[PLUG] The PLUG Web Page (was: What PLUG Needs)

[Geoff Burling]

On Mon, 10 Jun 2002, Kelly Guimont wrote:

> I would be willing to generate content (I'm in the unemployed SIG, I gots
> the time, yo) but I don't know what you need. If you give me a couple of
> pointers I'd be happy to help. It'd keep my brain even further from atropy
> and that's always good. (:
>
Some ideas:

1. Augment the content that is already there --
   * Add to the FAQ
   * Add to the collection of Linux resources
   * Add to the collection of Open Source in the NW links

2. New content --
   * Periodically people ask questions about the best computer stores
     in town, specialty electronics stores, used computer stores, &
     computer repair shops. We could use a list of these that is kept
     up to date.
   * An idea I had -- but have not been able to develop -- is a list of
     resources for the Linux enthusiast who has installed Linux
     successfully on her/his system, has some skill with the command
     line & a text editor, but now wonders ``What's next?" This
     could be a collection of URLs, books or periodicals that help plumb
     the mysteries of X, printing under Linux, databases, & so on.
     Or it could be a Howto.

3. Magazine-like content --
   * Howtos, descriptions of how you started as an innocent with a given
     computer application & learned how to master it.
   * Articles on Linux in the NW. One fact about Linux, *BSD & the other
     Unices is that we have an underappreciated concentration of talent
     here in Portland: we need to publicize this talent, & record its
     history here. Otherwise, people will mistakenly believe that all
     important computer developments take place in Silicon Valley, the
     North Carolina research triangle, the Boston/New York/Washington DC
     sprawl -- & nowhere else.

I know this last catagory sounds an awful like what Computer Bits,
Linux Gazette, & the other publications might publish to a larger audience.
My point for suggesting these topics is to encourage everyone to cast our
nets wide & see what we catch, & learn which items we have caught are
worth keeping. And if a disappointed author leaves our humble website to
contribute for one of these other venues, I feel we have still done our job
by creating one more Linux-savvy journalist. And we all know we can never
have too many of these.

Lastly, look over the last 6 to 12 months of the PLUG mailing list.
I feel that there are many ideas there. If nothing else, a weekly digest
or review like the ones done for the Linux Kernel mailing list would be
quite useful -- & allow people to enjoy the wheat without dealing with
either the chaff or the flamewars of the PLUG list.

Geoff