[Linux-aus] Linux Australia's purpose

[Leon Brooks]

On Sunday 02 February 2003 11:17 pm, Bret Busby wrote:
>> Linux Australia is supposed to serve the interests of Australia Linux
>> users and vendors.

> Well, you have certainly shown that the committee has no interest in
> doing that, and will go to great lengths, and use dirty tactics, to
> avoid doing that.

Speaking as one of the accused, I wholeheartedly reject your assertion. *All* 
of the Committee, very different people though they are, have been positive, 
thoughtful and constructive so far. Not to mention laid-back and polite.

Anand in particular has almost _been_ Linux Australia over the past few years, 
not due to despotism but due to the general _apathy_ of everone else. He has 
formally stated (I think even at the AGM, were you there? Maybe we have speex 
footage of it if not) that he's overloaded and looking to shed offices so he 
can have a real life as well, not consolidate his supposed power base. All, 
and I really do mean all, of the rest of the Committee are relieved that we 
were able to retain Anand, and hope he stays with us for at least a few 
months to ease the transition.

My exposure to you, on the other hand, has involved sitting through a great 
deal of contention and accusation. It seems to follow you around. You stood 
up and made claims of a similar nature, for example, at the inaugural SLPWA 
meeting, and are constantly ruffling feathers on PLUG's list. I have also had 
many people, probably ten or a dozen, tell me personally or by email that it 
is the same on other lists, and with other organisations. Do you *need* to do 
this?

I strongly advise you that if you aren't sure of your facts, don't speak to 
them, just wait and watch without fanfare.

Linux Australia is experiencing something of a rebirth as we speak, including 
replacement of 85% of its Committee and an eighty-fold increase in 
membership. What we need now is help and support, creative and constructive 
input. So far all I've seen you do here has worked towards bringing down and 
destruction, wrapped in a veneer of righteous concern though it may be.

Please don't.

My personality is very different to those of many of the other Committee 
members, and I'm torn between being pleased that we have such variety and 
wondering how I got elected. What is worth noting, though, is that even busy 
Committee members who are likely to find me irritatingly loud, careless and 
presumptuous have been helpful and polite at every step. I'm not much into 
pride, but I am proud of my associates here and feel very strongly that they 
should be left to get up to speed, not have to deal with wild accusations 
such as yours.

Please focus on being entirely constructive here, and if you can't bring 
yourself to do that, save your indignation for your diary or at least direct 
it to the individuals concerned. If you don't like the way Linux Australia 
works, and can't help us improve it, please use or start a different 
organisation and mailing list.

Note that this is not `come and see the violence inherent in the system' style 
repression, simply my request. If you continue to harrass intead of helping, 
LA will inevitably have to do something to cope with that in order to get on 
and be about its purpose.

If you have a problem with _my_ attitude, please take it up with _me_, not LA. 
I will answer, you know from experience that I do.

Cheers; Leon

-- 
http://cyberknights.com.au/     Modern tools; traditional dedication
http://plug.linux.org.au/       Member, Perth Linux User Group
http://slpwa.asn.au/            Committee Member, Linux Professionals WA
http://linux.org.au/            Committee Member, Linux Australia
http://linux.org.au/~leonb/lca2003/  THE Oz Linux Technical Conf:
                                excellent event, photos here!