[Flounder] volunteers needed

[Russell Coker]

On Monday, 7 March 2022 14:54:51 AEDT DL Neil via Flounder wrote:
> On 07/03/2022 16.09, Russell Coker via Flounder wrote:
> > We need more volunteers to make this a successful group.
> > 
> > The first and most important thing we need is more featured training
> > events. This is a big thing to do, but shouldn't be that difficult for
> > the developer of a system...
> 
> After a life-time of vocational training experience, I will be more than
> happy to help people who would like to learn how put-together a
> course/presentation, or perhaps would like a 'sounding-board' or someone
> to practice-on (careful how you read that!).

Sounds great!

> The BigBlueButton meeting-URL was not mentioned at
> https://flounder.linux.org.au/events/april-2022-mailserververs2/ Should
> it have been?

http://b.coker.com.au which is on that page redirects to the BBB instance we 
use.  Short and easy to memorise URLs are best for this sort of thing as it's 
not uncommon for one device to lose access to BBB and for someone to need to 
quickly type the URL into another.  This is something I had to do at the last 
meeting when my home Internet went out and I had to switch to 4G on my phone.

> In a university environment (per its gestation), BBB will often sit
> 'inside the network'. Accordingly, there are a few security features -
> but not many. Some are more practicable in our situation than others.
> That said, one of its 'easy to use' attractions is that there is no
> central 'credentials' database - and thus no such 'overhead' admin-work.
> 
> 
> The choices are:
> 
> 1 'security through obscurity'
> Some groups rely upon their small number of members to keep the URL
> fairly unknown, but maintain the same URL for months/years. (cf nr 4)
> 
> 2 'abracadabra'
> A conference can be set to only admit members who know an Access Code.
> Such a code would need to be distributed to intending attendees - and
> presumably a new code generated for each meeting.
> 
> 3 'gatekeeper'
> A conference can similarly be set to only allow approved-persons to
> attend. This would require someone to act as Cerberus (inverted). Also
> that (s)he would have a list of members and/or intending attendees.
> 
> 4 'rotational'
> Each month/meeting/period, we generate a new URL for use. This would
> have to be (re-)published in-advance, and confuses anyone who doesn't
> realise the practice (by trying to use that which worked 'last time')
> 
> Per Russell's call for assistance, please note that options 2 and 3
> require more 'work'/'workers' - both on the part of the attendee and of
> some 'administrator'!
> 
> At the moment we've started at option-1. I'll be happy to facilitate as
> you (Russell) and/or you (member) see fit...

Changing the Apache redirect is easy enough so rotating it occasionally 
wouldn't be difficult.  If we chose the Gatekeeper method then the plan would 
be to just admit anyone who wants to join at the appointed time, I don't 
anticipate hecklers joining, and if they did we could just mute them.

-- 
My Main Blog         http://etbe.coker.com.au/
My Documents Blog    http://doc.coker.com.au/