West Side InstallFest

[Derek Neighbors]

> How would this be significantly different from a posting to the PLUG mailing 
> list?  An expert who sees the title "Free BSD on an AMIGA" is just as 
> likely to volunteer with or without being registered.  Additionally, please 
> lose and gain skills constantly, but probably do not wish to maintain a 
> PLUG profile (at least, I don't particularly care to).

Many people are not willing to get 100's of emails a day, so will not 
subscribe to high traffic list serv.  You could then argue use the 
announce list.  Email lists are good for somethings, but they are no 
substitute for a good contact database.

GNU\Linux is good, but it doesnt sell itself. (at least not at exponential 
rates)  If we want to keep up we will need to be more organized.  Recent 
calls to action politically are an example, if there was a database and 
people were able to flag, 'interested in lobbying' or such then it would 
be easier to mobilize quickly.  Actually I will stop, as this boils down 
to a privacy debate, not a usage debate.  The fact is many people are 
paranoid of having their name on a list, any list, for any reason.  
Regardless of usefulness their opinion will not be changed.

> It is a good idea, I just don't see it as being necessary given the nature 
> of the PLUG mailing list.

The nature of the PLUG list is much more like a conversation at a bar 
(read lots of off topic stuff, and im not advocating we change that) than 
a way to exchange direct contact that is highly specific.

-Derek