Bill,
I would advise you to impeach the offending mdlug officers. Get a Robert's
Rules of Order and motion for an impeachment vote at the next meeting. You
can actually take over the meeting legally under such circumstances. A last
resort would be to abandon that one and start another that is truly open
source oriented. I suppose you could just give the ms people credible
misinformation, but this would take some coordination and agreement of all
the attendees. If you have a real "fifth column" running that lug, then they
need to be ejected.
Smitty
>
> Smitty, Tom is a personal friend. I have dined with him and been
> a guest at his house on a couple of occaisions. We have spoken
> at length on personal topics unrelated to Linux. But he is
> probably not the guy to go to for direct, concise answers.
>
> I, personally, am spearheading the "anti-MSFT-meeting" drive on
> MDLUG. My already fragile popularity index is suffering
> mightily. <chuckling heartily!> I consider this an indication
> that I am on the right track. Proponents of the meeting are
> presently at the stage of villifying the messenger (me). I
> suspect this is because they have not been able to answer a
> couple of pointed questions:
>
> A) What does Microsoft have that we need?
> B) How will the meeting help to get it from them?
>
> To which I provided the answers:
>
> A) Nothing
> B) It can't.
>
> One of the members observed that Microsoft only wants to confirm
> the marketing information their consultants are giving them. I
> responded by inquiring why on earth we would help them. At all.
>
> A couple on that list have wondered what I am so fearful about.
> One ... (hereafter referred to as "the minion") ... went so far
> as to assure me that Microserfs do not see themselves as evil. I
> am hard pressed to fully express my gratitude for that
> enlightenment. However, that noise known as a "Bronx cheer"
> comes to mind. Even so, I really am not much concerned with the
> self-image held by the employees of Microsoft. The average
> German thought they were doing the right thing in WW II. History
> showed otherwise. Having warm fuzzy thoughts about Microsoft
> will be cold solace if they succeed in defeating the GPL. The
> thought that the LUGS might help them do it nauseates me. I mean
> that quite literally.
>
> I am wondering how some members of MDLUG manage to chew their
> own food. Microsoft does not have a good track record. Stac
> Electronics, DR-DOS, Kerberos come swiftly to mind; to name just
> a few well-known examples of their tactics and intentions.
>
> It is beginning to feel like late summer, 1938.
> http://library.byu.edu/~rdh/eurodocs/uk/peace.html
> http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/imt/munich1.htm
> http://history.acusd.edu/gen/WW2Timeline/Prelude11.html
>
> It's a very frustrating time at this end of I-75.
>
> Bill
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