OT: LUGs dying out

[Alan Dayley]

keith smith wrote:
> I would have never thought:
> 
> /"Linux User Groups dying out? LUG leaders report that attendance is
> down — but mailing list traffic is still good. Do we still need LUGs
> <http://www.linux.com/feature/118046>, given the ease of installation
> and ubiquitousness of online information about Linux? Lots of people
> say, yes, we still need LUGs (and some disagree)."
> 
> /I'm hoping PLUG is viable for years to come!

PLUG is as viable and useful as we PLUGgers make it.

PLUG meeting attendance, in my view, has been at a plateau for several
years now.  There is a core group that "mostly always" attends a given
meeting with a few new people each month that usually don't come again.
 I wish there was a way to make the meetings more attended.  I always
find them valuable and even occasionally "seminar" quality in their
content and presentation.  Others obviously don't feel that way.

Think about it.  Here we have a metro-area of millions with easily tens
of thousands working with or using Linux/FS/OSS every day.  And total
monthly attendance to all PLUG meetings (just add up the number of
people at each meeting) is about 60-70?  Does anyone else think that is low?

But, then, many are not "meeting people" so, we do what the group wants
to do.  And we will continue to have meetings, if I have any say in the
matter.  If for no other reason than my own selfish enjoyment of them.

Our email lists are the very best!  They are active, helpful and 99.999%
free of flames or other rudeness.  A superb asset to the
Linux/FS/OSS/computer community at large.

Don't take my post as a downer.  Recently we have had some new people
come to meetings and keep coming back.  We have a Stammticsh in Avondale
now.  The tech community overall is growing more vibrant which can only
be good news for PLUG.  I am very optimistic that things certainly will
not slow down for PLUG and probably will get busier!

(Just my opinion not to be taken as an official Steering Committee
statement.)

Alan


-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 249 bytes
Desc: OpenPGP digital signature
Url : http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/pipermail/plug-discuss/attachments/20070723/01c43da4/attachment.pgp