It must be a top secret men's organization, with a secret handshake and all that. :-) Spanky and Alfalfa, were the original members. lol > -----Original Message----- > From: plug-discuss-bounces@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > [mailto:plug-discuss-bounces@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us] On > Behalf Of Lisa Kachold > Sent: Thursday, August 06, 2009 10:28 AM > To: Main PLUG discussion list > Subject: Re: PLUG governance, etc. > > I have been active in the PLUG, attending at least 1 monthly > meeting and putting on one security Lab for at least a year. > Before that I was attending one meeting every other month for > a year, and I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE? > > On 8/5/09, Alan Dayley wrote: > > Another thread about the sonoran penguin and making a theme for the > > website surfaced some discussion about the governance of PLUG. I'd > > like to enlighten that a little bit. > > > > The Steering Committee > > --------------------------- > > PLUG has a Steering Committee, members in no particular order: > > > > - Hans, a.k.a. der.hans (plug@lufthans.com) is Committee > Chair because > > we decided that he was. > > > > - Brian Cluff (brian@snaptek.com) still baby sits the > server from time > > to time and was host of the East Side Meeting for many years. > > > > - Alexander Henry (alexanderhenry@cox.net) who, years ago, > decided we > > needed Install Fest on a monthly basis, found a location and makes > > sure it happens. > > > > - Joseph Sinclair (plug-discussion@stcaz.net) a very smart > developer > > and good guy who fills in the gaps and provides great programming > > knowledge along with organizational skill. > > > > - Me, who has historically mastered the web site and hosted the > > Developer Meeting for 6 or so years. > > > > There was one other who moved from Arizona some time back. > There have > > been others in the past who we thank. > > > > Other Volunteers > > --------------------------- > > There are others who help and do things, like Lisa, because > they want > > to. Nothing in PLUG could happen without people like them. > > > > Authority > > --------------------------- > > The authority of the committee is perhaps derived, as > Joshua pointed > > out, by owning the domain name and having root password on > the server. > > I have the root password on the server; I must be an > "Authority" and Steering Committee member (or at least a "mascot")? > > > There is no other authority structure. No bylaws or written rules. > > The group depends on the Steering Committee and defers to > them to run > > the relatively small day-to-day issues and make meetings > happen. If > > the group or a large part of the group were to want to take over or > > fork, what's to stop them? Nothing. > > Gee, where is this documented? > > How does someone submit requests, beyond email, to You, > Alexander, Alan and Hans? > > > Money > > --------------------------- > > PLUG has no legal entity to handle money. There isn't any. > > Wait? > > It takes money to do everything right, beit create flyers, to > stickers to tee shirts. > Someone submits everything to the plug, yet members suffer > because tee shirts aren't available and all events that take > real assets must be supported by individuals? > No really cool things get done for the plug without extreme > human cost (like Hans who gives 110% himself). > > > Events and Work > > --------------------------- > > PLUG has events and does any work because someone paid for > it, worked > > it, promoted it. Or, nothing happens. > > Right! > > > My Comments > > --------------------------- > > Over the years I have researched and email or IRC interviewed > > participants of other LUGs. I made a special point to seek > out LUGs > > that had problems resulting in dissolution or splits. The > root cause > > of every LUG that experienced significant problems was > power or money. > > No surprise, I suppose. This is big reason why PLUG has > not gone the > > direction of formal structure and donations. It mostly avoids such > > problems. > > That is simplistic thinking in the extreme. The problems you > discovered were due to lack of growth and organization, not > money, or non-profit status. > > I am 53, been working in Linux my whole life, and seen a > great number of UGs in 3 states, so while you might use the > "money is the root of all evil" argument this to rationalize > your decision not to grow, it's patently false. > > Growth and organization, including structure for submitting > volunteer program outlines, website upgrades, promotional > flyers, tee shirts (coolness sells - without being able to > expand creatively, people devolve to petty bickering and > shadow agendas) is the glue for group geek fun. > > > It also blocks some good things. > > Lack of a cohesive organization creates burnout; lack of > growth creates the same crisis over and over with regards to > the associated lack of organizational and personal success, etc. > > People like to make contributions; few even know who to make > presentation submissions to. > I.E. do we have to show up and ask Hans? Wait lurking on the PLUG > list until Hans calls for presentations for an event in two weeks? > Not all members can do that! > > At the very least, the structure needs to be defined on the > website (including discussion of the "Steering Committee"). > Optimally, each of the groups, East Side, West Side, > HackFest, InstallFest needs an organizational forum or CMS in > the Drupal site. Alternately a one button submission process > for bursting PLUG promotional materials to sister email > listservers is needed for the group administrators. > > How can PLUG grow unless people painstakingly promote > everything singularly (from their own websites) without even > the ability to use the "linux" FOSS tools available for PLUG, > because of lack of administrative decision making, duty and > project role assignment required to build a web maintenance & > upgrade team? > > Also, without a real structure, non-profit status, tee > shirts, a real volunteer group to maintain the website, big > event sponsorship, contests for new tee shirt designs, it > just looks like everyone is active in the PLUG to sell their > own classes or promote their own contracting. > > > Where there is passion, things happen. Where there is passion, > > disagreements happen. Any organization that wants to make things > > happen needs passion but must survive the conflicts that arise. How > > does one create such an organization without the down sides? You > > can't. The down sides will happen so many people turn to rules and > > by-laws, i.e. contracts, to minimize the down sides. I suppose it > > works for the most part or people would come up with new structures > > with which to do it. There are new ways to do these things > but PLUG > > may not be able to handle it. > > > > I am beginning to accept that PLUG will not grow and thrive > without a > > more formal structure and maybe even money. Scary thought to me, > > knowing the history of other LUGs and volunteer groups. At > the same > > time, the risk may be worth it for the gains that could be made. > > Right now, everyone has even less time and attention to > devote, not to mention money. > > > The Points > > --------------------------- > > My point is that PLUG is what the members make of it. The Steering > > Committee has no legal means of controlling the group beyond > > persuasion and respect, if given. So, if anyone want to suggest a > > change, create something, push an agenda, please do. In an > open and > > transparent manner. > > Members try to do things, email goes to black holes. One person (like > you) agrees - others on the list simply are not active. > > Members get tired of there being no voice, no solutions and > no follow through. A prime example is the political > discussions - can we not implement a listserver email group > for PLUG politics? Enough people want it - other PLUGS have it? > > Do I just go set this up? Email to Hans over 2 years has > historically gone to /dev/null? > > > If anyone thinks the Steering Committee is out of line, > doing wrong, > > whatever, please speak up. > > > > Right now PLUG is in a low passion mood, has been for a long time. > > (Except maybe politics!) If you have a passion for something > > Linux/FS/OSS related, speak up. Rather that then we just > plod along, > > enjoying our Freedom only amongst ourselves. > > Passion wans without satisfaction. > > > Alan > > --------------------------------------------------- > > > -- > http://linuxgazette.net/165/kachold.html > (623)239-3392 > (503)754-4452 www.obnosis.com > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss