[kwlug-disc] KWLUG and Voip

[unsolicited at swiz.ca]

On Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:08:25 -0500, "Insurance Squared Inc."
<gcooke at insurancesquared.com> wrote:
> Given how prominent VOIP is in the community, and it's general reliance 
> on linux, does the group think my previous idea of the LUG promoting 
> VOIP publicly to be a good idea?
> 
> I'm wondering if the group put on a free 'voip Saturday' or something.  
> We find some space and corral some presenters and providers on 
> home/business/tech voip.  Then do some promotion and see if it draws in 
> the folks.  I know the lug has done some talks on this, but perhaps it 
> makes sense to expand it a bit.

Put together an action plan / agenda, and the inputs you think you might
need to effect it, propose it to the list and see how many step up to
participate. You are less likely to see what you'd like to see if you don't
drive it, or if you don't refine who you're trying to reach.

Here are some aspects I think you might need to refine. Not necessarily
restrict, but the needs will be slightly different.

- do it for me (local vendor participation and sponsorship?) vs. show me
how to do it
- home user, anti-'Bell' fanatics, home business, small business,
multi-phoneline business, those that have to integrate current analogue
hardware - be it lines or sets
- venue (home user, gym works, not so much for business user)

Is there something else around like what you envision - can you
participate in it, or have it serve as a model?

- this isn't going to not be topical any time soon. Be it VoIP, MythTV,
convergence, digital age, whatever. It could occur regularly.

- how will vendors make money?

John has presented at both kwlug and wwitpro - usually to great
attendance. He appears to be hampered by lack of time, space, and bodies.
Time problems include complexity of subject and variability of destomatopm
environments. Space problems include demo equipment availability and setup.
Body problems include one person can only do so much. I do not mean to
speak on behalf of John here - the nature of these venues and groups points
out these issues.

I believe there is a thirst for such as you propose, however nobody has
stepped up to make an event on the scale you suggest happen. Probably due
to lack of local vendor participation, or lack of driving focus to narrow
down this rather large topic to something accomplishable for a sufficiently
large demonstrated need.

In essence, this becomes a version of onlinux - which, as we've seen, is a
rather non-trivial undertaking.

If you build it, I suspect many here will come (and help). If you don't, I
suspect it won't happen. You'd have to step up and drive it, though.