VanLUG Email Archive
Dave Michelson (dmichelson@home.com)
Fri, 14 May 1999 00:57:37 -0700
Report on the VanLUG Steering Committee Meeting
Held at BCIT, Bldg SW2, Room 166 (Burnaby)
12 May 1999, 19:00 - 21:30
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In Attendance
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Dave Michelson <dmichelson@home.com>
Riho Reitel <riholog@vcn.bc.ca>
Kiel Foreman <KielForeman@home.com>
Brian Bray <brianbr@ibm.net>
Joe Usubiaga <jusubiaga@usa.net>
Ivar Vasara <ivar@vcn.bc.ca>
Eric Deslisle <ericdcdn@netscape.net>
Marcos Bernaldez <bernaldez@iname.com>
Jan Walter <jwalter@home.com>
Kim Kulak <kim@vigilant.bc.ca>
Regrets:
Ryan Land
Lee Haslett
Brian Edmonds
Bruce Balden
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Results
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1. We had a great meeting! Thanks to Marcos, Ivar, and the BCIT
chapter of VanLUG for arranging for the meeting room!
2. Since none of those directly involved with the web site or the
membership database were in attendance, discussion concerning those
issues was deferred to a future meeting.
3. Finances. Our total expenses at COMDEX were $2,969.35. Our total
income, including CD sales, was $4,277.43. Our net income of $1,308.08
will be held in reserve for both the 1999 National InstallFest and
COMDEX 2000 on behalf of CLUE and the Linux User Groups in BC. As of
May 11, VanLUG has a surplus of $1,863.71 which will be used to
underwrite expenses associated with future projects.
4. Product Reviews. Many companies make hardware and software products
available to user groups for review. In return, they expect reviews to
be completed promptly and professionally. They also expect the reviews
to be publicized, either through short presentations at VanLUG meetings
or written reviews posted at the VanLUG web site. Ivar Vasara and
Marcos Bernaldez have volunteered to coordinate VanLUG's product review
efforts and ensure that these expectations are satisfied. Ivar will
focus on hardware while Marcos will focus on software. Their first task
will be to put together a web page for the VanLUG web site which
explains the process to potential product reviewers. If you're
interested in helping out or reviewing a product, please let them know.
5. Presentation Topics. The group noted that the talks which have been
most favourably received have, more often than not, been among the most
technical. Accordingly, we will encourage technically oriented speakers
even more in the future. We polled the group concerning presentation
topics of interest to the group. Here are some of the suggestions:
* developer's stories - true tales and anecdotes from software
developers who have an interesting story to tell about the development
of a Linux/UNIX utility, application, or product
* sys adm's or users' stories - case studies of Linux in action at home,
school, or business: how systems are set up and configured and why
* TCP/IP primer and review * sed and awk
* software copyright and other legal issues
* VRML, OpenGL, etc.
* Intel's Virtual Interface (VI) Architecture
* Parallel computing with Beowulf * the Linux boot sequence
6. Recruiting Speakers. In order to help us recruit speakers, we are
going to add a web page to the VanLUG site which will offer helpful
advice to people who are considering giving a presentation. The group
agreed that we should find some tangible way to show our appreciation to
those who spend time preparing a full-length (30-minute) presentation.
7. Very High Profile Speakers. Brian Bray suggested that we try to
bring in one Very High Profile speaker, e.g., someone like Eric Raymond,
for a once-in-a-year presentation. (We would have to seek corporate
sponsorship to help pay for such a speaker's travel and accommodation
expenses.)
8. Linux at Science World. The group enthusiastically embraced the
idea of contributing a Linux/UNIX display of some sort to Science
World. Our objective would be to help people put UNIX and Open Source
in context, NOT to teach people how to configure, administer, or use a
Linux system. We would, however, supply pointers to suitable materials,
perhaps via a companion web site. The notion of setting up a Beowulf
cluster, rendering farm, or other working example of Linux in action was
seen as very appealing, especially if was actually being used by outside
groups for real applications.
9. Alternative Meeting Locations. The group toured the BC Tel theatre
in the IBM Technology Building (SE6) at BCIT. It seats 300 people in
tiered seating and is equipped with two overhead projectors, a data
projector permanently mounted on the ceiling, and a speaker's lectern
with a microphone, clock, etc. It's also a very short walk away from
the Elephant on Campus pub. The group was very favourably impressed.
Marcos Bernaldez reports that the head of BCIT's Computing Systems
Technology Program is willing to book the theatre on our behalf and
without charge should we choose to hold meetings or lectures at BCIT.
The meeting adjourned to the Elephant on Campus pub at 21:30.
-- Dave Michelson dmichelson@home.com
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