[PLUG] PLUG-org - Call for attendance.

[Don Buchholz]

Well, we've been picking on Karl for a day now, but I suspect
the "plug-org" idea does have merit.  There is definately a
core of volunteers in PLUG doing a lot of work: web site, mail
list maintenance, scheduling meetings, holding clinics ...
This year, we've had discussion on bringing high profile
speakers to Portland, and recently the RedHat Road Trip.
IIRC, a couple of years ago, there was talk about holding
a Linux convention in Portland.

These things take time and organization.  If those who are
actually doing the work need/want a mechanism to communicate,
and not bore the rest of us with tedious details, (hey, I've
more than enough tedious details in my own life that y'all
don't want to know about) I say "go for it!".

The reality is PLUG does have an steering committee (or, if
you prefer "cabal", "inner circle", "secret council" :-) ).
They are the guys/gals getting things done.  And, I must say,
they've been doing a pretty damned good job.  I certainly get
a lot of benefit from PLUG ... and I don't do squat!  (Well,
I try and answer at least one question for every one that I
post ... but that's pretty minimal in exchange for all the
other goodness this group makes available.)

My comments/suggestions for "plug-org" are:

   * Make any proceedings/notes open [for reading] to all.

   * Public write access is not necessary.  If one of us lurkers
     really has a serious itch, we will have e-mail addresses
     of the partcipants, and we'll just have to lobby the
     individuals to accept our idea.  Or ... we put our own
     butts on the line, and join the group!  Our organizors
     put their reputation on the line by taking responsibility
     for keeping the meetings/clinics going, making sure the
     pdxlinux.org servers work, etc.  And they do it as
     volunteers.

   * It might be a good idea to write up an informal charter
     that plug-org and plug-er's can review to remind ourselves
     why plug-org exists.

I too missed Karl's original post.  Going back an re-reading it,
he is right.  If we are ever to become ambitious enough to try
and host a convention (at least to host as "PLUG") we will need
some quasi-legal proof of existance -- you know, the ability to
sign agreements for leasing expo space, etc.

I am dismayed though, that his e-mail to PLUG occurred *before*
the infrastructure (web page and mailman config) were ready.

... ok, I yield the soapbox to the our next distinguished speaker ...

- Don