[Linux-aus] AUUG to close? Will there be a rush of new members to Linux Australia?

[Bret Busby]

On Mon, 17 Dec 2007, Jonathan Oxer wrote:

> Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:44:39 +1100
> From: Jonathan Oxer <jon at ivt.com.au>
> To: Linux Australia List <linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au>
> Cc: Adrian Close <adrian at auug.org.au>, LA Committee <committee at linux.org.au>
> Subject: Re: [Linux-aus] AUUG to close? Will there be a rush of new members to
>      Linux Australia?
> 
> Hi folks,
>
> Last week I attended the AUUG AGM as an observer. Firstly, thanks to the
> AUUG folk for making me welcome: Adrian Close, Andrew Chalmers, David
> Purdue, Suzie, Peter, Eno, and Grahame (sorry, I don't know all the
> surnames). They were very friendly and hospitable.
>
> Obviously the major topic of discussion was whether the organisation
> could continue, and if so, in what form. The problem they're facing is
> decreasing participation and membership, so they're re-assessing the
> relevance of the organisation in the context of the current IT landscape
> and the growth of organisations with overlapping areas of interest such
> as LA. Questions such as what activities the organisation should / could
> undertake in future were raised and discussed.
>
> Overall the attitude of the members present was quite positive, and
> although there was general agreement that the organisation could not
> continue in its current form they were upbeat about finding some
> alternate way forward. Nevertheless they passed a resolution to
> distribute a ballot to all financial members to put the question of
> whether the organisation should be wound up and its assets passed on to
> an appropriate beneficiary. That process will obviously take some time
> so we'll just have to wait and see what the outcome is.
>
> Another issue that was discussed was the possibility of passing on the
> John Lions Student Prize to be administered by Linux Australia. Doing
> that would be totally independent of whether AUUG itself is wound up,
> since even if the organisation continues it's unlikely there will be an
> opportunity for AUUG to award the Prize in future. It hasn't been
> awarded since the 2002 AUUG conference and LCA would probably make a
> better venue for it now anyway.
>
> We didn't spend much time talking about the future of the Student Prize
> and there's certainly nothing decided, but I expect that now the subject
> has been raised there will be some kind of official LA/AUUG discussion
> about whether it's appropriate to move it under LA's control.
> Unfortunately we're probably too close to LCA2008 to award it there,
> although it would certainly be nice if we could arrange it that quickly.
> I think it's quite likely that it will be part of LCA2009 though.
>
> http://www.auug.org.au/awards/lions/
>
> Cheers   :-)
> --
> Jonathan Oxer
> +61 3 9723 9399
>
>

After reading that page, and looking around on the AUUG web site, I 
found two things of particular interest; the first relates (somewhat) to 
that prize, the web page at http://www.auug.org.au/awards/aosa/ , which 
refers to "Australian Open Source Awards", as awarded by AUUG, and, the 
second, is on the web pages at http://new.auug.org.au/ and 
http://www.auug.org.au/index2.html , where AUUG is defenied as "AUUG is 
The Organisation for Unix, Linux and Open Source Professionals".

Each of these, appears to me to, apart from the proprietary UNIX 
components, be what Linux Australia is supposed to be all about.

One thing about which I am curious, is the use on the AUUG web site, of 
the term "Open Systems", for which I was unable to find a definition on 
the AUUG web site, so I do not know, what is an "Open System".

An acepted definition, which also claifies how the term compares to the 
term "Open Source Operating System", would be good.

Anyway, it sounds to me, from the AUUG web site, like AUUG is simply 
another version of Linux Australia, which also happens to include, but 
is clearly not limited to, proprietary UNIX.

Perhaps, Linux Australia could redefine and rename itself, to be Open 
Source Software Australia, or saome similar name, as Linux Australia 
already includes Openb Source Software, of which Linux is only a 
component, both in terms of Open Source Software, and, in terms of what 
is covered by Linux Australia.

And, the new organisation could have something like a Special Interest 
Group, that is limited in activity, to Linux, and, other Special 
Interest Groups, that relate to particular concepts or open source 
software, like, in the former case, intellectual property and various 
licensing syetems, such as the BSD licence, the GPL, etc, and, in the 
case of the latter, particular applications,like account, genealogy, 
craft-related software,such as quilting and cross-stiching, and, (so 
this doesn't sound like it is included in that application category, 
although it could ne relevant) CAD software, ane educational software, 
etc.

So, maybe it is time for both AUUG and Linux Australia, to examine what 
they are about, and redefine themsleves, or, merge, or something, as 
Linux Australia is clearly not limited to Linux, and, AUUG is clearly 
not limited to UNIX, but, by definition, attempts to duplicate much of 
what is covered by Linux Australia.

Perhaps, this is something that could be considered by the candidates 
for the new Linux Australia committee, and, perhaps, they could explain 
their opinions and intentions relating to this, as part of their 
"electioneering.

And, perhaps,  members of this list, who are not intending to sek 
election to the committee of Linux Autralia, could also explain their 
thoughts about this material.

--
Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia
..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
  you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
   Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
   "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
   A Trilogy In Four Parts",
   written by Douglas Adams,
   published by Pan Books, 1992

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