Linux user groups (LUGs): There's no central listing for them anymore seems like?

Rob

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For people looking for LUGs in their area, I don't think there's any recent, updated lists or directories anymore.

Should we create and maintain a list that members can add/remove their local LUGs? Or, is there alread a maintained list somewhere that I can't find?
 


So far, we have one that's trying to get a LUG started and one that remarks how they used to attend but they no longer exist.

Then, on another site, there's still a few Ubuntu Local Communities (LoCo's) kicking about. There's some discussion there about promoting them and encouraging folks to create more - but that whole project's a hot mess.
 
My experience is that such lists are incomplete, inaccurate, and poorly maintained. If they ever work, they do not last very long before they become useless. Who wants the thankless job of maintaining one?
 
The Northern Virginia Linux Group was the closest I could find. Not driving over an hour away if I can help it.


Woodbridge LUG


Creating a list that members can add or rm LUG's sounds great Rob!
 
Hmm...

The more I think of this, it sounds like it has potential to be a spam magnet. We'll need moderation for that.

We could manually approve links. We should probably insist that the person(s) adding links do so with an email address that matches that of the LUG.

It'd require some careful thinking... That's just the surface.

If there's no central repository of LUGs being maintained, that's probably for a good reason.
 
Not driving over an hour away if I can help it.
In this day and age, that would be a common comment.

Only people with a great deal of time to spare, would be in a position to involve themselves in that pursuit.

To imagine that there would be sufficient number of LUG's for there to be one close and handy, would not be logical.

Is there any way that LUG's can be incorporated into the various Linux help forums ?

To make people aware of this facility would require a determined advertising campaign from all the participating forums
 
Hmm...

The more I think of this, it sounds like it has potential to be a spam magnet. We'll need moderation for that.

We could manually approve links. We should probably insist that the person(s) adding links do so with an email address that matches that of the LUG.

It'd require some careful thinking... That's just the surface.

If there's no central repository of LUGs being maintained, that's probably for a good reason.
Agreed-

It shouldn't be so difficult to meet up with a local LUG IMO.
I'll ponder the idea of creating a group in my area if I don't find one in the not so distant future.
 
In this day and age, that would be a common comment.

Only people with a great deal of time to spare, would be in a position to involve themselves in that pursuit.

To imagine that there would be sufficient number of LUG's for there to be one close and handy, would not be logical.

Is there any way that LUG's can be incorporated into the various Linux help forums ?

To make people aware of this facility would require a determined advertising campaign from all the participating forums
At the price of gas as it is now it's a no go for me and many others too.

I'm retired so time isn't the issue, prices are.
 
One of the sites I host belongs to someone starting a LUG, now that I think of it.

I have no idea how well they're doing. I don't do things like monitor their sites or anything like that. I only respond for help and complaints for things like copyright. They have no complaints against them. So, I haven't even checked their domain in ages.
 
Finding a really good group of folks that are "sincerely dedicated" to helping others IMO is rare these days.

In the years of coming here helping others and receiving help in return has been a great experience!
In fact, now that I think of it, no one here has ever let me down.

Found Linux Around The World
 
Probably a good place for a LUG.....
 
As someone who throws a lot of hours into helping the Linux community, I'd say:

"Be the LUG you want a LUG to be."

You can have a LUG that meets in your kitchen. You can use a basement room at your local worship center. You can meet for coffee and donuts once a month and claim a few booths.

Heck, for a model, look at 'cars and coffee'. They pick a small coffee shop, show up with their cars, order drinks and food while having a gathering in their parking lot. (Exclude the cars, in this case.) There are cars and coffee events all over the place.

As mentioned above, there's some talk about getting Ubuntu LoCo's back together. The program's a hot mess - but that indicates (to me, at least) that there's still some interest.
 
A couple of things off the top of my head .. you'd have to be signed in here to submit one, it'd need to be approved and i'm thinking it'd "run out" after 6 months and get de-listed unless the submitter re-ups.
 
As someone who throws a lot of hours into helping the Linux community, I'd say:

"Be the LUG you want a LUG to be."

You can have a LUG that meets in your kitchen. You can use a basement room at your local worship center. You can meet for coffee and donuts once a month and claim a few booths.

Heck, for a model, look at 'cars and coffee'. They pick a small coffee shop, show up with their cars, order drinks and food while having a gathering in their parking lot. (Exclude the cars, in this case.) There are cars and coffee events all over the place.

As mentioned above, there's some talk about getting Ubuntu LoCo's back together. The program's a hot mess - but that indicates (to me, at least) that there's still some interest.
Ditto!

Running a podcast once a week would be cool too.

All someone would need is OBS and a mic--
 
A couple of things off the top of my head .. you'd have to be signed in here to submit one, it'd need to be approved and i'm thinking it'd "run out" after 6 months and get de-listed unless the submitter re-ups.

I'm down for the challenge. It'll be some extra work, but I'm game if my help is needed.

Approval should probably take more than it takes to approve a new post - meaning the person reviewing it should at least try to verify that they have some sort of page set up for this, that they are actually a LUG and not a serial killer, and that sort of stuff...

Well, at least verify that there's a LUG there... It'd be difficult to prove they're not actually serial killers!

Might want some sort of disclaimer... "Information here is submitted by third parties. We've done as much verification as we can. Check to ensure dates, times, locations, and contact people are correct."

Or something like that...

(I'm just pondering the various options and concerns.)
 
A couple of things off the top of my head .. you'd have to be signed in here to submit one, it'd need to be approved and i'm thinking it'd "run out" after 6 months and get de-listed unless the submitter re-ups.
True:-
 
I'm down for the challenge. It'll be some extra work, but I'm game if my help is needed.

Approval should probably take more than it takes to approve a new post - meaning the person reviewing it should at least try to verify that they have some sort of page set up for this, that they are actually a LUG and not a serial killer, and that sort of stuff...

Well, at least verify that there's a LUG there... It'd be difficult to prove they're not actually serial killers!

Might want some sort of disclaimer... "Information here is submitted by third parties. We've done as much verification as we can. Check to ensure dates, times, locations, and contact people are correct."

Or something like that...

(I'm just pondering the various options and concerns.)
Agreed-

Trust but verify.
 
The following are my personal observations and opinions. I do not know whether others have noticed the same trends or written about them:

There were a lot of local "hobby" and computer user groups and clubs in the 1980s and 1990s. CP/M, Apples, PCs, Windows, Mac, (and later Linux), and also cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, it was "electronics" (think: Heathkit), TVs, high fidelity, camping, backpacking, etc. Even earlier in the 1950s and 1960s it was woodworking, metalworking, steam engines, etc.

Some of those live clubs are still hanging on, but nearly all of them lack fresh young members. Many clubs have leadership that enjoyed their positions too much and hung on too long. Now they lack younger volunteers to take over and keep them going. The clubs have been supplanted by the internet and social media.

I have interests beyond technology, and belong to one of those local "hobby" clubs. Since the pandemic, I have not felt comfortable attending any of the live club meetings. They still broadcast them via Zoom, when it works. The personal interaction is gone - sharing equipment and supplies, the annual auction, etc. The membership is old and curmudgeonly; they wouldn't wear masks even when it was mandatory by regulation. The leadership did not care. I have a feeling that any active Linux user group in my area would have similar issues, so I would be unlikely to attend a live meeting, at least not yet. (NOTE: I am not interested in a debate about the pandemic, masks, or anything related, but just explaining why I would not attend a meeting at this time. That's me. Others are free to do as they wish.)
 

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