Silicon Valley for Jan

[tluxt]

--- Robin Rowe <rower@movieeditor.com> wrote:
> > With all due respects to the efforts put forth...I strongly suggest we
> > instead do the following....
> 
> Do we have to say instead? Having a BAD meeting in Silicon Valley sounds
> great. Although I'm interested in the topic you propose, your location is
> far enough away that I probably won't make it. I can understand you feeling
> the same way about coming up here.
> 
> Let's try to get more happening at both ends of the bay.

Hi Robin, and list,  :)

Robin, Good idea to get more happening!  :)

I spose you would have no way of knowing, but I am actually probably _the_ person
for whom Berkeley is _the_ most convenient location.  I'm also one of the people
for whom a meeting in SiV is _least_ convenient.

So, my proposing the SiV location was not done for my convenience.  Based on my
many years of living in the Bay Area, and of attending user group meetings, my
suggested location was based on my knowledge of 1) where I understand potential
attendees to a Debian meeting are located, 2) how difficult/easy it would be for
various persons to get to various locations at what times, and 3) a desire to get
the BAD meetings to have a large ongoing attendance, in light of the previous
considerations.

It is my conclusion, that, as of Jan 2002, a SiV location would be best.  This is
why, though it was myself who purposefully brought up the topic of "where will Jan
BAD be?" during Dec BAD, and suggested Berkeley for the meeting, I am now changing
my conclusion of what would be the best location, and making the alternative
suggestion that we start the new year with a fresh, new plan.  

I think now, the beginning of a new year, is the perfect time to implement a change
to a meeting location format (always at the same location, at a locaiton near the
centroid of technical residences in the area) that will likely produce the highest
meeting attendance.

I think many people should be able to get to the meeting:  1) Persons can car pool
from the periphery, 2) Carl's Jr is served by two public transportation systems
(bus & light rail), and 3) If the meeting is truly important to someone from far
away, they can get there.  --  I've taken BART from Berkeley to Fremont, then took
a bus & rode my bike an additional 10-20 miles to SiV meeting locations.  (And at
10 PM I, and I and my bike, have gotten lifts back to BART from meeting attendees.)

Part of the reason for my sugesting the talk start at 8P, while the meeting starts
at 7P, is so that persons who have to travel a long distance will not miss the
talk.  (I suspect that Debian talks might best generally be aprox 20-40 min.)

If someone needs a ride to a meeting one can post a request on this list before a
meeting.  And, in the case that a ride _to_ the meeting can't be obtained, if one
makes the effort to get to the meeting, it has been my experience that always
someone at a meeting is willing to give me a ride back to BART after the meeting -
just ask at the meeting!  :)

===
Part of the reason I don't mind changing my mind about the location for this
month's meeting on short notice is that the Berkeley area is already served by a
number of community events: CALLUG, BUUG, BFUG, and installfests at the Oakland
convention center, so it's not like Berkeley area persons are being left
meetingless by the change in plans for this one BAD meeting.  (Not to mention SF
BayLUG and Fremont ?LUG meetings, both accessible by BART + Bus from Berkeley.)

Also, please see my msg I'm about to follow up on from Rick.

Summary: I think SiV is the best plan for the next 3-6 months.  I hope you find
this doable.  If you need a ride, post a request on this list.  I may even be able
to give you one.  :)

Also, if you think this would be doable for you for this Jan meeting, I encourage
you to post a note here saying so, so that we get some opinion exressed on this
list that this is a good idea.  

Thanks!  :)



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