Re: A modest proposal

["James L. Burke" <jburke@burkepoirier.com>]

Hello all,

My name is Jim Burke.  I'm new to the group ... attended my first meeting this
week.  I joined the group to meet other local Linux users, share experiences
and provide a framework for mutual assistance with problems - a.k.a.  "doing
cool stuff with Linux"

Our law office is in the process of switching to an entirely Open Source IT
Solution.  We are using "thin clients" and LTSP (www.ltsp.org) to run everyone
from one main server (currently running Red Hat 6.2).  It has been very
challenging to make this work, but I'm already seeing the benefits of using
Open Source solutions.

I'm excited about what we've done in our office with Linux and I want to be a
part of SILUG to learn what other "cool stuff" can be done.

I'm already a part of too many "civic" organizations with committee meetings
and banquet dinners and endless fundraisers ... I realize I may not get a vote
'cause I'm so new to the group, but I really just want to "do cool stuff with
Linux."  I'll even buy the first round at the next happy hour (you do have
happy hours, don't you?).

Lastly, if SILUG does intend to be a more formal entity and seek not-for-profit
status I would be willing to assist if the group wants my help.  I'm an
attorney and a CPA and I focus my practice in business law.  I probably wont be
contributing much on the technical side, but I'd be happy to help were I can
(which is on the legal/accounting side).  If the group decides they need to
become a not-for-profit entity, I'm sure I can be of assistance.  Of course, in
the spirit of Open Source ... I'd be happy to provide any assistance I can at
no cost.

Looking forward doing cool stuff with Linux ...

jburke.


Flood Randy Capt AFCA/GCF wrote:

> Warning:  This e-mail is not entirely serious...
>
> At the last Linux Users Group meeting, I was handed a lengthy mission
> statement to look over.  I know that I missed the meeting where this was
> originally discussed.
>
> My first question was, "Why do we need a Mission Statement?"  Having learned
> that the answers to important Linux questions are often found on the web, I
> went to google to look for the answer to why do people need mission
> statements:
>
> I uncovered the following document that points out that having a mission
> statement is good for God or some such.
>
> http://members.aol.com/myjournal/mission.htm
>
> I tried finding more info on how this God thing related to Linux, but I had
> no luck.
>
>         # God
>         God:  not found
>
>         #man God
>         no manual entry for God
>
> Not to be daunted, I changed my approach.  I decided to see what the best
> management consultants had to say about writing effective mission
> statements.  I started with Catbert.
>
> http://www.dilbert.com/comics/dilbert/career/bin/ms2.cgi
>
> which generated the following:
>
> "We continually leverage existing principle-centered solutions while
> continuing to enthusiastically maintain quality products ."
>
> This didn't sound very good.  For one thing, it should have the word "Linux"
> in there somewhere.
>
> Finally, I found a page that was actually useful:
>
> http://www.orocta.org/effectiv.htm
>
> According to this web page:
>
>         "Ron Meshanko wrote in soc.org.nonprofit about "Mission Statements"
> on 29 Feb 1996 as follows:
>
>         I give board trainings all over the country and begin each session
> with a quiz, the first question being, write your agency
>         mission statement. 99% of the time, not one person - sometimes even
> the executive director- can write down in clear, succinct
>         language the mission statement of the agency. "
>
> Based on the arguments on this web page, I think if you are going to have a
> mission statement, it should be short, simple and something that people can
> remember.  For example:  "Our mission is to do cool Linux stuff."  The
> mission statement that we currently have is really long and complex, and I
> will never remember it.
>
> Ofcourse, you have to take everything with a grain of salt.  For example,
> this web page also tells a lot about successful nonprofit groups.  For
> example, it cites the following characteristics of successful non-profit
> groups:
>
>         a clear, agreed-upon mission statement
>         a strong, competent executive director
>         a dynamic board of directors
>         an organization-wide commitment to fundraising.
>
> Looking over this list, it occurred to me that... well... er...  it's silly.
> I mean, I thought the purpose of our LUG was to do cool Linux stuff, not to
> have a really spiffo-cool non-profit organization with a dynamic board of
> directors and a commitment to fundraising.
>
> So, I propose that if we must have a mission statement, that it be "Our
> mission is to do cool Linux stuff."
>
> Randy
>
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