I was once active in a Linux group in Ireland, I tried to turn up to as many events as I could. But I have am not active in the Irish Linux user group for many years now, I suppose my frustration set in, in the fact that I was not based in Dublin. Promoting Linux became just too hard, maybe it was the way in which i tried to promote it, who knows ?
I look at the Ilug website every so often and I see the mailing list is getting less and less active all the time, why is this ?
Are people moving more towards IRC, instant messaging, has skype etc. taken over the role of having discussions online ?
I can take some responsibility, I suppose in the downfall of the Irish Linux user group. I don’t mean that in a bad way, myself as a loose member, never contributed an article, I did get involve in discussions every once in a while I was active in going to events. I found I gave up asking question on the mailing list, I just instead did all the research myself even though it took longer, in the long run it was better for my self-esteem doing it that way!. I think, correct me if I’m wrong, the I idea of a local lug for me anyway, would be learning and gaining knowledge from your peers. Why “reinvent the wheel” every time something needed to be learned. To be honest we would not have got passed the stone age then!
I think for new users of Linux having a good place to ask the “stupid questions” and get “good” answers is what a LUG is all about, when it ceases to a nice place, then new users turn away from trying to access this information, it almost becomes elite to be a member.