I always loved the Brandon meetings. (Loved the St Pete and the Tampa
meetings, too.) We just couldn't make them any more because of time and
distance. Angela's job has her going to bed pretty early, and Brandon is
about 35 mile drive to get to during rush hour. *yuck*
As far as Linux, I originally started up so I could run my own server.
Unfortunatally, I discovered that I could make a huge time investment in
being
my own IT, or I could acutally get "paying work" done by getting a
professionally hosted server. (Gee, guess which direction I went...) Since
I still have to deal with M$-based customers, my time for The Great Penguin
became even more limited. But what I learned was invaluable for dealing with
my hosted service (Linux is still my only choice!!!) (Dylan, I'll be
hitting you
up for a PHP group's meeting, if there's still one around!!!)
It seems to me that there needed to be more publicity, but I'm not the one
to give council on that. Can't expect people to show up if there's no
advertising. Also, while I loved having the coffee shop right there at the
meetings, Borders wasn't the most comfortable envionment for a meeting.
Back when we were going to Brandon, you really couldn't set up computers,
there's no interent access, etc, etc, etc. Maybe that had some hand it the
decline, on top of what everyone else has posted.
Just ramblings. Take it for what it's worth.
James
----- Original Message -----
From: <savatage@mindspring.com>
To: <slug@nks.net>; <slug-politics@nks.net>; <slug-announce@nks.net>
Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 7:50 PM
Subject: [SLUG] The End of an Era for SLUG?
> Hello everyone Bill Preece here… As many of you know we have had SLUG
> meetings in Brandon for many years…Norb, Diane and I were happy to have
> had the opportunity to be one of the first splinters for SLUG…
> One point we even had 2 monthly Brandon meetings… As attendance began to
> drop to a point of low turn out we discontinued the Bimonthly meeting to
> build back up the attendance for the main Brandon Meetings…
>
> Once again we are at a point to where the meeting attendance has been less
> then ¼ of the normal turn out…
> I can only speculate the reason to the massive drop in attendance for the
> meetings…
>
> 1. Linux has gotten that much easier…
> 2. Interest in Linux has slacked…
> 3. Not enough happening at the meetings, demos, and presentations…
> 4. Linux is available via downloads more then before…
> 5. No Swag – Which I hope this is not the reason…
> 6. Since the live Distros not a lot of advancements for the Average Users…
> 7. Too many Lug Meetings…
> 8. Job Schedules
> 9. We had a Windows hex placed on the users???
>
> “Or perhaps I’m fizzled out and can not keep enough peoples interest at
> the meetings because I’m not creative enough or boring!”
>
> Again I can’t explain the reason for the drop in attendance… How ever in
> my honest opinion I feel if we drop the Brandon meetings that perhaps the
> Tampa Meeting will pick up in its attendance and the Tampa Meetings are
> more centralized for everyone…
>
> I have tried for months to keep it going to see if attendance would pick
> up and because there is a few good Die Hard people who always show up… I
> feel bad because I know for the very few who still hang in there make a
> long trip to be there…
>
> Things I have mentioned SWAP meets and recently an SLUG 10 year Picnic to
> see if anyone is interested no one seems to be interested enough to follow
> through and mention it on the List… The thing is that SLUG is for
> everyone… This means that you can speak up and toss suggestions as well…
> SLUG is just as much for you as it is me and the other Officers…
>
> Moving on here I can say we have seen some kick butt events and have
> kicked butt as well… I honestly do not think too many other LUGS can say
> they pulled off what we have or have at any point grown enough to have as
> many locations and meetings as we have… I could be wrong but I really do
> not think so…
>
> As of right now June 7th will be the last Official Brandon SLUG Meeting… I
> do hope that we will have one last good meeting if nothing else a good
> turn out to reflect on things and have a great time… I will try to see if
> I can get some one who will do a presentation for us as well…
>
> I again want to thank everyone who has been part of the Brandon SLUG
> meetings and has given presentations, and has participated in the Brandon
> Meetings… I want to thank you for supporting SLUG, Linux and the Open
> Source Community… I would also personally like to say thank you to each
> and everyone who has been there through out the Course and have become
> such great friends…
>
> Even as the Official Brandon SLUG meetings will come to an end on June
> 7th. Does not mean we still can not meet up and hang out…
>
> Thank you,
> Bill Preece
> Brandon SLUG Meeting and Event Coordinator
>
>
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