[Linux-aus] LUGs

[Ashley]

On 28/06/2023 10:13 pm, Russell Coker via linux-aus wrote:
> <snip>
> Linux is easy enough that the people who have less demanding needs can figure
> most things out on their own (except printers, they still suck).  If this is
> the cause of the decline of LUGs then it is evidence to suggest that the
> majority of Linux users have less demanding needs.
>
> Should we try to have less of an emphasis on computer science in LUGs if
> that's not what the users want?
>
I'm not sure about the other LUGs but I was a member of SLUG starting in 
the mid 90s. I think I started going to the meetings at the Sydney 
Institute of Technology in about 1996. It was here that I learned a 
great deal about Linux. My first successful install was in about '92 or 
'93 with Yggdrasil Linux and kernel 0.99.

SLUG introduced me to the much friendlier desktop versions and taught me 
about such things as bash scripting and getting things working. We would 
have in depth discussions about the use of various programs such as the 
VIM and Emacs editors and, of course, other useful programs such as the 
GIMP, Mutt and Mozilla.

Slug was a great place for normal users to meet and learn. Then in the 
later years from about 2014 or so it was taken over by the corporate 
users, sysadmins and such and moved completely away from its roots.

Is it relevant to the average user today? Probably not as anyone who 
asks a question that indicates that they are not familiar with the 
kernel code and creating a VPN from scratch is treated as irrelevant and 
is usually either ignored or treated with disdain by most members these 
days.

I used to really enjoy SLUG meetings and was really disappointed when 
the meeting changed from trying to upgrade the members' knowledge and 
skills to just showing their knowledge about corporate issues.

Sorry about the rant but LUGs have moved away from general users to 
corporate computer engineering groups.

Ashley