[ale] LUG survival: was group merger ALE + GA400-Linux

[Steve Litt]

On Wed, 15 Jul 2015 07:38:18 -0400
Jim Kinney <jkinney at jimkinney.us> wrote:

> But, yeah. Things are changing. ALE is on life support from a formal,
> monthly meeting standpoint. The mailing list is rather quiet lately. 

I'm the president of GoLUG in Orlando, and in 2001-2002 was the
president of the almost-defunct LEAP in Orlando. LEAP basically
imploded, and it's a challenge to keep enthusiasm in GoLUG.

I'm on a whole bunch of LUG mailing lists, and most LUGs are having the
same problem: Interest, enthusiasm, and attendance. I'm trying to
change that for GoLUG, and of course as a side effect for all other LUGs
too.

>From my perspective, one huge change is the perception of Linux. In
1999, Linux was the revolutionary "good os" that was going to displace
the evil Windows. Now Linux is just the OS we use, which would have
delighted a Linux crystal ball gazer in 1999. But it means less
enthusiasm, which means less volunteerism and attendance.

Another thing is demographics. To my knowledge, LUGs were always
predominently white and male, but now we're also somehow self selecting
for those over 40. I look at a GoLUG meeting, and about half the people
are the same people as when we formed in 2004, but now they're 11 years
older. Back in LEAP before it zombified, you'd often see the same
people as you saw in 1999. If Orlando LUGs are any example, and I think
they are, LUGs are skewing older and older and older. Heck, we lost a
member to dying of old age. He was over 90.

We've had trouble attracting people under 30, and I don't think we're
the only LUG to do so. What I'm trying to do is form a stronger alliance
between GoLUG and the local maker group. I mean, if you're going to
DIY, what OS are you going to use? Certainly not Windows or OS/X. But
we haven't been immediately successful at that for some reason.

If we don't start attracting younger people, eventually we'll need to
move our meeting place to an assisted living center :-)

As far as attracting women and people who aren't white, we haven't. Oh,
one or two women attend our meetings, but one is the same one who's
attended GoLUG and LEAP for 15 years.

So what ideas do all of you have about expanding demographics and
raising enthusiasm?

Thanks,

SteveT

Steve Litt 
July 2015 featured book: Rapid Learning for the 21st Century
http://www.troubleshooters.com/rl21