[LUGSB] Can we vote on this?

[Michael Graffam]

On 7 Apr 2003, Mark wrote:

> I don't think that calling the club a 'Linux Users' Group' is going to
> deter people interested in *BSD and other free software to attend.

> It is important to welcome and encourage users of BSD to come to the
> meetings.  Spreading the use of Windows based free-software is an
> important step, and is something that the club should strive to do.

I don't know about this. Why would a Windows user ever come to a Linux
group unless they are interested in learning about Linux? We need a way
to show them that the Free Software movement is much larger than Linux,
and that there is Free Software available for Windows.

How many Windows users know about OpenOffice? Why would they associate
their Windows application needs with Linux?

As for BSD, it is true that novice FreeBSD users might come to a Linux
group meeting to learn about GNOME, KDE or Emacs -- but what about the
more advanced users? Why would a FreeBSD wizard come to a Linux group?


> Also, putting 'Free Software'
> on fliers is a good thing, but I don't think it should be seen as a way
> of tricking people to attend our meetings.

Well, I don't think it would be tricking them. "Come and get copies of
Free Software" is a precise statement of what we mean and what we do.
We're not lying, we are giving them a piece of software for no cost. If
they also learn what we mean by "Free as in Freedom" along the way, I
don't think that is a bad thing.

Also, I wouldn't want to be giving out loads of CD's every meeting
either, because nothing productive would get done, we'd spend all our time
copying CDs. But we could devote special days to it, for instance.

>  I am all for attracting
> and welcoming bsd users and windows users alike.  However, considering
> the buzz-word that linux is, I see a name change hindering that goal
> more than helping it.

Well, I have made no name suggestions, but here is one that preserves
the buzz-word effect, while being more open:

Stony Brook GNU/Linux Users Group

Distinquishing between Linux, the kernel, and the distributions of
GNU/Linux software is important, I think, for educational reasons if
nothing else.

I still see a lot of people saying stuff like "I run Linux 9.0" ..  which
is just absurd and confusing to everyone. They confuse the distro version
with the kernel version. When a user tries to report a problem, and is
asked what version of Linux they are using, they should be able to respond
to those sorts of basic questions intelligently, and not by resorting to
confusing buzz-words.

The name of the _User's_Groups_ is important for this reason, I think,
because it establishes the software that we *use* .. we use GNU/Linux.