On Thu, 22 Mar 2012, Eric Brackenbury wrote:
Some folks have started to come to meetings only to find the content way
above their knowledge level and so not returned (I know they should have
stayed to push the other brains to share and help).
Or maybe they just found the environment unfriendly ?
I've been an OCLUG member since it started. I've been out to fewer
meetings in recent years due to time conflicts that always seem to arise,
and the difficulty of even finding the damned room on the Algonquin
campus. (That's a 'skill-testing' question!)
I attended the Arts Ottawa East (AOE) AGM at Shenkman Arts Centre in
Orleans last night (which, BTW is an easy <30 min OC Transpo / walking
trip from halfway across Ottawa). The interesting thing to me was how much
more friendly it was there than OCLUG meetings (YMMV). The AGM was
relatively short and there was plenty of time to talk after. Although I
knew *nobody* there, except maybe to see a few employees, I didn't stop
having engaging conversations with different people until they
threw us out at 9 PM. Everyone was given a name badge upon arrival (and
this is common at other non-profit get-togethers) and that certainly
helped.
From my experience, OCLUG activities, whether at the meeting, or Beer SIG,
often fall short. I could imagine a new person not making much human
contact and not coming back if they didn't come just for the talk. So
while I expect people to argue with me on the point that OCLUG activities
are not as friendly to those not already knowing a bunch of people there,
I will suggest that others may have already experienced what I am saying,
didn't come back, and maybe are not here on this list now either.
As they say, first impressions matter.
If someone just came to the talk and left (even if they gained useful
knowledge) I'd suggest that not much OCLUG community was built.
Talks, learning etc. can be done in other means these days as others have
noted. I suggest that if OCLUG really wants to talk about *meatspace*
activity, then there are some attitudinal and procedural changes, that
begin with each of us, that could be helpful to sustain and build that.
But is that what OCLUG members want?
Brett