[Lopsa-regional-project] hello..

[Esther Filderman]

On 1/26/06, Jennifer Davis <iennae at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hello all!
>
> I read a few of the archived messages, but if I have missed important
> conversation please do point it out.
>
> So what exactly _is_ the LOPSA regional project?  Is there a web page
> or email documenting what the purpose of this project is?  Who is
> running it?  Are people subscribed to the list just interested in the
> idea of LOPSA having a regional presence?
>
> I have noticed some group leaders posting .. that's a good step :)
>
> Individually I'd like to point out that within each group that already
> exists, the groups need to figure out what their purpose, goals,
> direction are.  If they don't have that, then they need to figure it
> out, or ask for help.  BayLISA has been expanding activities slowly
> over the last few months... tonight we are having a special event, 98
> people RSVPed!   I have no idea if all of those people will show, but
> it's interesting to note that last week we had 73 people at the
> meeting, and this week rather than diluting the event from last week
> we actually have more interest.  I bring this up.. because for some
> groups more is not better.  People like the status quo, the
> content..whatever it is that they get from the meeting.  Change is
> _hard_ when people have entrenched ideas about what you
> should/shouldn't be doing.  So figure out what people want before
> going upwards.
>
> More later.. but I wanted to say hello.. for those people who don't
> know me, I'm the current President of the Board for BayLISA.  One of
> my personal goals is making more places _like_ BayLISA exist because
> it is a great resource, and very enriching.  Not just helping them
> exist, but become self sustaining.


1) If you claim you don't know what this project is about, why are you
offering advice?  Isn't that like saying, "I love fresh produce!  Let
me tell you how I think it's best to polish wood"?

2) Isn't it a bit presumptious to assume that every group doesnt' have
a purpose and/or goal? Or that they must have one?  Or that "figure
out what people want before doing it" isn't the most obvious thought
on the planet?

Your post may be well intended, but the beginning [asking what it's
about] conflicts with the rest, where you seem intent on bragging
about how great BayLISA is.  Good for you folks, but sheesh!   Not
every group lives in an area with a huge population of both sysadmins
and large computer-oriented companies.  Not every local group can
count on large numbers of people at every meeting.  Not every group is
a cookie-cutter stamp of another group.

As far as Pittsburgh is concerned, our "goal" is to have fun and get
together to talk geek, not to play "let's keep up with the Joneses"
with places that have many times our population.  We can figure out
where we're going without needing to show off, too.