Metings vs. list

[Jonathan Hutchins]

As someone who's participated in on-line communities for many years, I have to 
say that I'm not disappointed that the KCLUG meetings are what they are.If 
they were great, I would feel bad about missing them.  I would still miss 
them, but I'd feel bad. 
 
If the meetings became great things to go to, where significant exchanges took 
place, you'd see a rift start to form between those who are list-only 
participants and those who are meeting-first participants.   
 
Communities that form on-line, as this one has, have their own dynamic that 
doesn't necessarily translate to a physical presence meeting.  An on-line 
community allows a degree of filtering, time-shifting, and alternate reality 
for all of us.  Physical presence is limiting in it's way. 
 
Some of us think places like Denny's and La Tortuga are great places to get 
together with some friends.  They're not meant to be about location, it's who 
you're with.  Others are so put off by the locations we never go.  Some of us 
can't make the meetings because of time or distance - and that's not going to 
change no matter where or when you hold the meeting. 
 
Think of that important element that it's not where the meeting is held, but 
who comes and what happens.  That's why the list works.  It's in a virtual 
place, at a virtua time, and the people who show up are what matter. 
 
We now return you to your previous carping session.  We suggest that, as a 
step toward returning to a Linux subject, you discuss implementing spam 
filtering on home system. 
 

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