[PLUG-Devel] Hackfests Dropped from PLUG Website without Notice

[Lisa Kachold]

FYI:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Lisa Kachold <foobar at it-clowns.com>
Date: Mon, Dec 1, 2014 at 9:47 PM
Subject: Fwd: plug calendar



Thanks Todd for your mail describing your direct role in the decision to
drop the 8 year old Hackfests from the PLUG calendar (excerpted below).  I
really wish you or Hans or another PLUG member would have contacted me
either to state this decision or brainstorm a solution.

I understand that you have fostered bad feelings after DeVry University's
management requested that David Demland (and I) verify the student use of
the  donated rack at OneNeck, which actually was not used at all for
anything but the AZLoco Big Blue Button server that you inherited after
their (student managed) DLUG  was left without leadership (due to
graduation) and disbanded.   Since AZLoco had no school relationship or
student interaction, it was suggested that we give you a chance to either
relocate your servers or begin working closely with the Hackfests or
another student or University involved open source event, as their rules
require.  You chose instead, to quickly remove your servers and limit all
communication with me, which previously was regular, cooperative and
productive.

Unfortunately the PLUG Discuss List has failed to recognize the great
contribution the Hackfest provides to the community, to our interns and
DeVry/ITT students, and the value the open source security contributors and
professional linux community members have added through the last 8 years
interacting and supporting the Hackfest.

People attempting to attend the Hackfests complained because they couldn't
get into the DeVry University campus without instructions which we were
repeatedly unsuccessful getting posted on the PLUG Schedule.  DeVry is a
closed secure campus, and the office volunteers often don't know what event
is happening when.  Posting signs is also limited by school facility
security rules, and without detailed instructions on the PLUG schedule our
attendance suffered.  We have NEVER missed a venue or a scheduled event
(especially not in the last 5 years [since you became active in the Plug
Schedule after you were asked to relinquish sole use of the OneNeck rack
(or become involved directly with DeVry students).  Again we have failed
repeatedly over the years with our requests to get the Hackfest listing
specifics on the PLUG schedule.  Our posts to the PLUG announce mailing
lists, and security have always gone out (or been sent) days before the
event and included instructions to either call 2 phone numbers for (David
Demland and/or I) or trade an ID at the office for an access badge to come
to room #231.  I was alerted that no announcements were being sent, but
assumed that the PLUG was operated in a professional way, and if there was
an issue, I would be contacted.  No announcements came to a second address
I use for test email which is also subscribed to all the email lists, so
when I finally found time between professional endeavors (IBM/Dell/local
current International security firm Sr. Systems Administration role) I
began to investigate.

We always have at least 10 community people (in addition to students) but
usually total attendance tops around 25 filling the lab where we use DeVry
desktop stations to demonstrate Kali Linux.  This is a healthy venue that
will be continuing with one of the  other local Users Groups and David
Demland, Tim Garcia (ITT),  and the many other professionals contributing
presentations and suggestions.

I believe you are misreading the user complaints about the Hackfest which
were actually a complaint of the lack of instructions posted on the
schedule, for which you had the ability to effect.  This is a terrible
failure of a LUG process when actually all that would have been required to
make it more successful would have been the addition of a good description
of  access procedures to DeVry University including my very public phone
number on the PLUG schedule.

I have directed all of our attendees not to target either AZLoco or the
PhxLinux.org sites because of this controversy and long running conflict,
despite the fact that most CMS are trivially exploitable with the practical
tools and procedures we demonstrate at Hackfests in lab environments.

--Best

Original Email:

from: Todd Cole <toddc at azloco.com>
to: Lisa Kachhold <lisakachold at obnosis.com>
date: Sun, Nov 30, 2014 at 6:47 PM
subject: plug calendar


Lisa
I no longer mail to plug list so I apologize on the delay and private email.
 Some of the things you have posted are in fact due to me.  Several years
ago there were many errors in the plug calendar and the loco was a bit more
accurate. Hans now has kids and a family and Brian has a kid and full time
job and the calendar was sadly not kept up. I offered loco dates by feed at
first and then last year we went to a full feed from loco calendar. This
has been difficult to word events and top billing and whose name should be
first. There have been several volunteers that have started to maintain the
plug calendar but both have dropped it after minutes of updating events. As
of right now no one is maintaining the plug calendar and several broken
feeds and events some new, some wrong.
 I have dropped the Hackfest from azloco calendar due to many complaints
several years ago of people showing up at events and finding no one there
and no note or notice of a cancelled event. Since you have moved to Devry I
was still getting a few calls that they could not locate or contact you at
an event and or people were at a event felt totally lost. I can understand
that your projects are not for a total noob or a basic user so after
discussions with plug and the loco it was decided not to promote Hackfest
at this time. If and when I get positive comments I will be happy to
reconsider for the loco end and I cannot speak for the plug side

-- 
(503) 754-4452
(623) 239-3392
**
it-clowns.com
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