WLUG Committee Meeting
29 July 2005
Meeting Minutes

Meeting opened at 5.08pm

Present: CraigBox, CraigMckenna, PerryLorier, JohnMcPherson, JamieCurtis, MattBrown
Apologies: GreigMcGill, GianPerrone

1. Minutes from previous meeting

Motion: that the minutes are a true and accurate record of the previous meeting

Moved JamieCurtis
Seconded MattBrown

Motion passed

2. Discussion about a representative group for LUGs in New Zealand

WLUG issued an interim statement on 26 July with regard to the creation of a national Linux organisation. We stand behind the statement and offer the following support in the creation of the group:

• create a mailing list
• present a broad proposal to other groups and people associated with Linux in New Zealand, suggesting that they join the mailing list
• ensure that members from all the other LUGs in the country are involved
• assuming there is traction behind the idea, contact other groups such as NZOSS and Linux Australia and ask for their input
• formalise a proposal

We suggest the organisation start small, without incorporating, and suggest the goal that the organisation aims to have its first AGM at Linux.conf.au in Dunedin early next year. While several members of the WLUG are interested in the formation of this group, we suggest that the WLUG itself should have no formal involvement and all people involved should act individually.

We believe that the core of a LUG is meetings, and offering face to face help. WLUG does not have a geographical boundary, and we welcome allcomers to our meetings, but hold them in Hamilton because that is where the core of the membership is.

We have had occasions where we have had speakers from outside the Waikato (for example, New Zealand politicians) that we have assisted at our meetings, and they have expressed an interest in obtaining further support local to them. Because of the lack of a national co-ordination between LUGs, we have not had the ability to put them in contact with the appropriate local people.

Local LUGs are often the centre of grass roots Linux support, and we consider them essential to the development of Linux communities in New Zealand. We would like the new national Linux organization to have a goal of fostering LUG development in areas that do not currently have a regional LUG.

3. Discussion about our relationship with NZLUG

There is a feeling among members of the committee that in hindsight, the offer of hosting a "NZLUG view" into the WLUG wiki was made prematurely.

The WLUG committee are committed to making our wiki useful and accessible to everyone, while retaining its identity as "the official WLUG website". We would like the wiki to be relevant to all of NZ's Linux users, not just those involved with WLUG or NZLUG. We also respect that much of the content has specific relevance to only New Zealand.

Much discussion took place on the various options to rectify this situation, with the two main options being:

1. Remove the "NZLUG view" until a national organisation is in place
2. Rebrand the "NZLUG view" as a New Zealand Linux Wiki, now

The committee decided that the first option may send the wrong signals regarding our intentions, and has therefore decided to offer the alternative view under the tentative name of "New Zealand Linux Wiki", and publicise it to all New Zealand LUGs.

4. Matters arising from previous minutes

• Craig to thank people who helped with installfest.
• Perry to announce Exim4 video availability (http://www.r2.co.nz/20050203/) to mailing list.
• Patches for WLUG wiki are being assembled for merging in with phpwiki CVS.
• The Wiki license migration has gone very well. So far we have only lost one page, which has become a link to external content.
• Peter Guttman is busy for the rest of the year and won't be able to present to WLUG. Discussion for possible meeting topics to go to the wlug-committee mailing list.

5. Correspondence

No correspondence this month.

6. General business

No general business this month.

Meeting closed at 6:34pm.

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