ubuntu-us-wisconsin team mailing list archive

[Ian Weisser <ian-weisser@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Sat, 2016-04-30 at 22:50 -0500, Simon Quigley wrote:

> > The WI LoCo has always faced three big challenges:

> Have these been pointed out before? If the challenges are apparent,
> why haven't we solved them? :)


The same symptoms --lack of activity or interest, quiet mailing list,
no meeting attendance, no events-- have been discussed many times since
2008.

There has been little interest in analyzing the issues, nor developing
a consensus on the causes. I proposed this problem statement ('three
big challenges') based on experience with other groups over the past 20
years. Maybe some agree, maybe some don't. For those who disagree,
propose your own problem statement, and let's cherry-pick the best
elements from all of them.

Without a consensus on the nature of the problem, discussions about
possible solutions usually sidetrack into ideas for specific projects
(logos, platforms, Ubuntu Hours) merely because that's what those
participants are interested in at the time. Since the proposed
solutions don't solve a problem, the problem remains and the solution
fades.





> > 
> > 1) Spacial: Members are widely scattered[....]

> Right now we should take action because we have a good amount of
> people in Madison.


Seems like a subject for a different thread.
Sure hope something comes of it.
Come on Madison, get together and meet each other! Do that first step!

The wiki page to gather location data is a helpful step to indentify
concentrations. Clever!


> 
> > 
> > 2) Temporal: Members expire and leave instead of sticking around. 

> I only saw this once with an Ubuntu member just leaving for Debian.


Most departures are quiet expirations, unannounced.

Four years ago, there were about 25-or-so members of the LoCo Launchpad
group. Today the numbers are similar, but over 75% of the names are
different. And these were people who were interested enough to register
for a Launchpad account!




> 
> > 
> > 3) Goals: 

> What do you have in mind?


Huh? I just proposed a whole list of goals yesterday.
Here they are again:

1) Help enthusiasts find upstream projects to help
2) Teach enthusiasts how to contribute to Ubuntu (testing, bug triage,
documentation)
3) Coordinate and support the Ubuntu-related events of local LUGs
and/or upstream projects.
4) Assist local Ubuntu users with support and installation help
5) Conduct Ubuntu-themed events so fellow enthusiasts can meet and have
a good time
6) Spread word of Ubuntu to people and organizations; grow new users.