<div class="gmail_quote">On Jan 20, 2008 4:07 PM, Greg 'groggy' Lehey <<a href="mailto:Greg.Lehey@auug.org.au">Greg.Lehey@auug.org.au</a>> wrote:<br></div>
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<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid">AUUG has been in decline for years now. At the turn of the century we<br>had about 600 members (from memory); now it has about 30.
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<div>I feel it's probably time for it to end. The appeal of user-groups is really in regard to the early adoption of technology, and Unix is now a mainstream technology. It's also practically meaningless as a brand, and people identify with powerful brands. You will find more passion (either way) about Ubuntu Linux than you will about Unix in general, or even Linux in general. In a way, a Unix User Group is about as exciting in these days as joining the Advocates For Electrical Power'. Yeah dude, let's get over it already, my faviourite TV show is on.
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<div>That's not to say that if AUUG as a vessel had a few concrete aims, it might be worth keeping it going. But these aims will not arise out of consensus - it would take someone to have the vision and do the talking and executing and get the others on board. That way, you might get together a bunch of contributors who would pay their dues in order to see something done that they cared about. But you wouldn't see them paying their dues to get the kudos of being associated.
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<div>This is a good thing really. Who wants all those hangers on paying their money so they can feel like they're a part of something important, while contributing nothing of substance themselves?</div>
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<div>This whole 'clubs and societies' thing is increasingly less relevant in today's information-rich world. As I said already, if you have some concrete reasons for being, then that's good. Your aim might be to 'have a formal dinner every 4th Thursday, at one of the finer hotels in town' - something that might be appreicated people who enjoy the whole atmosphere of a 'night out' and is delighted to know there are some kindred souls. So you build your structure around your aim - a newsletter diligently posted might well do the trick - no need for the formalisms of an incorporated body.
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<div>To put it frankly, the formalisms of an incorporated body are an impediment to getting just about anything useful done. They are mechanisms of accountability primarily - to ensure that the cash-paying members don't get ripped off by the board. But when a short note to the tune of 'see you all on thursday at 6pm at the Royal, where we've negotiated a 10% discount if 20 of us turn up' will do the trick and the members enjoy the discount for their bulk buying power on the night, why bother with all that? Same thing goes when a bunch of propeller heads want to meet locally and talk about stuff ... there's no need for money to change hands, except perhaps over the bar.
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<div>On the other hand, if you dearly want an annual technical conference in the NSW/Melbourne, then put together a group that is enthusiastic about putting on great technical conferences. But don't call it AUUG, and don't trouble yourself about members, and don't form a board. Make yourselves all shareholders and appoint a CEO on a commensurate salary to carry out the company's specific aims.
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<div>So anyway, AUUG has to be 'about something'. If that something is 'being unixy together', then fine. If it's about putting on a technical conference, then fine. But make the structure appropriate to the activity.
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<div>cheers,</div>
<div>David Bullock</div></div>