[wplug] GNU/Linux ?

[Benjamin Slavin]

Don, I think you're an asset to this list, but in this case I have to 
disagree with you.

I could be wrong, but I don't think that Beth Lynn was going for the 
concept of "Open Licensed Software" (of course, I cannot speak for her, 
only what I've interpreted). I got the impression that she was more in 
favor of a list open to 'Open Licensed Operating Systems [with an 
incredibly strong emphasis on Unix-derived operating systems and the 
general topics that relate to them]'.

Moreover, WPLUG has specifically and laudably created a wplug-bsd 
mailing list to focus the questions of BSD users more directly. As such, 
it is obvious that there is concern for keeping topics which are 
separate in nature in their respective domains.

Certainly, I don't believe that Beth Lynn was going for a 'this list is 
only for things that are distribution "out of the box" based... don't 
mention any software that isn't part of your base system here, buddy' 
mentality either (again, I DO NOT speak for Beth Lynn, and do not want 
this to stand for her opinion). Linux (and other *nix derivatives) are 
only as good as the sum of their parts. In a corporate setting, this 
means that Star/OpenOffice, PHP, wireless access points, and the SCO 
controversy are important. This is a Linux USERS Group... not a Linux 
Group, therefore I think that topics of and relating to the users' 
interaction with a Linux environment are highly applicable.

To use your analogy, I see the position which WPLUG takes as being akin 
to a reading group where people discuss both books as well as the movies 
that have a direct bearing on the books (or upon which the books have 
had a direct bearing). I have no problem with discussions meandering 
into the realm of 'related topics'. If it wasn't for 'related topics,' I 
wouldn't be using FreeBSD right now. I can thank Bill Moran of Potential 
Technologies for his well-done presentation  at a recent WPLUG meeting 
for introducing me to FreeBSD, and convincing me that it was better 
suited to my needs.

Getting back to the whole 'diversification of WPLUG' issue, I am all for 
the venturing of WPLUG into adjacent categories of computing and 
computing related topics. I trust that the 'ruling council' will display 
the same care in the future that they have in the past (as exampled by 
the creation of the wplug-bsd list), by creating different venues for 
conversation over topics which aren't at home on the standard wplug 
mailing list.

Sincerely,
  --Ben