[lug] Call for 2007 BLUG speakers

[Sean Reifschneider]

On Thu, Dec 14, 2006 at 11:09:50PM -0700, Kenneth D. Weinert wrote:
>Anyone know anything about these folks:
>
>http://fourthought.com/technology.xml?xslt=index.xslt ?

Yes, I've been to many presentations by Uche, he's a very good speaker.

>Is part of the problem the relatively small number of people that 

I think the largest part of the problem is that nobody is really owning the
task of arranging for speakers.  Note that the first post in the thread
where Chris actually asks for volunteers for the "speakers committee" is
also the last:

   http://archive.lug.boulder.co.us/Week-of-Mon-20060508/032172.html

I took this to mean that nobody actually cared enough about having speakers
at the meeting to spend the roughly 1 hour per year (yes, year) that it
takes to make it happen.  There's nothing wrong with that, of course.  A
LUG can be shaped to be whatever the group is motivated to make it.

Of course, on the other side of the street, it could probably also use a
publicity committee.  A small group of people who figure out places to
announce the meetings to various locations.  That is, if people want (and
are motivated to make) a larger meeting.

Chris has been very consistent at getting the meeting room and showing up
for the meetings, but he needs (and has asked for) help with getting
presenters.

The speakers committee doesn't have to be some big thing.  It could be as
little as one person (I do the job for NCLUG, for example), but probably
would be more fun as 2 people.  Probably no more than 3.  It can be as
little as an hour of work a year.  I filled up the NCLUG slots for a year
by doing half an hour of e-mail (around 15 minutes sending, and another 15
minutes responding to).  There's already a list of potential speakers up on
the BLUG web page: the list of people who have previously spoken at BLUG.
That's probably enough to fill 2007 right there.

Then you just have to follow up with the speaker a month before they talk,
so they remember they are scheduled.

So, I'd say the first thing is to find out whether people actually want to
have BLUG have more scheduled talks (rather than just what Chris can find
someone to volunteer for the night before the meeting), and bigger
meetings...  If so, then the question is: who's going to volunteer to make
it happen.

Sean
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Sean Reifschneider, Member of Technical Staff <jafo at tummy.com>
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