[kwlug-disc] What does kwlug.org mean to you? (Was Re: why not pick a kwlug project for the web site?)

[unsolicited]

So, KWLUG, below are two opinions on what kwlug.org means to them. If 
I'm not misinterpreting, it approximately summarizes as the totality 
of kwlug are the meetings, and the website exactly suits those 
necessary needs. And there's the e-mail lists.

It's your site.

If you feel differently, speak up. There will seldom be a better time.

I would suggest, however, that to Richard's point: If you have 
significantly different desires for kwlug.org, you'd probably better 
be willing to step up and admin it.

I suspect, but don't know, if someone wanted to set up a wiki (or 
something), wiki.kwlug.org or kwlug.org/wiki could be set up to 
peacefully coexist with the current content. And links in blogs made 
to it, sort of thing.

And, if you wanted to set something up, such as Bob's suggested 
favourite Linux <-> Windows apps list, the admins would probably 
cooperate if you asked nicely. i.e. If you needed a non-standard root 
(?) node type thingie / formatting.

But you do have to speak up.

With regard to the library (FYI/FWIW:
- before it's given away, perhaps the donators should be consulted. 
After all, they specifically donated it to kwlug.
- Charles has explicitly stated in the past - if someone would like a 
particular book in the library, post to the list and he'll try to 
bring it to the next meeting for you. He's also indicated that 
everyone is more than welcome to stop by the Working Centre at any 
time to pick up a library book. i.e. Even though the entire library 
can't be carted around to every meeting, it is accessible and 
available to all - if a bit awkwardly at the moment.
- there has been some discussion in the past regarding getting the 
list of books up on kwlug.org since the last site revamp. There 
doesn't appear to be any drupal add-on of decent functionality, let 
alone presently being maintained. (Last time I looked. I think, at 
least, Charles, Khalid, and I all looked. There were probably others.) 
There are other sites, such as librarything.com - although they appear 
to have some really cool functionality with regard to books and 
collections (e.g. ISBN lookup), nothing I came across added the 
library elements of lending.  If someone knows of something good, do 
please post.

Lori Paniak wrote, On 12/30/2009 2:08 PM:
> ++
> 
> I believe that the KWLUG website is fine as it is.  If people want to
> add features outside of blogs, they should feel free to set up their own
> sites (as many of us do) and maintain them as they see fit.  
> 
> There has been a lot of discussion recently as to what kwlug.org should
> be/do.  Let's try to agree on what it is not.  KWLUG is a "lean"
> organization by design and I don't think it should be in the web hosting
> business.  The web site should not be a "social site".  I would like to
> keep commercial logos/advertising from the site as well.  The
> maintainers of kwlug.org (you know who you are) have better things to do
> than customize the site to each member's whim.
> 
> So long as kwlug.org keeps an efficient record of past and upcoming
> FLOSS events in our region, I feel it is doing its job.  The information
> currently available there shows the KWLUG to be the pre-eminent Linux
> user group in the country. And that is something to be proud of.
> 
> Only the "F/LOSS event calendar" needs some fixing up...

Richard Weait wrote, On 12/30/2009 1:36 PM:
 > KWLUGers can add a photo to their profile on kwlug.org.  Things on
 > KWLUG.org are much more locked-down that on a social site.
 >
 > We don't link to user accounts from blog entires.
 > We don't show user photos in blog entries.
 > If you do look at a user profile you won't see the optional photo
 > unless you are logged in.
 > Not many of us have added photos.
 >
 > Even if you register, you need to have posting permissions added
 > manually by an admin.  Just ask.
 >
 > KWLUG ain't a social site.  It's practically an anti-social site.
 > Except for the part where we invite everybody with an interest to
 > join us at our meetings.
 >
 > Any user could add their desired social links to the site .sig file
 > so that those links would appear in their blog entries.
 >
 > None of this "anti-social" is accidental.  Much of it dates from my
 > rebuilding the site a few years back so the blame lies with me.  My
 > goals were:
 >
 > 1) Make the LUG event calendar work without maintenance.   And so it
 > does.  Those who remember the old site remember that somebody had to
 > change the "next" meeting announcement after each meeting.  Then
 > that didn't happen we ended up looking at stale info until somebody
 > fixed it.  I didn't like that.  That was my itch.  I scratched it.
 > 2) ...
 > 3) Profit.
 >
 > And that is it.  I leaned towards privacy and minimum privilege
 > where I thought to do so.
 >
 > The old site had, IIRC, Linux book reviews.  It was underused.
 >
 > We added individual member blogs.  Raul uses that regularly.  We're
 > all welcome to do so.  Raul, can you share how you decide what to
 > blog at kwlug and what to blog on your personal site?
 >
 > I think we have a LUG lending library with some presence on the
 > site. Charles might be maintaining that.  We've had physical issues
 > with the library since moving from Queen Street Commons.  It's a
 > great collection of books.  Should we donate it to a place that can
 > make it more-widely available?  High school library?  Public
 > library?
 >
 > Does THE KWLUG need to do more as THE KWLUG?  I say that the only
 > mission of the lug is to schedule meetings and hold them when we
 > schedule them.  In support of that, we have a web site a mailing
 > list and mailing list <-> forum syncing(?)  All else is off-topic
 > from my limited perspective.  We don't need to do more.  In terms of
 > UNIX principles we do one thing and do it well.  We meet.  Eight
 > years and running, right?
 >
 > Can we do more as individuals and as a group?  Sure.  Some do, some
 > don't, no pressure.
 >
 > Are deficiencies of the web site preventing KWLUGers from doing good
 > things?  I hope not.  If so, I think the web site is a poor
 > scapegoat. We can blog there and link off-site there and schedule
 > events there.
 > What prevents us from linking from the site and mailing list to a
 > collaboration site to incubate the next big thing?  Should the next
 > big thing take off somebody will migrate it to the KWLUG web site if
 > that is what is required.  Or vice versa.