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

[Don Knowles]

Wow. I was starting to wonder if there was going to ever be much
activity on this mailing list. I feel so proud to have started a
thread of such vibrancy.
Or did I create a Monster?
Seven emails in one day, all long ... you buggers have stopped me
reading my daily SlashDot. I've tried to make a short response to the
bits that caught my eye. I haven't responded to everything (1) because
I wanted to avoid being overly boring (2) because it's nearly 1 a.m.
and I'm tired.
------------------------------------
Brett Busby wrote:
" ... Perhaps, Linux Australia could redefine and rename itself, to be Open
Source Software Australia, or some similar name, ..."

As long as we don't all end up "OSSAfied"!
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James Turnbull wrote:
"Linux is Unix-*like*.  I suspect some AUUG members, most of the *BSD
community, and a lot of proprietary Unix people would not agree with you
that Linux = Unix."

And Mr. R. Stallman would have it called GNU/Linux because of the huge
contribution of the GNU Project ... GNU stuff being used in the
Free/Open BSDs as much as in Linux, and if I'm not mistaken in
proprietary UNIXs too.
-----
Amdrew Pam wrote:
"Bret Busby wrote:
78 commas - a new record!
Regards,
       Andrew"

Punctuation gives a better (or a bit of) sense to a sentence.
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Peter Miller wrote:
"It is because of the "you must include closed-source too" sticking point
that I expect the dissolution provisions will come into play."

It would be sad to see it simply dissolve, is there any way to
emphasise LA and AUUG's similarities to the AUUG membership?
If the role of proprietary UNIX is diminishing, would it be possible
as part of an amalgamation process to change LA's
constitution/aims/policies to allow for proprietary UNIX interests?
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Brett Busby wrote:
Are we to have all references to MS Windows, and to proprietary UNIX,
banned from Linux Australia and its affiliated organisations and
conferences?
-and-
It really goes back to the question; "What is Linux Australia really
about, and, whose interests does it serve?".
(It is there, you just have to get right to the end)

I'd say that Linux Australia is all about Open Source software in all
it's forms, including stuff like Open Office, which you can give to
someone at Software Freedom Day, and they can use it, and be aware
they're not obliged to pay for software all the time. I'd have written
my response on a Windows PC but I couldn't be bothered moving 3 feet
to the right.
As for what can be discussed by
Guest Speakers: anything they damn well please, if they're polite
enough to be willing to speak, we should be polite enough to let them.
Members of LA: anything they damn well please, just because! I'm damn
sure I will.
-----
James Purser wrote:
I don't know which is scarier, the fact that Bret wrote 106 comma's or
that Andrew sat down and counted them all.
Remember people, punctuation is not a game, someone could lose an eye.

Don't blink, you'll miss one!
-----
 Paul Shirren wrote:
I don't want to be divisive, but is this a good time to revisit the
relevancy of the name Linux Australia?

Let's have a LUAU (Hawiian shindig - if I spelt it correctly) ... if
you rub LA into AUUG like butter into flour, you'd get Linux Unix
Australia Users
-----
Donna Benjamin wrote:
Linux Australia -> community association
 (free membership for individuals passionate about FLOSS)
OSIA -> industry association
 (paid membership for companies selling FLOSS solutions, training, &
associated products)
AUUG -> professional association for people seeking training,
networking, knowledge sharing about Unix, be it FLOSS or not.
SAGE-AU -> Professional association for Sys-admins - FLOSS or not.
There's also ACS, AIIA, and IIA, the digital alliance, and a bunch of
others that aren't coming to mind... <snip>
commas? Oh FFS.

What's that last one? Free Form Software? Is that a new organisation
we haven't heard about before?
When I started this thread, I had assumed from what I read that the
closure of AUUG looked like a done deal.
I assumed LA would be a fairly logical landing place for AUUG members
who still wanted to "be in something".
But I take your point that there's heaps of alternatives, and the
point made by others of the "differences of approach".
-----
Cheers,

Don Knowles
Rockhampton, AUSTRALIA