[toronto-lisp] Potential new user/dev group for free/open source software

[Abram Hindle]

On 10-12-26 05:54 PM, David Penton wrote:
> 
> On 2010-12-25, at 4:16 PM, Rudolf Olah wrote:
> 
>> I don't know how people feel about free/open source software here,
>> but I've been kinda wanting to start a new group that promotes and 
>> encourages the use of free/open source software in Toronto and the
>> GTA and in the rest of Ontario.

This was tried in Victoria. It sort of worked. Another alternative is a
"recreational computer science club" but that's really like a
lightweight academic lecture track.

If you do it, get speakers, hammer it down. Organize and try to ensure
there is a social aspect. Maybe check out zedshaw's hacker club
manifesto which did not pan out.

>> In terms of Lisp, I guess this would mean discussing the perils
>> and pitfalls of using certain open source licenses for Lisp code or
>> Lisp implementations, and maybe discussing which free software 
>> implementations or open source modules are the best to use, and
>> maybe how it impacts business. I think that's one of the larger
>> issues; building a business on free software (I know a few Toronto
>> Lisp people were involved in startups and larger enterprises).

One way to make people care about presenting is a project night. Try to
find a Rails project night if you want to see "industrial" interaction.

>> 
>> So what would you guys think about this? Does anyone here like
>> talking about free/open source software? :P

One potential thing to do is to pay for meetup, grab all those
opensource users on meetup and hijack it, basically pay for 6 months and
as you do that switch over to an alternative (meetup is abrasive in
terms of privacy).

Meetup shows there is interest, but you have to be organized and
distinctive from a Linux Users Group. You should focus on development if
you want a separate group.

abram

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