Re: [Linux-aus] Linux Australia AGM Held

[Terry Dawson <terry@animats.net>]

On Mon, 3 Feb 2003 02:09, Bret Busby wrote:

> I sincerely hope that the new president is capable of dragging the
> organisation from the cesspool into which you appear to have dragged
> it, and into which, others appear to be striving to keep it.

Bret,
I can understand you taking offense at Anand introducing personal details 
into the discussion, but what you've suggested is completely innaccurate. If 
Linux Australia was dragged into any cesspool it was by me, not by Anand.  If 
it hadn't been for Anand's enthusiasm, tenacity and hard work Linux Australia 
might well have wound up a year or two ago.

I'd virtually given up on it, precisely because I was mortified by the 
vitriol that appeared to encompass any public discussion about it. To this 
day I've no idea why people are so quick to mistrust people trying to 
establish a benevolent volunteer-based organisation to promote Linux in 
Australia.

When Gary and I co-founded Linux Australia we did so in the belief that it 
would catalyse a unifying, geographically agnostic Linux community within 
Australia. We saw so many good things happening, and so much more that could 
be done from a national perspective if a vehicle for collaboration and 
cooperation could be created. There was no need to worry about geographic 
representation as the LUGs were doing a damned fine job at that, indeed we 
wanted to further assist the LUGs in doing that. At the time there was 
limited Linux-related commercial activity occurring within Australia but we 
saw commercial organisations as being important contributors to the community 
too. We particularly saw the promotion of collaborative relationships between 
the LUGs and commercial organisations as being key to growth of the community.

We were additionally interested in creating Linux communities that were 
unrelated to geography. Linux isn't geographically bound, it never has been, 
if it had it may never have been developed. It's difficult enough to formally 
establish geographically-based user groups, let alone trying to establish 
interest-based groups that are orthogonal to geography.

What benefits Linux benefits the Linux community. That is what Linux 
Australia was created for, to promote Linux using whatever means made sense.

I failed at the task of making it happen. Anand has succeeded in completely 
reinvigorating the organisation, has attracted some enthusiastic people, has 
conducted the first and most broadly representative AGM in the organisations 
history.

I for one want to congratulate the new committee. I'm really pleased to see 
people volunteering to participate, and especially pleased at those who were 
elected in. I may not necessarily have always agreed with each of you in the 
past, but I know you're all passionate about what you do.

I additionally want to publicly thank Anand for taking the next step that I 
couldn't. The organisation is now in a position where the opportunity for 
community-influenced change has been created.

I'm pleased you care about Linux Australia Bret, it needs people that care 
enough to contribute. The question of appropriate organisational structure is 
a thorny one. I'm personally of the opinion that the KISS principle is the 
sensible approach until the organisation is on more solid footing. We must 
trust the membership of the committee and the organisation at large to 
address any issues as they arise. One of the most important issues to address 
first, I think, is that of establishing formal process for accepting 
membership applications. I think that more important to address than 
organisational structure at this point in time.

I want to appeal to everyone on the list to please, please, please, don't 
polarise the issues being discussed. They're not black and white. Please try 
not to be divisive, think community and remember it's a volunteer 
organisation.

Good luck everyone.

regards
Terry