Re: [SLUG] Video Sales to Support SLUG

[Matthew Palmer <mjp16@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 16 May 2003, Oscar Plameras wrote:

> Good idea. I should say GNU FDL, (Under useful document) a
> portion of which license says,
> 
> "The purpose of this License is to make a manual, textbook, or other
> functional and useful document "free" in the sense of freedom: to
> assure everyone the effective freedom to copy and redistribute it,
> with or without modifying it, either commercially or noncommercially.
> Secondarily, this License preserves for the author and publisher a way
> to get credit for their work, while not being considered responsible
> for modifications made by others."
> 
> The proponent speaker will then understand  this is one outcome of his
> talk in SLUG.

Except that the stated purpose of the GNU FDL is not aided in a great many
ways by the legal text of that licence.  I, for one, would not agree to
*any* work of mine being licenced under the GFDL as written, either 1.1 or
1.2.

Furthermore, for talks (either audio or audio/video) the GFDL sucks because
it insists on all content (except for "images composed of pixels") being
easily editable by a generic text editor.  Care to edit a video file using a
text editor?

Basically, the GFDL sucks as a licence, and shouldn't be used for anything.
Anyone who wishes to debate this issue is invited to take it to -chat, or
debian-legal (where such topics are a perennial favourite).

> If the rules of the game are advertised in advance to give a sense of
> predictability, relevance, confidence, and guidance perhaps  more
> speakers will be encouraged.

Or scared away by the formalities... <g>

I don't think that a 'talks policy' document will help or hinder, but a long
list of talk acceptance process will probably scare a few people away.

> Looking thru mailing list there is a demand for large variety of topics,
> demanded by first time to more advanced linux users.

Now *that* might be a useful addition to either the SLUG website or a
periodic posting to the list by some interested party (care to volunteer to
maintain it, Oscar?) listing things that have been requested but not talked
about (perhaps, once the filming gets underway, the list of topics can be
hyperlinked to the recording of the talk as they get presented).

> Topics like,
> 
> 1. Installing My First Linux OS
>     a. What and Who motivated my Linux Interest.
>     b. When and Where did I first get this Interest.
>     c. Why am I interested in Linux.
>     d. What Hardware Configuration did I use.
>     e. The installation steps I did.
>     f. The problems I encountered and how I resolved them.
>     g. What do I use Linux for
>     h. What do I think of Linux, now that I have used it.
>     i. Etc.

Would that talk be presented by a newbie?  I think the chances of finding a
newbie willing to get up and talk at a gathering of geeks is pretty low.  A
few of those parts, however, could be presented to newbies by an experienced
Linux user (a, b, c, d, and g, probably).

>    To my mind this is interesting for curious and intending
>     linux users. This will get them some perspective of what
>     they will be confronted with.
> 
> 2. Building My First IP Network.
> 3. Configuring My First IP Firewall
> 4. Installing PHP4
> 5. Installing MySQL
> 6. Building Internet Service Provider Business - Case Study.
> 7. I am using RedHat - Why ?
> 8. Programming Smalltalk for Beginners (Advanced Programmers)
> 9. XFree86 - Installation and Configuration.
> 10. Backup and Data Security
> 11. Installing and Configuring Apache
> 12. Python Experiences of a Beginner
> 13. and the list could go on.

Sounds like you've got a list going already.  Perhaps keeping it maintained
from the topics discussed on the ML, and either posting it to SLUG, say,
once a month, or getting somewhere prominent on the website would encourage
talkers.  I know that's how I did my first few talks - someone on the ML
(not SLUG, but ShefLUG) said "I want to know about this, I wish someone
would do a talk" and I thought "I know about that" and went for it.


-- 
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Matthew Palmer, Geek In Residence
http://ieee.uow.edu.au/~mjp16