158 lines
6.5 KiB
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158 lines
6.5 KiB
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<TITLE>Linux User Group HOWTO: LUG activities</TITLE>
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<LINK HREF="User-Group-HOWTO-6.html" REL=next>
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<LINK HREF="User-Group-HOWTO-4.html" REL=previous>
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<LINK HREF="User-Group-HOWTO.html#toc5" REL=contents>
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<A HREF="User-Group-HOWTO-6.html">Next</A>
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<A HREF="User-Group-HOWTO.html#toc5">Contents</A>
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<HR>
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<H2><A NAME="s5">5.</A> <A HREF="User-Group-HOWTO.html#toc5">LUG activities</A></H2>
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<P>In the previous section I focused exclusively on what LUGs do and
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should do. This section's focus shifts to practical strategies.</P>
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<P>There are, despite permutations of form, two basic things LUGs do:
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First, members meet in physical space; second, they communicate
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in cyberspace. Nearly everything LUGs do can be seen in terms of
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meetings and online resources.</P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss5.1">5.1</A> <A HREF="User-Group-HOWTO.html#toc5.1">Meetings</A>
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</H2>
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<P>As I said above, physical meetings are synonymous with LUGs (and
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most user groups). LUGs have these kinds of meetings:</P>
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<P>
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<UL>
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<LI>social</LI>
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<LI>technical presentations</LI>
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<LI>informal discussion groups</LI>
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<LI>user group business</LI>
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<LI>GNU/Linux installation</LI>
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<LI>configuration and bug-squashing</LI>
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</UL>
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</P>
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<P>What do LUGs do at these meetings?</P>
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<P>
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<UL>
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<LI>Install distributions for newcomers and strangers.</LI>
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<LI>Teach members about GNU/Linux.</LI>
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<LI>Compare GNU/Linux to other operating systems.</LI>
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<LI>Teach members about application software.</LI>
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<LI>Discuss advocacy.</LI>
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<LI>Discuss the free software / open-source movement.</LI>
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<LI>Discuss user group business.</LI>
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<LI>Eat, drink, and be merry.</LI>
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</UL>
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</P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss5.2">5.2</A> <A HREF="User-Group-HOWTO.html#toc5.2">Online resources</A>
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</H2>
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<P>The commercial rise of the Internet coincided roughly with that of
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GNU/Linux; the latter owes something to the former. The 'Net has always been
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important to development. LUGs are no different: Most have Web
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pages, if not whole Web sites. In fact, I'm not sure how else to find a
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LUG, but to check the Web. </P>
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<P>It makes sense, then, for a LUG to make use of whatever Internet
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technologies they can: Web sites, mailing lists, wikis, ftp, e-mail, Web
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discussion forums, netnews, etc. As the world of commerce is
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discovering, the 'Net is an effective way to advertise, inform, educate,
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and even sell. The other reason LUGs make extensive use of Internet
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technology is that the very essence of GNU/Linux is to <I>provide</I>
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a stable and rich platform to deploy these technologies. So,
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not only do LUGs benefit from, say, establishment of a Web site,
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because it advertises their existence and helps organise members,
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but, in deploying these technologies, LUG members
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learn about them and see GNU/Linux at work.</P>
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<P>Arguably, a well-maintained Web site is the one must-have, among those
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Internet resources. My essay
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<A HREF="http://linuxmafia.com/faq/Linux_PR/newlug.html">Recipe for a Successful Linux User Group</A>, for that reason,
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spends considerable time discussing Web issues. Quoting it (in outline form):</P>
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<P>
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<UL>
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<LI>You need a Web page.</LI>
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<LI>Your Web page needs a reasonable URL.</LI>
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<LI>You need a regular meeting location.</LI>
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<LI>You need a regular meeting time.</LI>
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<LI>You need to avoid meeting-time conflicts.</LI>
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<LI>You need to make sure that meetings happen as advertised, without fail.</LI>
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<LI>You need a core of several enthusiasts.</LI>
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<LI>Your core volunteers need out-of-band methods of communication.</LI>
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<LI>You need to get on the main lists of LUGs, and keep your entries accurate.</LI>
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<LI>You must have login access to maintain your Web pages, as needed.</LI>
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<LI>Design your Web page to be forgiving of deferred maintenance.</LI>
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<LI>Always include the day of the week, when you cite event dates. Always check that day of the week, first, using gcal.</LI>
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<LI>Place time-sensitive and key information prominently near the top of your main Web page.</LI>
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<LI>Include maps and directions to your events.</LI>
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<LI>Emphasise on your main page that your meeting will be free of charge and open to the public (if it is).</LI>
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<LI>You'll want to include an RSVP "mailto" hyperlink, on some events.</LI>
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<LI>Use referral pages.</LI>
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<LI>Make sure every page has a revision date and maintainer link.</LI>
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<LI>Check all links, at intervals.</LI>
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<LI>You may want to consider establishing a LUG mailing list.</LI>
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<LI>You don't need to be in the Internet Service Provider business.</LI>
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<LI>Don't go into any other business, either.</LI>
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<LI>Walk the walk. (Do the LUG's computing on GNU/Linux.)</LI>
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</UL>
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</P>
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<P>That essay partly supplements (and partly overlaps) this HOWTO.</P>
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<P>Some LUGs using the Internet effectively:</P>
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<P>
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<UL>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.ale.org/">Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.blu.org/">Boston Linux and Unix</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.cluedenver.org/">Colorado Linux Users and Enthusiasts</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.dlug.de/">Dusseldorfer Linux Users Group</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://linux-delhi.org/">India Linux Users Group - Delhi</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.iglu.org.il/">Israeli Group of Linux Users</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.lug.or.kr/">Korean Linux Users Group</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://cofradia.org/">Linux Mexico (La Cofradia Digital)</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.luga.at/">Linux User Group Austria</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.lugod.org/">Linux User Group of Davis</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.lugor.org/">Linux User Group of Rochester</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.nllgg.nl/">Nederlandse Linux Gebruikers Groep (Netherlands Linux Users Group or NLLGG)</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.ntlug.org/">North Texas Linux Users Group</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.oclug.on.ca/">Ottawa Canada Linux Users Group</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://plugfr.org/">Provence Linux Users Group</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.tlug.jp/">Tokyo Linux Users Group</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.linux.org.tr/">Turkish Linux User Group</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://www.vlug.org/">Victoria Linux User Group</A></LI>
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<LI>
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<A HREF="http://volgograd.lug.ru/">Volgograd Linux User Group</A></LI>
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</UL>
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</P>
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<P>Please let me know if your LUG uses the Internet in an important or
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interesting way; I'd like this list to include your group.</P>
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