On Tue, 15 Feb 2000, Tony Hammitt wrote:

> C'mon guys.  There's a _very_ good reason that I joined KCLUG and not
> KULUA:  I don't want to drive to Lawrence.  I don't have time in my
> schedule to add two hours to my travel time.  Think of the people who
> live in Independence or further east, they'd have 3 hours of driving
> for each meeting.

Uh, approximately a third of KULUA's meetings are in KC.  Also, most
things of interest take place on a mailing list, since most people who
need help need it relatively quickly.

> The Kansas City area Linux people _need_ KCLUG, which meets _in_ KC.  
> If we disbanded KCLUG and told everyone that they had to go to
> Lawrence, no one would go.

Why not one group, multiple meetings?  For some reason people think that
there has to be one meeting, in one place...

I'm also curious as to why people still think KULUA == Lawrence.  For the
last year and a half or so we've been having meetings/socials in other
areas.  KULUA hasn't been affiliated with KU for almost three years now.

> Silicon valley has at least 5 LUGs because they need to split them up.  
> The number of people in each one is large and travel times there are
> ridiculously long.  Kansas City isn't so bad for travel time, but that
> which we are not used to wasting becomes more precious to us.

Silicon Valley has only two big LUGs, IIRC -- SVLUG and BALUG.  BALUG is
primarily SF and Oakland (again IIRC) and SVLUG is the valley.  Remember,
one ego and five members doesn't a real LUG make.

> Enough.  Anyone is of course free to go to either or both groups. But
> there is no way we should merge.  There is no reason to merge.

I respectfully disagree.  There are very good reasons why we should merge,
and several reasons why we shouldn't.

Remember, one LUG doesn't necessarily mean one agenda and one meeting.

I would never propose eliminating KCLUG's meetings.  If there was a
merger, it would simply be to increase critical mass.

KULUA right now has a main social, and one offshoot meeting (RHCE study
sessions), which I don't coordinate.

My proposal would be to have two main meetings, and as many offshoots
(read SIGs) as needed.  I would suggest a biweekly meeting in Lawrence
(sometimes Topeka) and either a weekly or biweekly meeting in KC.  We'd
try to put them on different days, of course.

To be honest, either way people want to go is fine with me.  I just want
to let people know that I'm willing to compromise and accomodate.

I've been content to let KULUA grow on its own in the past (KULUA's been
doubling every year), but I feel that KULUA is big enough now that more
infrastructure is needed, and Kansas City is one area I'm planning on
targetting for expansion.  I would rather be neighbourly about it and
avoid any possible friction between us.

J.

o-----------------------------------o
| Jeffrey Watts                     |
| watts@jayhawks.net         o-------------------------------------------o
| Systems Programmer         | "I think the reason American cars aren't  |
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| Sprint Communications      |  difference in dinosaurs.  Any clunker    |
o----------------------------|  with a motor can outrun Barney, but it   |
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                             |  -- Dave James                            |
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