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DivineTemplar
October 15th, 2009, 09:52 PM
Doesn't look like there is much going on around here lately. How are you all doing?

recluse2
October 16th, 2009, 01:51 AM
You are right, there sure isn't much activity in the group. We have tried and tried for several years to get things going, but it just seem like anyone is willing to participate. If anybody wants to chat there are usually a few of us on IRC. The forums here are always available, and we have scheduled meetings that no one shows up to.

If anyone has any ideas about how to stimulate the membership, please air them, if anybody is wanting to do something tell it here, lets get excited about something again, and lets get some things accomplished!

DivineTemplar
October 16th, 2009, 10:07 PM
I know I stopped visiting the IRC channel due to lack of activity in it. Sure there were people, but nobody talked or responded. To be fair though, the hours I keep vary so that doesn't help.

I haven't seen anything about a meeting in the past few weeks that I have been back. Are you referring to IRC meetings or physical meetings?

It is difficult to think of ways to increase membership to this group, due to the small marketshare of Linux users to start with, which is likely even smaller here in SC. Most people have no idea what Linux is when I try to talk to them about it, and they get very confused very quickly.

As for increasing activity and interest for existing members, perhaps sending out emails? That is actually what brought me back was an email saying my membership was about to expire due to inactivity. With all the issues going on in my life, and my laptop bricking, I totally forgot about this until that reminder.

The idea of Physical Meetings is nice, but geographically speaking, SC is large enough that it can be a difficult prospect. Splitting our group up into sub-groups would shrink this team to the point where it isn't worth it, so I would say that any idea involving it should be planned a month in advance and in a geographically centered area (Columbia would probably be the best I think, as it is close to the center). Weekend days would likely draw more people in, due to less then likely interference with a work schedule.

IRC Meetings are great if people show up as well, and logistically speaking, should be easier to pull off. However you always get people who don't want to download an IRC program, those who have trouble with the Java Applets, and those with time constraints. Regular reminders via Email would be a great way to keep people in the loop as to when these meetings would take place, as opposed to only broadcasting it here on the forum (not that it should be eliminated, just that if people aren't reading them yet, it won't do any good).

I know that in some of the online organizations I run and have run in the past, we have come up against these kinds of problems. The best idea is to have a workable goal that everybody can get behind and move toward. Being aimless tends to increase apathy, which leads to inactivity.