Re: [tlug] Why the shirts? Why TLUG?

["Zev Blut" <zb@example.com>]

On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:49:27 +0900, Shannon Jacobs  
<shannon.jacobs@example.com> wrote:

[ Snip other points ]

> Some people are apparently terrified of
> alternative donations (apart from beer money), others say the club has
> no need of money, and meanwhile we have this new shirt project. Are they
> to be sold exactly at cost? Whatever. So far there have been few clear
> responses.

As others have said and as I say before every auction, the money is a
safety net for TLUG.  Currently, people are kind enough to let us use
their meeting rooms and data centers for free, but the day may come
where we have to pay or our server breaks.  We would rather have some
money to help us keep going when this happens. We also must pay for
our tlug.jp domain.  Granted a good question might be how much money
do we need to save for a rainy day and what should we do with the
rest?

To be honest, I don't quite see what the problem is?  No one forces
you to buy anything at the meeting auctions.  The only thing we expect
of you is to pay for your share of the food and beer at the nomikais.

The current idea is to sell the shirts just a little bit above cost.
This should be around 2000 yen, but if everyone feels that TLUG should
only sell the shirts at cost I am happy to do that.  The point of
making TLUG shirts is an extremely simple one; We would like to have a
TLUG shirt, that is all.

BTW, this is not a "new" project it is actually something that a
number of us have tried to do in the past and it just keeps not
happening.  I am pretty determined to make this happen and in order to
get it to happen I might have to step on a few toes and break some old
assumptions, but I feel that it will be worth it so that we can have
shirts made for once instead of just talking about it.

> Maybe my interests are simply too divergent from the interests of most
> TLUG folks? If so, then I should be looking elsewhere. Can anyone
> recommend an alternative Linux group that is more focused on seizing the
> current window of opportunity against Vista?

Ken Cotton of Tokyo PC is trying create a SIG group that is doing
exactly that.  You should get in touch with him.

TLUG is what it is and it is made what it is by its' members.  In
particular, by the members who continually participate via the mailing
list or physical attendance.  So in many ways we cater to those who
participate, because our membership has not had much of a decline I
would imagine we are doing something right.  Granted we could always
try to do better, but this is an organization that most of us do for
fun not for profit.  So this basically limits us to what people are
willing to volunteer to do and most importantly lead.  If you are
dissatisfied, but would like to stay with TLUG, then the next
technical meeting will provide you with the perfect opportunity to try
to do something.  Our next meeting will also be our yearly elections,
so please continue providing ideas and or offer to run for a position.


> but I haven't found any
> links to alternative Linux groups in Japan (including searching in the
> TLUG website).

Ah that is something we should fix!  If anyone knows of groups in
Japan that are not listed on the page, please send them to me so I can
get them added.

Best,
Zev