PLUG Etiquette

[Mark Phillips]

The List Lurker who occasionally asks for help and is always astounded by
the help he receives......

Man, have I been missing a lot by not attending any face to face PLUG
events.....I can bring a box of name tags and we can all stereotype
ourselves....lol....;-)

Mark

On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 4:15 PM, Scarlett Clark
<scarlett at manonthebench.com>wrote:

> On Tue, 2009-06-30 at 10:50 -0700, Lisa Kachold wrote:
> > After interacting in PLUG events over the last 3 years here, teaching
> > at freegeek.org and running the POWUG for 3 years in Oregon while also
> > after interacting in technology for more than 25 years in the
> > trenches, I have seen a great deal of bad manners, ineffective
> > competition, and behavior that leads anywhere but toward free and open
> > discussion and interaction.
> >
> > I have also observed interaction styles and personality types that
> > save a group with their fun approach, easy going nature and humanism.
> >
> > As you read these you might try not to descend to black and white
> > thinking, but see what each type ultimately provides to the group
> > experience.
> >
> > I am sure some of these basic types everyone will recognize:
> >
> > 1) Mr. OneUpMan:
> >
> > Rather than happily bantering along in information exchange, he powers
> > out to look more Intelligent or rudely talks down to others.  This can
> > include a swift change of subject to something not even similar to the
> > issue or subject stream.   He can never just "play" with others, and
> > never ever asks a question.  He can be so dominating that the whole
> > discussion around him has to be limited to his experience, his
> > training and his viewpoint.
> >
> > 2) Mr. Academic:
> >
> > This person will always fill in extraneous details and add additional
> > information.  He is certain that he is the one and only authority.
> > Unfortunately, often this limits others from actually doing their own
> > research (via google or other written documentation).
> >
> > 3) Mr. Gossip:
> >
> > This person, rather than discuss technology, complete lab exercises or
> > listen to others, spends a great deal of time discussing others, local
> > shops, history (skewed by their own resentments and losses or those of
> > their ally fellows).  Anything this person overhears in first person
> > singular humanism becomes fodder for their next ten sessions.  They
> > generally do not show up at events prepared for and interested in
> > technical viewpoints.  They often take "sides" without evaluating the
> > truth from a distance or without determining if it's actually their
> > business.
> >
> > 4) Mr. Serial Processing:
> >
> > This attendee cannot equate and absorb any information that he does
> > not direct.  He will take great measures of everyone's time by asking
> > directed questions to one individual about material that was just
> > covered by group discussion or presentation.  Often his frustration
> > becomes anger whereupon this person will accuse others of talking down
> > to him.  This is common in individuals who are experiencing a B
> > vitamin deficiency (that ultimately can lead to Korsakoff's Psychosis
> > and confabulation) from nutritional issues, but generally due to daily
> > ingesting large amounts of drugs or alcohol or a liver or other health
> > disorder.
> >
> > 5) Mr. Rude Helper:
> >
> > This PLUG attendee will approach someone who they don't know (who
> > usually vastly outspans them in education experience and even
> > employment) and attempt to help by directing them into the wrong
> > direction.  This disrepectful approach, while well meaning, is based
> > on an arrogance and grandiocity that is not matched by either their
> > suggestions or their ability.  They never ask the person they attach
> > themselves to, if they would like some help or happily attempt to play
> > with them.  This is commonly seen by women who are stereotyped and/or
> > dominated and keeps women introverts from interacting in labs and
> > groups.
> >
> > 6) Mr. Did you Know?
> >
> > This person dives happily in and expands any endeavor they are exposed
> > to.  Their enthusiam is infectious as they look into and communicate
> > with each head in their circle of hearing, and intiates
> > non-hierarchial happy fulll duplex PLAY.
> >
> > 7) Mr. I Can!
> >
> > This attendee is the one who does all the single tasks that someone
> > needs to do, often without most of the other PLUG people even
> > noticing.  He adjusts the video resolution for the overhead for the
> > presentation laptop in a slick teamwork concentric way, without, mind
> > you, any great huge announcement that he is the only one who knows how
> > to do it.  If another, like #5 above attempts to step in, he deftly
> > and politely sidesteps the intrusion.
> >
> > 8) Mr.  Devils' Advocate Question Man:
> >
> > This person usually asks all the pertinant questions to assist to
> > flesh out a subject for others.  It's not that he doesn't know, he
> > just wants to make sure a full discussion of the subject matter has
> > occurred for others.  Clueless PLUG people sometimes attempt to take
> > him aside or talk down to him after he has performed these important
> > functions.
> >
> > 9) Mr. Exploitation:
> >
> > This person skews all communications to his (choose one):
> >
> > a) Consulting endeavor
> > b) Security endeavor
> > c) Sales gig
> > d) Training endeavor
> >
> > They exclude (or actually poo-poo use of or) mention of the long list
> > of other FOSS tools, library materials and online test preparation
> > guides.
> > While all PLUG members have a variety of skills, this person fails to
> > interact in the true spirit of free and open source.
> >
> > 10) Mr. Hacker:
> >
> > These people actually sit back and talk nice to you, while actually
> > attempting to gain access or damage to your equipment.  They are
> > usually swiftly caught, however they generally show up somewhere else
> > with their ettercap and wicrack.   Unfortunately, they are often
> > successful.
> >
> > 11)  Mr. Aphasia:
> >
> > They people are so vastly intelligent via written materials and
> > understanding, but cannot communicate or complete in useless stand
> > around and argue verbal sessions (with #1 above).  They are focused on
> > doing, and doing very very well.  They generally quietly endue all the
> > other annoying types and sit back and take in the information, at some
> > deep level (like all of us) lonely for others like themselves.
> >
> >
> > See yourself here?  Have additional types to add?
> > --
> > (503)754-4452 wiki.obnosis.com
> > scientology.obnosis.com
> >
> >
> Ms shy that so desperately wants to fit in, but afraid of the flames so
> stays in the background.
>
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