Should Reading have its own LoCo team?--Poll to be included

[treepolitik]

For the record, this question would be much easier to answer if the Reading Railroad still existed in full. My parents used to take the train from Reading to Philly every morning for classes at Temple University. The above questions are just to scout for interest and elicit discussion, nothing more at this point. :guitar:

[treepolitik]

Reading is and always was an engineering/industrial city. My physics professors like Linux because it can be customized more easily for delicate calculations(subatomic particles, to be specific). We could use more Ubuntu power here, particularly to build websites for neighborhood associations and non-profits, namely the local Schuylkill riverfront development corporation.

I'd considered that a Reading group could remain an adjunct of the Philly group. Regardless, I am trying to find some people to carpool with. An in-between location for certain events could be an attempt to get people of various regions to come. Pottstown, Phoenixville, and Amtrak or SEPTA served areas might be options. How regional can a group be? :-k

[elizabeth]

Just so we get our terms right, the "LoCo Team" is the Pennsylvania team. LoCo teams are organized on a country or state level and don't get smaller than that. What you'd be looking to start is a regional team of the Pennsylvania LoCo.

Our wiki page has some arbitrarily decided regions, and at the bottom says "Add yours!" for just this reason, want a Reading team? Start one!

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PennsylvaniaTeam

Ultimately it really comes down to being if you build it, they will come. Regional subteams just start out with one or two committed members and they grow from there. So contact some of these groups you're interested in getting involved with, drop into IRC or on the mailing list and let us know you want some CDs to hand out, get things rolling, plan some events. We'll then help you publicize the events and get you on your way :) Reading isn't too far from me (about 45 minutes), if you planned an event, I'd show up!

[treepolitik]

I notice that the Forums designate you as an Ubuntu Member with all triangle-circles. Are you actually considered an employee of Canonical, because it seems as though you also sell laptops with pre-installed Ubuntu on them.

[elizabeth]

I notice that the Forums designate you as an Ubuntu Member with all triangle-circles.

Just means I'm a member of the Ubuntu project:

http://www.ubuntu.com/community/processes/newmember

I don't sell preloaded system personally... but the Philly team is involved with a couple projects that do:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PennsylvaniaTeam/CommunityOutreachTeam/NtrLaptopProject

[treepolitik]

It looks like the Operations Teams within the Pennsylvania LoCo Team are committees. So would I need to pick one of those types that I'd like my group to be?

Or, could I just give you dates/places once I confirm them, to have a distribute/install party. Then I don't need approval from anyone to have events as long as they're within the Code of Conduct, and as long as they're not controversial to the mission of Ubuntu?

About venues: I'll schedule them at libraries, colleges, coffee houses, etc. From what has transpired elsewhere, I'm assuming that any venue with a political bias would not be a good idea.

[bfledderjohn]

I think that you've got the gist of how this works. :-)

Once you have an event confirmed, let me know and I'll get you some cds (I can get you some 8.10 Ubuntu Desktop editions (32bit)).

Have you joined the mailing list and the team in launchpad?

-Bret

[jedijf]

It looks like the Operations Teams within the Pennsylvania LoCo Team are committees. So would I need to pick one of those types that I'd like my group to be?

Or, could I just give you dates/places once I confirm them, to have a distribute/install party. Then I don't need approval from anyone to have events as long as they're within the Code of Conduct, and as long as they're not controversial to the mission of Ubuntu?

For planning events there is a wiki page showing the basic channels of communication to follow. Find it here:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/PennsylvaniaTeam/Administriva

Also, give yourself enough time to properly promote and staff any event. Assume nothing. Have plenty of signs and maps and maybe even people at the site to greet people and direct them to the event. This info comes from prior FAILS.

Have a blast and welcome to the team.

[treepolitik]

It will probably be late summer or fall before I get stuff started. I recently took a night job and am working with a new organization that would be compatible with Ubuntu, but we still need to get a lot of paperwork done. I'll keep everyone updated, but probably less frequently.

[treepolitik]

Sorry everyone, I never did it. I got too stressed out with work and forgot the whole thing.

[ChinnoDog]

Is that renewed renewed commitment or condolences? I live 25 minutes south of Reading but I am reluctant to do things near Philly because it is so far away.

[treepolitik]

Is that renewed renewed commitment or condolences?

It was condolences. The City of Reading didn't have much in the way of cheap rentals or free halls; I burned a lot of bridges, and was working full-time, nights, and weekends at the time.

If you wanted to try something, it would likely be you, me, and one other person, every now and then. How in-depth were you thinking, and do you like the idea of a central location?

I would find it amazing if we got something going regularly. :popcorn:

[ChinnoDog]

You're thinking too big. Even at release parties we don't pay for reserved spaces. I don't know that a central location is really a must either. The Philly contingent doesn't have regular meetings outside of IRC, just events. If you want something regular it could be as simple as meeting up at the Panera at the Broadcasting Square shopping center. (Though, they close at 7pm on weekdays I think.) If reserved space ever becomes an issue it will be after there are a significant number of people, which is further out than I can see.

I'm mostly into the Ubuntu community for myself. I only starting digging into Ubuntu / Linux a couple years ago. I'm a long time Windows guy (10+ years) and am trying to become equally proficient on Ubuntu. My vision of a regional group is meeting in a coffee shop or the like and spending a couple hours tackling small generally useful projects like...

Getting automount to work right
Find a way to get OpenGL shader support to work where it is otherwise missing (like my craptastic GMA 950 on my laptop).
Generating expertise in general system performance tuning and hopefully documenting it for the community
Find the absolute cheapest webcam available on the internet and make it work with Ubuntu. (Ok, I think I did this last one but the picture was so fuzzy it was like looking at someone through a drinking glass. You would need a disclaimer. "Actual appearance may vary!")


That is just what I would want to use it for. What do you want out of it? What is your motivation for wanting a regional group?

[treepolitik]

I wanted something for fun that would simply develop companionship and overall learning. I wanted to develop a system that does exactly what I want, when I want, and how I want it--browser, OS, you name it.

To put this into perspective, and not to offend, you appear to make appeals that older adults would make.

For example:
--Using very specific guidelines to assess casual meetings.
--Asking for very specific, limited-scope projects.
--Quoting your experience.
--Taking motor vehicle access somewhat for granted.
--Utilizing objects rather than identity as tools.

To my understanding, Ubuntu was largely a community of rebellion and big dreams, not realism. Perhaps you were successful in business for a while and now find yourself in the state of us "rebels," who find that life typically does not reward us for the achievements necessary to obtain those rewards. I am largely starting from scratch with everything.

I would reconsider donating my body(just me) to your projects if you were willing to seed me the lot of your knowledge, if possible. I actually do not live in Reading anymore, and I am poor, so I wouldn't be able to afford technology or dining as you would. We can discuss further details if these things are okay with you.

[ChinnoDog]

I'm not sure why you are providing supporting arguments for me being old. If you wanted to know, you could have just asked. I'm 31. I quoted my experience show how much of a noob I am. I know about computers but only have a couple years of linux experience. There are people more qualified than me to help with Ubuntu questions, some of which do not even work in an IT field. My projects were just examples of things I want to do. I am not an expert on community, but I do like having at least some structure.

I don't think your history of Ubuntu is entirely accurate. There is certainly some rebellion in open source culture but there are a lot of other reasons that Ubuntu is around and that people use it. I'm not a burned out IT worker if that is what you are thinking. On the contrary, I have wanted to break into the UNIX/Linux world for some time just to expand my horizons. Ubuntu was the path of least resistance because of its user community and minimal cost of entry in terms of effort required to get a fully functional system.

I wasn't making any assumptions about the resources you have available to you. Restaurants with wifi are common venues for community meetings in general. Do you have a place in mind? Acquiring capable technology generally isn't an obstacle when it comes to running Ubuntu as capable lower end hardware is cheap/free and Xubuntu can be used if Gnome is too much of a strain. If you need hardware try dropping by the IRC channel. There are a few sources I can think of. Where are you located now that you are not in Reading?

[treepolitik]

I'm not sure why you are providing supporting arguments for me being old. If you wanted to know, you could have just asked. I'm 31....I'm not a burned out IT worker if that is what you are thinking.

I actually have made a terrible blunder by thinking you were someone I knew from high school years, who had a recent life change in Denver and used Linux to repair Windows. Clearly, I was wrong. I apologize.


I do like having at least some structure.

Actually, I changed my mind. I do like your projects, especially the webcam one, because that seems to be a flagship challenge for Linux users. I would like very much to do YouTube again. I do want to learn more specific things that are marketable. I like the idea of creating graphics and websites with Python, C, Java, etc.


I wasn't making any assumptions about the resources you have available to you. Restaurants with wifi are common venues for community meetings in general.

If you could bring me to a place like Panera at Broadcasting from the turnpike Dunkin Donuts in Denver, that would be unprecedented, and I would be most grateful. I am not so secure about revealing my actual location publicly at this time, but I may share it in time.

I could put in a few dollars for gas, too.

[treepolitik]

I forgot to mention that I have a friend who lives close to Reading city who is trying to start a computer repair business and would love to join us. Feel free to propose days/times if it all sounds good to you. :mrgreen:

We were trying to set up Remote Assistance as of recent and ran into trouble with TCP/IP settings. If you could help, that would be really cool, too. [-o<