Re: A Suggestion

[Atul Chitnis <achitnis@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 9 Mar 2001, Nagarjuna G. wrote:

> A split in a LUG (or any group for that matter) is a possible event,
> though each of us know it is unfortunate.  Since most lugs are just a

<snip>

I am completely with you on this, and I wholeheartedly support your
suggestion. (This probably means that it will be junked by some people
here, but hang in there! ;-)

One point (which you didn't explicitely state) is this - Linux India is
*not* (and should not be) a "governing" body. Therefore, LI should not be
considered as a "certifying" body either - at best, it should be a
"felicitative" body - i.e. it should be a facility the LUGs can use, not
the other way round.

LI should exist *because* of the independent LUGs, because any attempt and
having it the other way round will cause exactly what we have witnessed so
many times in the past - politics. A LI as a "national body" would raise
fears of a "high priest" in the hierarchy - undesirable, and unnecessary.

It is *entirely* conceivable that there will be more than one LUG in each
city. In fact the more, the merrier. As long as they get on with each
other, the community can only gain. If at all there is any form of
"competition", it should be friendly, with a net net of more power to
Linux (and the community).

Many LUGs are actually facing logistical problems today. For example, take
a situation of your own city - a *HUGE* city like Mumbai, but only one
LUG, and its monthly meeting. Not everyone can make it to a meeting held
across town. We have a similar situation here in Bangalore.

Therefore, multiple LUGs in a city actually make sense, and should be
*encouraged*. We shouldn't look at them as a "split", but as a
"multiplication".

Once this concept sinks in, it will quickly resolve many problems the
community faces today which are actually being created by the *size* of
the community.

The suggestion of independent names is an excellent one. For example, we
could have names like "iisc.bangalore.linux-india.org" to signify a LUG
located at the IISc, Bangalore, and
"reformed-alcoholics.delhi.linux-india.org" ;-) or
"madhuri.indore.linux-india.org" as examples of "locationless" LUG names.

Atul

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