of the organization itself, there is a lot to discuss and
consider.
- How can TriLUG add value as a local organization at a time when
world-class lectures and presentations are available for free with a few
clicks, and questions can be answered quickly by any of numerous online
communities?
- Should TriLUG continue hosting and (theoretically) managing its own
infrastructure?

Great questions for the next Steering Committee!

Michael

On Fri, May 10, 2024 at 11:05 AM Z-man via TriLUG <trilug at trilug.org> wrote:

> Regarding the previous comments made, I must quote Gabby Johnson, "Raw-ry."
>
> Seriously, many have moved on due to their companies going to the cloud to
> save costs. Frankly, I enjoy the technical aspects of computing and that is
> why I still keep my hands in knowing about Linux. This forum has provided
> me with lots of information over the years and I am highly grateful for all
> it has given. It would be a serious shame to have it dissolve entirely.
>
> On Fri, May 10, 2024 at 9:54 AM Bill Weinel via TriLUG <trilug at trilug.org>
> wrote:
>
> > I think this is partially true. Many of the original members of LUGs
> > have either moved on to other pursuits, or have become proficient in
> > Linux to the point where LUGs don't provide them with much value for the
> > time invested. However, there are many users of other operating systems
> > (MS Windows) out there who still have no clue as to what Linux is, how
> > it works, or how and why it's better than what they are currently using.
> >
> > The old original argument against Linux, which I used to hear regularly
> > from MS users, was that "there is no equivalent Linux application
> > available" to perform whatever task they were trying to accomplish.
> > Today, this is mostly no longer true, since there are now a wide variety
> > of open source applications available for Linux which accomplish the
> > same tasks as their MS equivalents. The second argument was that "Linux
> > is too complicated to use". That's also mostly untrue these days since
> > we now have a variety of Linux desktop operating systems available, some
> > of which a user can operate without ever having a need to drop into a
> > shell or have any underlying knowledge of the O/S. Finally, many users
> > have a bias against Linux because they have never tired it and know
> > nothing else but MS Windows. This is any area where LUGs can make an
> > impact by providing a local forum for users to experience Linux in
> person.
> >
> > Linuxes biggest issue, in my opinion, is just a lack of information on
> > the current state of Linux which hasn't gotten through to most computer
> > users. That's where LUGs have a significant role to play. By providing
> > current Linux information to the masses of uninformed users, it's
> > likely  that more users will see the advantages to using an open source
> > operating system .vs. having to pay for an operating system which
> > constantly has issues and is vastly inefficient.
> >
> > As always... YMMV.
> >
> > All the best,
> > Bill
> >
> >
> > On 5/9/24 15:33, William Sutton wrote:
> > > Looking back at this from a quarter century perspective ... I think
> > > we're seeing here in accelerated form what happened with auto clubs in
> > > the last century.  When Linux was still very much new and hobbyist
> > > oriented, there was a great demand for users groups.  As it has become
> > > mainstream, and as people have moved from RTP to other areas, or from
> > > Linux to other job profiles, our active membership has declined.  I've
> > > seen the same thing with the Northern Virginia Linux users group over
> > > the same timeframe.
> >
> > --
> > This message was sent to: Drummer <czdrummer at gmail.com>
> > To unsubscribe, send a blank message to trilug-leave at trilug.org from
> that
> > address.
> > TriLUG mailing list : https://www.trilug.org/mailman/listinfo/trilug
> > Unsubscribe or edit options on the web  :
> > https://www.trilug.org/mailman/options/trilug/czdrummer%40gmail.com
> > Welcome to TriLUG: https://trilug.org/welcome
>
>
>
> --
> Craig Zimmer
> ***********
> "Boldness of action is often wrongfully perceived as uneducated."
> --
> This message was sent to: Michael Hrivnak <mhrivnak at hrivnak.org>
> To unsubscribe, send a blank message to trilug-leave at trilug.org from that
> address.
> TriLUG mailing list : https://www.trilug.org/mailman/listinfo/trilug
> Unsubscribe or edit options on the web  :
> https://www.trilug.org/mailman/options/trilug/mhrivnak%40hrivnak.org
> Welcome to TriLUG: https://trilug.org/welcome