[sf-lug] California college LUG coalition

[Michael Paoli]

> Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 10:03:33 -0700
> From: jim <jim at well.com>
> Subject: [sf-lug] [Fwd: California college LUG coalition]
> To: Linux user Group <sf-lug at linuxmafia.com>
>
> -------- Forwarded Message --------
> From: Larry Cafiero <larry.cafiero at gmail.com>
>
> I'm looking for help in publicizing this among students who might be
> involved in the San Francisco LUG.

I might suggest:
o many [L]UGs have one or more lists with a relatively open posting
   policy.  You may much more effectively reach a lot of appropriate
   people by effectively using appropriate lists (note that some may not
   be suitable, e.g. some BSD UGs are rabidly anti-Linux).
o There are many additional [L]UGs, not only in San Francisco, and the
   San Francisco Bay Area, but also California in general.
o Many [L]UGs, particularly those at or near campuses, may be relevant
   and/or be able to provide referrals to relevant contacts.
o Many student/campus [L]UGs may more-or-less fade in and out of
   existence academic year to academic year, depending what students
   are/aren't around and how involved they are.
o Since many schools just started their academic year, it may take a
   bit for things to be somewhat more settled in (or started or
   restarted) on various campuses.
o finding and contacting the "right" staff, organizers, and/or students
   at applicable campuses may be highly useful.
o There may be companies and others interested in helping and/or
   sponsoring such (e.g. they may be helpful in providing some consistent
   resources, a bit of funding, key contacts into campuses, etc.)
o A few random [L]UGs that come to mind off the top of my head that may
   be useful (I may not have all the names/acronyms correct, see also
   some of the URLs provided; I'll leave it as a student/campus
   organizing exercise to find more proper references/names):
   o BALUG
   o BUUG
   o EBLUG
   o PenLUG
   o SVLUG
   o CalLUG
o http://linuxmafia.com/bale/
o http://www.linux.org/groups/usa/california.html

> Joe Smith (of Chapman College in Orange) and I (of Cabrillo College in
> Aptos) are in the process of forming a coalition of college LUGs
> throughout California. This coalition is open to LUGs at community
> colleges, CSU/UC campuses, and private colleges in the state (and there
> is discussion about involving non-campus LUGs in the future as well).
>
> Among other things, this coalition
>
> -- Aims to coordinate activities between college LUGs in California;
>
> -- Plans to share resources (both physical and mental) between college
> LUGs in the state to promote the common establishment and use of
> Free/Open Source Software on campus
>
> -- Plans to focus efforts within the LUGs to help not only the the
> colleges but also their surrounding communities in promoting the use
> of Free/Open Source Software;
>
> -- Assists other campuses in California which do not yet have a Linux
> Users Group on campus; and
>
> -- Coordinates activities between FOSS developers and programs and
> college LUGs around releases of updates and/or new programs.
>
> So far we have interest from Chapman, Cabrillo, and Chico State.
>
> If anyone in the SF-LUG group is a college student who might want to
> participate in this coalition, please get in touch with Joe or me.