[Linux-aus] Server to donate to another LUG - DarLUG is no more.

[Paul Shirren]

Jonathan Oxer wrote:
 > This raises an interesting question though: how to make LUGs viable in
 > smaller population centers.

I moved to a rural area (35k pop spread over many small towns) and 
wanted to bring a bit of civilisation. I mostly ran out of time for 
local LUG activities when I started a job with longer travelling times. 
I stopped organising meetings and it died shortly after. It might have 
clawed back as a more informal thing but the mailing list box died and 
the energy and excitement to restore it never eventuated.

While it was going meeting attendance was highly variable. Travel time 
was an issue as was seasonal work. I think the meeting format was flawed 
as well (my fault). City lugs seem to have no problems getting a variety 
of speakers to give interesting presentations. It is a bit much to 
expect the same few people to come up with something all the time and so 
perhaps we should have done something different.

Lots of clubs are struggling these days especially in rural areas. None 
of the issues that stopped us are things LA could have helped with. Our 
meeting place had insurance cover and did not charge us money. We had 
free web hosting. I can see how other clubs might not be so lucky.

It would have been helpful to have an inter-lug forum particularly with 
smaller lugs to share ideas.

I thought several times, it would be less hassle just to invite people 
over for drinks and a bbq. And that would have been fine for the 
regulars I trusted. But with a lug, you want to attract new people, and 
that demands a public space and some sort of format and that is more hassle.