Commission to Reform WPLUG: Difference between revisions

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* Vance Kochenderfer
* Vance Kochenderfer
* Joseph Prostko
* Joseph Prostko
* Stanley Slomberg


== Meeting Logs ==
== Meeting Logs ==


[http://wplug.org/w/images/4/48/Wplug-2012-12-15.txt Saturday, December 15]
[http://wplug.org/w/images/4/48/Wplug-2012-12-15.txt Saturday, December 15, 2012]


[http://wplug.org/w/images/8/83/Wplug_2012-12-20.txt Thursday, December 20]
[http://wplug.org/w/images/8/83/Wplug_2012-12-20.txt Thursday, December 20, 2012]

[http://www.wplug.org/w/images/1/17/CRW_meeting_3-28-13.txt Thursday, March 28, 2013]

[http://www.wplug.org/w/images/d/d0/CRW_6-30-13.txt Sunday, June 30, 2013]


== Upcoming Meetings ==
== Upcoming Meetings ==


None at this time
None at this time.



== Reform Package History ==
== Reform Package History ==
Line 44: Line 48:
[[CRW Discussion Archives]]
[[CRW Discussion Archives]]


[[CRW Reform Packages]]
'''Reform Package 1:''' Bylaw changes, to be proposed January 2013.

== Reform Package 1 Ideas ==

===Justin Smith (1/1)===

I'd like us to have the CRW survey ready to go by the January GUM. That's an aggressive deadline, as Pat said on Sunday, but I don't think we can afford to be anything but aggressive if we hope to turn around WPLUG.

The major sticking point is the "general direction" section. There are a vast number of ideas we could discuss; rather than go over them one at a time, I suggest that we start at the most general level and work our way down. Specific ideas will be eliminated in great numbers along the way, and we'll arrive at a basic theme that we can ask about. This will make the CRW survey easier to design and shorter to take.

The most basic question I can think of is whether WPLUG should be primarily a casual or professional group. This decision will influence our events, our relationships, and where our social media home should be (assuming that the group decides to have one).

Just so I'm clear: no matter what we choose, desktop Linux will always be a mainstay.


'''Casual'''

This is basically where we are right now. There ''is'' a market for casual Linux, but we're not taking full advantage of it because we limit ourselves to very specific usage of desktop Linux. Android is growing exponentially. Thanks to Steam, Linux may finally become usable for gamers. In short, there's a lot more that we could be doing.

''Events Ideas''
*A general "open culture" event instead of InstallFest
*Linux gaming party (with Android, Steam, Ouya, etc)
*Presentations on how to use your favorite desktop Linux utilities on Android

''Connections''
*The "open culture" movement
*Android users
*Gamers

''Project Ideas''
*Relaunch the Open Pitt as a (regional?) netcast, perhaps as a collaboration with other casual technology groups
*Host an Icecast (Internet radio) station that plays tracks from "open culture" or local/indie artists

''Possible social media center''

*Google+. Read up on WAG (http://www.wplug.org/wiki/Meeting-20121110#Justin_Smith) for my thoughts on this. G+ seems to be more global than regional, however.
*Facebook. I despise it, but it's casual, has a large audience, and contains many regional groups. We can't afford to ignore any options that would allow us to reach people.


'''Professional'''

America's business engine could put a lot of people under our roof, particularly if the economy heads south because of the "fiscal cliff" business. People will be eager to network with other professionals and acquire new skills. Work is a higher priority than hobbies for most people; therefore, people who wouldn't come to WPLUG for kicks may come to it if they think it can help them move ahead in their career.

''Event Ideas''
*A representative from a local business gives a presentation about how her company uses open source
*A professional networking event with a well-known featured speaker
*Organize a cram session for people who are studying for some sort of certification test


'''Reform Package 1:''' Bylaw changes, presented at January 2013 GUM.
''Connections''
*Recruiting firms
*Local businesses
*Each other (professional networking)


'''Reform Package 2:''' WPLUG's general direction, to be presented at February 2013 GUM.
''Project Ideas''
*Invite local businesses to sponsor WPLUG
*Working together on an open source project like LibreOffice


'''Reform Package 3:''' WPLUG's operational policy, such as frequency of meetings and how to manage WPLUG's Litecoin assets now that we participate in cryptocurrency mining. To be presented at January 2014 GUM.
''Possible social media center''


== Reform Package 3 Ideas ==
*LinkedIn. No ifs, ands, or buts: if you're a professional group, this is where you need to be.


===Pat Barron (01/04/13)===
=== Justin Smith ===


Last year, WPLUG started mining Litecoins as a new source of income. Since cryptocurrency isn't managed in the same way that US dollars are, we on the Commission to Reform WPLUG (CRW) agree that future board members may be confused about how to best use it. Therefore, we recommend drafting a set of guidelines that will help future boards manage WPLUG's cryptocurrency assets. It should be a series of non-binding suggestions similar to WPLUG's Board of Directors transition checklist.
Just a few comments...


I will begin by providing on overview of what Bitcoin, Litecoin, and cryptocurrency mining are, followed by a few of my own suggestions.
I don't think our "focus" issue is so much casual users vs. professional users - I think it's more like, committed users vs. those who are just exploring. This is a conversation we've had on and off for a while now - do we focus our efforts towards the interests of those who have already decided to use Linux, or do we focus more on trying to bring "undecided" users into the fold? (That distinction may also overlap a lot with the notion of "casual" vs. "professional" users...) My own opinion is, we should focus primarily on those who've already chosen Linux.


==== What is Bitcoin? ====
I think brainstorming about any kind of open source-related events is good. We traditionally do something for Software Freedom Day (which is really an "open culture" event), though it didn't happen in 2012 - I think primarily because we really couldn't find anyplace suitable to hold the event. The hardest parts of event organizing for us have really been finding venues, and finding people who are interested enough to help put events together.


Bitcoin is a digital currency based on open source software. It was developed in 2009 by someone (or several people) under the alias "Satoshi Nakamoto." In 2010, Satoshi withdrew from public life, and nobody has heard from him ever since. His identity remains a mystery.
I was thinking the same thing about doing some kind of netcast, though admittedly I hadn't thought about recasting The Open Pitt in that way. I don't know enough about Icecast/Shoutcast/etc. streaming type things to really comment on those, other than to say that I find them interesting, but we would need to host them somewhere other than our Linode server (because we actually have a bandwidth cap, or at least a level above which we need to pay extra - we've never hit it with mainly wiki and mailing list use, but I can easily imagine us hitting our cap with audio streaming). And, of course, we'd need to be really, really paranoid about rights and clearances.


It's easier to understand Bitcoin if you compare it to the US dollar, so let's start with that.
WPLUG actually does have a Facebook group already. But, it's hardly used, because hardly anyone knows about it. We really haven't done anything to promote it; the only way people find it right now is that they just sort of stumble across it. I don't think it's even mentioned on our wiki. There are only about 15 members of the group.


When you make a typical purchase using US dollars, there are typically several "layers" to your transaction:
We have a Linkedin group too, I'm a member of it, but I will admit that I don't use it (or even look at it) because I find Linkedin's user interface very annoying. I should investigate to see if there's any way to have group messages redirected to e-mail (rather than having to visit their web site to read the group).


* Dollars in your possession.
I'm working on extracting "our" name out of Twitter. Whatever happens, someone should register a "wplug" community on G+ ASAP, if for no other reason than to avoid a repeat of the Twitter situation (even if we never end up using it).
* A bank account to hold your money. You have to abide by the bank's regulations and processing fees.
* A credit card or debit card to help you send your money electronically. You have to abide by the card's regulations and processing fees.
* A central authority such as PayPal that processes each transaction and protects against fraud. You have to abide by the central authority's regulations and processing fees.


Now let's compare that how a transaction would proceed with Bitcion:
We need to go full-bore on promoting the heck out of our group via social media. The reason I bring up the existing social media stuff is that all these things are stuff that WPLUG (as an organization) has considered before, and actually started making efforts with - and then, for one reason or another, they dropped on the floor, or were never seen through to completion. We really need to change that.


* Bitcoins in your possession.
===Pat Barron (01/04/13 - part 2)===
* There is no need for a bank account because Bitcoins are stored on your computer in a file called a "digital wallet."
* There is no need for a credit card or debit card because Bitcoins were designed to be sent electronically. They're sent directly from person to person over the Internet.
* There is no central authority such as PayPal to process transactions. Instead, a worldwide network of computer operators processes Bitcoin payments in exchange for a processing fee. People who process Bitcoin payments are called "Bitcoin miners."


As you can see, Bitcoin compresses the four layers of dollar-based transactions into one. It's simpler, less regulated, and less expensive to use. In addition to the features mentioned above, Bitcoin is impossible to counterfeit, your assets cannot be frozen, and there are no charge-backs. There's a lot to like.
Regarding sponsorships: This is actually something we've explored before. We did some "beating the bushes" looking for corporate sponsors last year, and only got one who expressed interest. And the interested organization was looking accommodations that I think our community would have found onerous (for instance, an ad automatically appended to the signature block of each message sent through our mailing lists). I did have some discussions last year with a friend of mine who is a partner in a local venture capital firm, hoping to leverage his connections to the local high-tech community for pointers to potential sponsors, and he had some good advice for me about what to look for in sponsors who might have some synergy with what the group is doing - but ultimately, ending with a conclusion that in his opinion, what WPLUG does would not make a good sponsorship fit with any of the local companies that he's been working with recently. It might be good to have a "fresh set of eyes" looking at this problem from different angles.


Bitcoin is called a "cryptocurrency" because it relies on cryptographic security algorithms to validate transactions. Its slogan, ''Vires in Numeris'', means "strength in numbers."
=== Vance Kochenderfer survey comments ===


==== What is mining? ====
Thanks to Justin for putting this together. I was going to e-mail my comments, but figured this was a better place for them.


In cryptocurrency mining, computer operators compete against each other for the privilege of processing each "block" of Bitcoin transactions and earning its processing fees. They work to solve a very difficult math problem, and the person who solves it first gets to process the block. Therefore, the more processing power you have, the more competitive you are in Bitcoin mining.
I was thinking much along the same lines as Justin's comments on where people are coming from. On the first demographics page, it might be worthwhile to ask the following.


(Each block is posted to a public ledger of transactions called the blockchain. Miners refer to the blockchain to make sure that every transaction is legitimate.)
''What is your interest in Linux and other open source software?''
* Entirely professional
* Both personal and professional, but primarily professional
* Equally personal and professional
* Both personal and professional, but primarily personal
* Entirely personal


Some people link their computers together in a cooperative group called a "mining pool." This helps small operators compete against larger ones.
This would give us an idea of which audience to target with our presentation topics. Pat's note on experience level is also worth asking about; a simple novice/intermediate/expert question would collect data along that axis, or you could get more fancy.


==== What is Litecoin? ====
On the second page, I would rephrase the question ''How effective has the leadership of WPLUG been to date?'' to something more like ''How effective has the leadership of WPLUG been over the past three years?'' This bounds the question to be within the institutional memory of the current Board.


Remember how I said that Bitcoin is open source? Litecoin (LTC) is a fork of Bitcoin. It's identical in most respects except that Litecoin payments can be processed a bit faster. Litecoin is also considerably less popular than Bitcoin, which means that there are fewer people to compete against in mining.
I'm not sure if there was more intended to be put on the third page other than the copyright status of Robert's Rules, but it seems a little lonely on the page by itself. Perhaps a question about whether you would like access to more explanation of the rules?


WPLUG is currently using about half of its processing power on the WPLUG.org server to mine Litecoin. We've got about 2 LTC saved up, and we need to determine how best to use it.
On the fourth page, we have a general question about the direction of WPLUG, but this needs to be fleshed out so people can give more specific feedback. I'd add the following questions.


Litecoin could be worth a lot some day. Right now, 1 Litecoin is worth about $38. That isn't a lot, but keep in mind that Bitcoin, which once fetched those prices, now sells for well over $1,000 per Bitcoin.
''What things do you think WPLUG does well?'' (free-form textbox)


==== Justin's Suggestions: General Guidelines ====
''What things do you think WPLUG does poorly?'' (free-form textbox)


* The WPLUG treasurer should establish an official WPLUG Litecoin wallet.
''What types of events are you most interested in attending?'' (multi-select checkboxes)
* At business meetings, the treasurer should report WPLUG's Litecoin balance in addition to its bank account balance.
* Hour-long pre-selected presentations
* The treasurer, or someone he appoints, should monitor market conditions related to Litecoin and advise the board of directors appropriately.
* OpenSpace-style presentations (shorter, subjects determined on the fly)
* Installfests
* Tutorials
* Professional networking events
* Other (textbox)
* (I'm sure you can think of other things to add to the list)


==== Justin's Suggestions: Market Guidelines ====
You could also add a question on what subjects are most interesting, but this may duplicate the "technology interests" question on the first page.


* Save our Litecoins unless you absolutely have to spend them. Unlike the US dollar, which becomes less valuable over time as more dollars are printed, Litecoin will become more valuable over time because only a finite number of Litecoins will ever be created.
I think the idea of an audio netcast can be accommodated; without actually checking, my recollection is that we use a tiny fraction of our 200GB bandwidth allowance each month. There was a [http://www.wplug.org/pipermail/wplug-radio/ previous attempt] at this which pre-dated my involvement with WPLUG. Unfortunately, I can't really contribute to such an effort, so it will require finding the people motivated to put it together.
* People can buy, sell, and trade Bitcoin and Litecoin at cryptocurrency exchanges. Some popular exchanges include Coinbase (my favorite), Bitstamp, and BTE-e.
* Most exchanges don't allow Litecoin to be sold for US dollars since Litecoin isn't very popular. Therefore, if you'd like "cash out" our Litecoin investment, trade the Litecoins for Bitcoins and then sell the Bitcoins.


___
===Pat Barron (01/07/13)===


* The price of Litecoin tends to follow the price of Bitcoin.
I like Vance's suggestions about the survey. I think that for Section 3 and Section 4, we don't necessarily want to get too specific about questions - like, not sure it's the best plan to prompt for specific answers (like, if we ask something like "Are the bylaws too complicated" and we don't phrase it just right, it might look like we're "fishing" for that particular answer - when there could be other things that complicate Life in WPLUG that the user might not describe). Questions of the style Vance suggested, which instead prompt the user to discuss their experiences, "What do you like?", "What do you not like?", types of questions, I suspect are more likely to get us where we really want to be.
* Watch the news for headline stories related to Bitcoin. When Bitcoin gets exposure, such as a government hearing, it often causes a lot of first-time users to buy BTC, which drives up the price.
* Consequently, a lot of these first-time users sell their holdings shortly afterward when they realize that Bitcoin isn't their golden ticket to prosperity.
* For whatever reason, people who want to sell Bitcoin usually do it on the weekend, which temporarily drives down the price. If you have to sell, do it during the week.


== Accepted Reform Package 1 Proposals ==
== Accepted Reform Package 3 Proposals ==


* WPLUG has business meetings too often; we recommend having them every other GUM instead of at every GUM.
* Eliminate distinctions between virtual meetings and physical meetings for the WPLUG board. Advance proposal for the following change to the bylaws: In Section 8.4, replace the entire first paragraph with the following text: "By default, all Board and committee meetings are held in person, unless the chair of the meeting chooses to schedule a virtual meeting as described herein."
* WPLUG holds GUMs too often: we recommend having them every other month instead of every month.
* Issue a statement on the new board's focus on meeting efficiency
* During our "off-months," WPLUG should have a social event.
* Appoint a non-board member as the official timekeeper for each meeting
* Generally, each month should have one activity, be it a GUM or a social event. However, some months could have two events, such as a GUM ''and'' a separate celebration for Software Freedom Day.
* Ask everyone interested in WPLUG to take a CRW-designed survey about WPLUG's problems
* In the interest of consistent programming, each GUM and its corresponding off-month should hold to a particular theme. For instance, someone could give a presentation about becoming involved with the Linux community at a GUM, and the following month, we could have a "hackathon" where we work on a community project.

Latest revision as of 16:44, 4 December 2013

The Commission to Reform WPLUG (CRW) is an informal group created to draft proposals that fix long-standing problems in WPLUG. It was created on December 9, 2012.


Purpose

WPLUG is struggling to compete against other technology groups. CRW's purpose is to expedite the reform process so that WPLUG can become competitive again as soon as possible:

  • Update the bylaws
  • Chart a new direction for WPLUG
  • Explore ways to make WPLUG less formal/political
  • Bring WPLUG's resources up to par with current technological standards

Operation

CRW has no membership requirements. If you decide to join, add your name to the membership list on this page.

Each month, CRW gathers its best ideas into a "reform package" that is formally proposed during the following month's WPLUG general user meeting. Ideas can be proposed or voted on at any time, but it is recommended to propose ideas outside of meetings and vote on them during the meetings so that people have time to think before they vote.

If an idea is approved by a majority of CRW members, it will be added to the current reform package.

Since CRW is not an official WPLUG organization, it doesn't receive official funding and is not governed by the WPLUG bylaws. Members are encouraged to apply the same "free and flexible" mindset to their deliberations: check your preconceptions at the door, be open-minded, and support the best ideas to reform WPLUG. Everyone who wants to present ideas will have an equal opportunity to do so.

Members

  • Justin Smith
  • Terry Golightly
  • Pat Barron
  • Vance Kochenderfer
  • Joseph Prostko
  • Stanley Slomberg

Meeting Logs

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Upcoming Meetings

None at this time.

Reform Package History

CRW Discussion Archives

CRW Reform Packages

Reform Package 1: Bylaw changes, presented at January 2013 GUM.

Reform Package 2: WPLUG's general direction, to be presented at February 2013 GUM.

Reform Package 3: WPLUG's operational policy, such as frequency of meetings and how to manage WPLUG's Litecoin assets now that we participate in cryptocurrency mining. To be presented at January 2014 GUM.

Reform Package 3 Ideas

Justin Smith

Last year, WPLUG started mining Litecoins as a new source of income. Since cryptocurrency isn't managed in the same way that US dollars are, we on the Commission to Reform WPLUG (CRW) agree that future board members may be confused about how to best use it. Therefore, we recommend drafting a set of guidelines that will help future boards manage WPLUG's cryptocurrency assets. It should be a series of non-binding suggestions similar to WPLUG's Board of Directors transition checklist.

I will begin by providing on overview of what Bitcoin, Litecoin, and cryptocurrency mining are, followed by a few of my own suggestions.

What is Bitcoin?

Bitcoin is a digital currency based on open source software. It was developed in 2009 by someone (or several people) under the alias "Satoshi Nakamoto." In 2010, Satoshi withdrew from public life, and nobody has heard from him ever since. His identity remains a mystery.

It's easier to understand Bitcoin if you compare it to the US dollar, so let's start with that.

When you make a typical purchase using US dollars, there are typically several "layers" to your transaction:

  • Dollars in your possession.
  • A bank account to hold your money. You have to abide by the bank's regulations and processing fees.
  • A credit card or debit card to help you send your money electronically. You have to abide by the card's regulations and processing fees.
  • A central authority such as PayPal that processes each transaction and protects against fraud. You have to abide by the central authority's regulations and processing fees.

Now let's compare that how a transaction would proceed with Bitcion:

  • Bitcoins in your possession.
  • There is no need for a bank account because Bitcoins are stored on your computer in a file called a "digital wallet."
  • There is no need for a credit card or debit card because Bitcoins were designed to be sent electronically. They're sent directly from person to person over the Internet.
  • There is no central authority such as PayPal to process transactions. Instead, a worldwide network of computer operators processes Bitcoin payments in exchange for a processing fee. People who process Bitcoin payments are called "Bitcoin miners."

As you can see, Bitcoin compresses the four layers of dollar-based transactions into one. It's simpler, less regulated, and less expensive to use. In addition to the features mentioned above, Bitcoin is impossible to counterfeit, your assets cannot be frozen, and there are no charge-backs. There's a lot to like.

Bitcoin is called a "cryptocurrency" because it relies on cryptographic security algorithms to validate transactions. Its slogan, Vires in Numeris, means "strength in numbers."

What is mining?

In cryptocurrency mining, computer operators compete against each other for the privilege of processing each "block" of Bitcoin transactions and earning its processing fees. They work to solve a very difficult math problem, and the person who solves it first gets to process the block. Therefore, the more processing power you have, the more competitive you are in Bitcoin mining.

(Each block is posted to a public ledger of transactions called the blockchain. Miners refer to the blockchain to make sure that every transaction is legitimate.)

Some people link their computers together in a cooperative group called a "mining pool." This helps small operators compete against larger ones.

What is Litecoin?

Remember how I said that Bitcoin is open source? Litecoin (LTC) is a fork of Bitcoin. It's identical in most respects except that Litecoin payments can be processed a bit faster. Litecoin is also considerably less popular than Bitcoin, which means that there are fewer people to compete against in mining.

WPLUG is currently using about half of its processing power on the WPLUG.org server to mine Litecoin. We've got about 2 LTC saved up, and we need to determine how best to use it.

Litecoin could be worth a lot some day. Right now, 1 Litecoin is worth about $38. That isn't a lot, but keep in mind that Bitcoin, which once fetched those prices, now sells for well over $1,000 per Bitcoin.

Justin's Suggestions: General Guidelines

  • The WPLUG treasurer should establish an official WPLUG Litecoin wallet.
  • At business meetings, the treasurer should report WPLUG's Litecoin balance in addition to its bank account balance.
  • The treasurer, or someone he appoints, should monitor market conditions related to Litecoin and advise the board of directors appropriately.

Justin's Suggestions: Market Guidelines

  • Save our Litecoins unless you absolutely have to spend them. Unlike the US dollar, which becomes less valuable over time as more dollars are printed, Litecoin will become more valuable over time because only a finite number of Litecoins will ever be created.
  • People can buy, sell, and trade Bitcoin and Litecoin at cryptocurrency exchanges. Some popular exchanges include Coinbase (my favorite), Bitstamp, and BTE-e.
  • Most exchanges don't allow Litecoin to be sold for US dollars since Litecoin isn't very popular. Therefore, if you'd like "cash out" our Litecoin investment, trade the Litecoins for Bitcoins and then sell the Bitcoins.

___

  • The price of Litecoin tends to follow the price of Bitcoin.
  • Watch the news for headline stories related to Bitcoin. When Bitcoin gets exposure, such as a government hearing, it often causes a lot of first-time users to buy BTC, which drives up the price.
  • Consequently, a lot of these first-time users sell their holdings shortly afterward when they realize that Bitcoin isn't their golden ticket to prosperity.
  • For whatever reason, people who want to sell Bitcoin usually do it on the weekend, which temporarily drives down the price. If you have to sell, do it during the week.

Accepted Reform Package 3 Proposals

  • WPLUG has business meetings too often; we recommend having them every other GUM instead of at every GUM.
  • WPLUG holds GUMs too often: we recommend having them every other month instead of every month.
  • During our "off-months," WPLUG should have a social event.
  • Generally, each month should have one activity, be it a GUM or a social event. However, some months could have two events, such as a GUM and a separate celebration for Software Freedom Day.
  • In the interest of consistent programming, each GUM and its corresponding off-month should hold to a particular theme. For instance, someone could give a presentation about becoming involved with the Linux community at a GUM, and the following month, we could have a "hackathon" where we work on a community project.
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