WLUG Meeting Minutes
26 October 2005
Meeting opened at 7:44pm.
Present: LindsayDruett, 
DavidHallett, CraigBox, IanMcDonald, MatthiasDallmeier, PerryLorier, GianPerrone
Motion: that the minutes are a true and accurate record of the previous meeting.
Note: only Craig, Perry and Gian were at the previous meeting.
Moved CraigBox
Seconded PerryLorier
none.
none.
Ian requires bank statements & financial data from CraigMckenna.
Action: Craig B to follow up Craig M.
Bruce Kingsbury has offered to lead a project running "fix-it" meetings, probably on a Saturday. Most of the interest in this has come from offline people rather than online, and a large amount is related to the Hamilton PC Computer Club.
The PC club already run a monthly Saturday meeting at a members house, with moderate internet connectivity. Bruce is happy to organise the events and bring people in, but does not have an available venue.
The committee are interested in seeing fixit meetings run as an outreach program, encouraging people who have been helped by WLUG members to contribute back by helping new people. This also has the ability for us to tune monthly meetings toward slightly more advanced topics if there is another option for newer members, and without. A problem that has been raised by installfests is that regular members are reticent to help new users because they believe that the new user will become a burden on them in future, continually requiring help. The committee also wish to remind all members, especially those who join through fix-it meetings, that we are not equipped to provide offline help outside of meetings and events. We will investigate providing printed information to the fix-it meetings about how to ask good questions and get help on the Internet, and where to go to get affordable or free public Internet access.
Initially we suggest contacting the PC club and Bruce, and seeing if the club are interested in forming a joint venture to run these meetings, sharing the costs. We have the option of hirings of Lit.B at about $60 each time (though not over summer). We are prepared to fund the cost of a venue at two meetings to see if the days are well attended and worth repeating, and suggest that there is a small door charge to contribute to costs.
Actions:
The current funding round had closed (2.5 days after release of notice) though other rounds are forthcoming. The government funding is dedicated towards enhancing the building of relationships between organisations. National organisations are more likely to qualify than local. Need a specific, well focused paper saying what you're going to do.
Action: suggest NZOSS apply for funding on behalf of the LUGs; suggest an interested WLUG member assist with this task.
The committee were asked to contemplate a donation to Creative Commons during their current funding drive.
At this point we believe it is better to spend money on local events and building up the LUG than international projects; with our comparitively small bank balance, we believe a better goal would be contributing to NZOSS. We encourage members to make donations to Creative Commons or other organisations in WLUG's name.
To be moved to two Thursdays before monthly WLUG meeting.
Action: Perry to update reminder bot.
Meeting times: All WLUG evening meetings are now to be held at 7:30pm, all year round.
Meeting topics: HP/Compaq have expressed interest in presenting a meeting - we tell them time/date/what we need and we will get it. Action: Lindsay to try and arrange this for the November meeting.
We would still like to see meetings organised two months in advance: potential speakers discussed include
Swing people attending for LCA.
December meeting will be Christmas barbeque. After last years cancellation a venue with indoor/outdoor potential is important; Gian has offered his farm in Tauwhare, and it is possible Jason Drake
Membership numbers: last years members who haven't paid need to be asked if they wish to rejoin. Action: Craig to talk to Ian about how to work Hoiho and membership database, Craig to follow up last years members. (Ian needs hoiho account).
IHUG website access: some people are having difficulty getting to WLUG webpage. Probably cause is a router inside IHUG incorrectly configured. Action: Point out publically that IHUG customers are having trouble and find someone smart there to talk to.
No page links to CommitteeMeetingTopics.2005-10-26.
