The SecondLife LUG

Hi, I would like to make some suggestion for the future of what I would call the "Linux User Group in SecondLife" (LUG SL)

1.) We should have our own group. Rather join Linux Users and Linux Client users. LL is controlling the Linux Users group right now and none of the officers answers to IM. I think we should habve a group where everybody should become member that likes to go to our meeting or likes to be active somehow in our LUG. I don't see that as possible with the current group althougn I think it is generally bad to always create a new group. Ideally the group we create is made out of the ppl that come to the meetings. I would use this group only for announcements specific to our LUG. I think "Linux Users" is a group for all Linux users, even those totally uninterested in any kind of meeting. So let those alone. They have not subscribed their because they want to meet us, Those who want can join our group. And I think it is much mor visible if we are a small group whose members see themselves more as active. A group IM hits more ppl that know each other.


2.) Recently as I looked on the map I saw that our meeting place is near the instructors area at Borrowdale and also the other welcome area at Waterhead where all those mentors run around. So I think this is a nice place. We could also have a bus that takes ppl from there to our meetings. LOL

3.) For the place I would like to have a sign where we always put the date of our next meeting and that gives soem notecard back if touched. Somebody can do this? If yes maybe help Angel Sunset setting this up.

4.) I think as a GNOMEr (subscriber of GNOME marketing list) I would like to promote Linux software and GNOME (also other software that is available). I would like to start with exchange of the GIMPers. GIMP is a toll that gets some more attention in SL. I think generally many applications like GIMP and OpenOffice.org drive attention to free software and that means also to Linux. Right now we have a high percentage of Linux users here because SL has a Linux Client. I have met so many ppl that at least use Linux as their second operating system. Everybody seems to at least heard about Linux. So maybe we can help people in:
* using free software like GIMP (i have linked to some tutorials in our wiki)
* help people in using Linux.

But I think GIMP is a good start, because many ppl do not want to spend much money into Photoshop and also do not want to use illegal copies of it. Anybody of you would call himself an expter on using GIMP?


Vinci

There's a Linux Client Alpha Testers group. I forget who's in charge of it but it's not LL and they do answer IMs otherwise I wouldn't be a member right now

I think this group covers points 1-3 in your list, and the existing Linux Users group covers point 4.

Dont forget that there is a perfectly good port of GIMP for Windows (which I use quite heavily for my RJ job as my company are too cheap to buy Photoshop) so I'd be promoting open source software rather than promoting linux. To be perfectly honest I'd not recommend switching operating systems to anyone unless they have a specific need for something that can only be achieved in linux. If people have to learn all this new stuff when really they don't have to and there is no major benefit in doing so, they are not going to like it.

Getting Windows users to use GIMP for SL and/or OOo is a foot in the door, then perhaps when the next forced OS upgrade from MS comes around (hello Windows 2000 Pro users!) people will try this Linux thing after being impressed with the quality of GIMP. (For this reason, I'd also keep quiet about OOo until it sucks a bit less than it does currently and actually starts rendering Word documents correctly)

You mean the Linux Client Group. I know that. Also controlled by LL. But you are right open source is a good word. There are also the followiung groups:

"Open Source Developers" and "LSL Open Source Developers".

I recently also discovered the Open Porsche project. This was really GPLed "Open Porsche" car with scripting. They also wanted to create an open source group. And certainly there is also the "free culture" folks where I am also a member.

I really think some of those activists should stick their heads together.

GIMP teachings could be made in places like New citizen plaza.

I like the idea of having a LUG group for the people interested in meetings. This way we wouldn't disturb the other Linuxers who want to be left alone. We should see if there is already a matching group, otherwise create one.

Setting up a notecard dispenser is no real problem, I can do that, if there's nobody else who wants to do it.

GIMP is a great tool, abt I think I am quite firm in the basics. But I don't think I could hold a tutorial in-world. People who know me in SL may realize, why

I have an old group simply named Second Life Users Group that has been dormant for several months. It was formed to help focus resident feature requests but that function was coopted by LL when they published the web-based voting system.

It's open enrollment and has a group forum available. If y'all would like to use it as a LUG device, just join and start posting.

Nope, there's a non linden run linux client users group too

This thread has the details
/263/bf/85803/1.html


And I think the open source developers group is a little different from the goal of promoting the USE of open source software.

I seriously think the best way to promote OSS in SL is to get people to use GIMP for texture editing. It's better than PSP, it's almost as good as PhotoShop and it's free, but the main advantage is that it "Just Works"tm) unlike many other pieces of OSS out there. (no matter how easy installing linux becomes, most windows PCs had the OS installed by the manufacturer and you can't compete with that)

I think a LUG group is a good idea. The Linux Users group that already exists might work for it, but I haven't really looked. I suppose asking the group would be a good idea...

There aren't any good LUGs near me in RL, so an SL one would be great.