> -----Original Message-----
> From: tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org
> [mailto:tclug-list-bounces at mn-linux.org] On Behalf Of Jima
> Sent: Monday, March 16, 2015 10:11 PM
> To: tclug-list at mn-linux.org
> Subject: Re: [tclug-list] [ubuntu-us-mn] Penguins Unbound is
> on Meetup!
>
> Chuck, as it's been made abundantly clear (at least to everyone else)
> that the vast majority of the TCLUG membership is completely
> disinterested in obtaining non-profit status, and you
> continue to beat that dead and rotting horse, your dismissal of someone
else's
> commentary as irrelevant or off-topic is pretty hypocritical.
>
>       Jima
>
> On 2015-03-14 01:53, Chuck Cole wrote:
> > Irrelevant.  Off topic

Hardly hypocritical: the comment simply was not about the topic of
"Meetups".  The original Meetup rules have been relaxed greatly.

Being non-profit matters a bunch, even if not to TCLUG.  I had certainly
noticed the lack of interest among TCLUGers, but lack of non-profit status
is a problem for Penguins since most meeting spaces require non-profit
status to meet there.  We had offered to help since Penguins no longer has a
home with TIES.  Getting sponsorship is difficult if neither non-profit, nor
an actual group.

I'm currently Vice Chair of the TC IEEE Computer Society which is 501c3
non-profit.  I've been a member for 20 years.  IEEE is the world's largest
professional association, plus being the world's largest technical
publisher.  Some of what we do includes developing the technology by which
you have computers, networking, WiFi, cell phones, power plants, etc.  FWIW,
we also offer CEUs and for-credit courses, etc.  You probably have heard of
IEEE 802.x network specs, and others.

We will be doing some things with Linux applications as a resource group,
and hope to have good relations with TCLUG, Penguins, and TCPC's Linux on
Saturdays, etc.  Our emphasis upon applications is synergistic with OS and
networking, and has been overlooked for many years by TCLUG, et al.  We will
launch the Technical Professional's Linux Applications Group (TPLAG) in
early April.  Initially, membership is only open to the 3,000+ IEEE members
in this area, but will be opened more fully later on.  Because we are a true
professional association, we can and do have programs, study groups,
development projects, and can advise community and industry as TCLUG and
TCWUG found they could not.  We just did a technical assessment and quality
check at a local brewery on Saturday  :-)  We are currently working with the
Star Tribune on an industrial automation project to help them resolve
problems with an automated fork lift system that feeds paper to the presses.
Another project group is developing a device for medical technology.

Being a non-profit professional association is just a different way of
interacting with the community and the world.  YMMV.


Chuck