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Re: [LUG] Software Freedom Day

 

On 19/09/10 13:17, Rob Beard wrote:
> On 19/09/10 13:09, Rob Beard wrote:
>> On 18/09/10 22:51, Paul Sutton wrote:
>>
>>> well SFD 2011 starts on 19/9/2010, in that we need to start planning /
>>> discussing this now and make firm commitments,
>>>
> 
> I got a bit confused by this, did you mean the planning for SFD 2011
> starts today, or that SFD 2011 is on 19th September 2011? (which is a
> Monday!)
> 
> I'm assuming (can't find an exact date) that SFD 2011 will most probably
> be on Saturday 17th September 2011, could be wrong though.
> 
> Rob
> 

What Paul is trying to say is that the planning for SFD 2011 starts
TODAY (19/9/2010). We (DCGLUG) have not bothered to make any commitment
to SFD for the last 2-3 years, is it not time we made a commitment to
SFD 2011?

To pick up on Robs comments and ambitions which I am sure we all share
... How do we expect ANY year to become the "year of the linux desktop"
or indeed the year of the "linux anything" if we are not prepared to do
our bit to raise community awareness in our own back yard?

Quite frankly the apathetic attitude in this LUG only leads me to
conclude that we want to fail or something. Yes I know some members have
put in a lot of work recently into projects (they know who they are),
but it seems to me that it is the same key people, and what is required
is a general mobilisation and commitment of the wider membership. Its
time to ask "what can i do for open source?" instead of asking "what can
open source do for me?".

SFD is and should always be the focal point of the open source
communities big and small (which includes DCGLUG). Its our opportunity
that only comes once a year,  to show what we are, what we can achieve
and how important it is not just to us but the wider community.

For too long I have sat back and been very patient with this memberships
apathetic attitude. I have done my own thing to support community
development both in DCLUG circles and beyond, I have worked hard to
assist international groups for example in the Philippines and Cameroon,
with smaller membership and less resources, operating over larger
geographical areas with developing world infrastructures to contend
with,  who have never the less managed to increase awareness and provide
open source based services to their communities against higher odds than
our own and wondered where is the same community spirit in DCGLUG?

The time to be patient has been and gone...
The time to be disappointed has been and gone...
The time to be frustrated has been and gone...
The time to be upset and angry has been and gone...

Is it not time that the apathy was gone too?

I'm very sorry to "kick off" like this but it is the only way left to me
to convey my feelings. If this has angered, upset, infuriated  or
stirred you up, then I make no apologies. Now go and use that feeling
not to flame me but to commit here and now to doing something (big or
small) on SFD 2011.

In your own as well as others interests .... Make a commitment to this
community and to SFD 2011.

Tom.

SFD 2011 Armchair Activists need not apply......


PS. Before I get hounded and flamed off this group permanently ....

Special thanks to (in no particular order) Rob Beard, Roly (Roland
Tarver), Rhia Knowles, Henry Bremridge, Gordon Henderson, Flash (aka
Neil Stone) and Paul Sutton for their sterling contributions to raising
awareness of open source to our local MP here in Torbay this summer. The
fact that they made an effort and tried is an example to this community.



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