[wplug-plan] Some comments

[Weber, Lawrence A]

Dear WPLUG Board Members:

 

I have been a casual Linux user for approximately 15 years.  Over this
time I have been amazed at the quality of software support that the
WPLUG members provide.  It is rare to wait over 30 minutes for one or
more accurate solutions to problems sent to the email list.  Just as
important I never see people getting flamed; all requests for help are
courteously handled. 

 

I first attended a WPLUG meeting, an installfest, over 10 years ago.
After that I would drop into meetings whenever I could.  My Saturday
mornings are usually very busy and it has been difficult to attend very
often.  At that time meetings were busy and there were many members to
talk to and share information.

 

Recently the engineering department I work with made the decision to use
Linux as the operating system for non-vital portions of products.  I now
have the opportunity to spend most of my time working with embedded
Linux.  With this renewed focus on Linux, I felt I needed to make a
better effort to attend WPLUG meetings and become a member.  I attended
the July 11th meeting, please let me share with you my impressions.

 

I arrived early to the meeting, hoping to have a chance to meet with a
board member or two.  Apparently there were not enough chairs set up so
I offered to help.  I was told, "Thanks but we have it covered."  There
were not many people there and absolutely no one was willing to greet
new people.  Small groups had formed to talk about personal subjects so
I did not want to intrude.  One of the board members was busy setting up
chairs.  One was setting up a PC to help someone with in installation
and the only other board member was preparing for the presentation.

 

The presentation could have been interesting had it not been for the
constant interruption by a rude know-it-all attendee.  He had to
challenge everything that the presenter said.  Not that I am opposed to
sharing and getting facts correct, but the presenter had obviously spent
significant time pulling his information and demonstration together.  He
had little opportunity to make his presentation.  This was enough for me
to know that I would never want to talk to this group.

 

Eventually a board member walked by and I asked him to take my
membership application.  I was told I should have given it to the
secretary (and who would that be?), but that was o.k., he would give the
secretary the form/check.  End of conversation.  The meeting then
abruptly ended.  I was left with the impression that WPLUG is
dissolving.  Hopefully this was just an atypically bad meeting.

 

As an active member in other organizations and clubs please allow me to
offer some suggestions.

 

Have a board member greet new meeting attendees, giving them a briefing
on how the meeting will progress and introduce them to at least one
other member.  Other board members should circulate, making themselves
available to all.

 

Help presenters control the group.  The attendees should have the
opportunity to listen to what the presenter has prepared.  If they have
so much to say, ask them to do a follow-up presentation.

 

Consider sending new members an email, welcoming them to WPLUG and
letting them know of activities open to them.  Get them caught up with
on-going activities.

 

And on a different subject:  I noticed that there is going to be an
Installfest at the WSCC in a couple of weeks.  Are we sure that the
power there can handle the AC and PCs?  We know it can't handle a coffee
maker.
 
 
Respectfully,
 
Lawrence A. Weber
 
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