BALUG: meeting: Tu 2017-08-15 discussion topics: WWW::Mechanize, ...; & other BALUG News

[Michael Paoli]

BALUG: meeting: Tu 2017-08-15 discussion topics: WWW::Mechanize, ...;  
& other BALUG News

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items, details further below:
BALUG meeting: Tu 2017-08-15 discussion topics: WWW::Mechanize, ...
   (note also RSVP policy)
BALUG lists migrated! ...
giveaways (Books/publications, CDs/DVDs, ...)
help BALUG! :-) - volunteering, venue, ...
Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/BALUG_org

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BALUG meeting: Tu 2017-08-15 discussion topics: WWW::Mechanize[1], ...
   (note also RSVP policy)

We don't have a formal presentation lined up for this meeting, but we do
have a suggested discussion topic: WWW::Mechanize.

WWW::Mechanize is a perl[2] module, which is very handy for, among other
things, automating handling of web pages, e.g. gathering and submitting
data, and handling reasonably predictable interaction on web pages.  For
example, it was used by Michael Paoli on BALUG's recent mail list
migrations, migrating 1,232 subscriptions on 3 lists, including 13,885
subscriber option/preference settings, reading all that data from over
1,232 web pages, and likewise posting those setting preferences to 1,232
web pages.

1. http://search.cpan.org/~oalders/WWW-Mechanize-1.86/lib/WWW/Mechanize.pm
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perl

As was decided unanimously at the 2017-03-21 BALUG meeting, we updated
the RSVP policy - in short, if you want to be sure there's a meeting to
go to, be sure to send your RSVP in time for us to receive it by not
later than 5pm of date of meeting.

Please RSVP to rsvp at balug.org if you're planning to attend,
and also note our revised RSVP policy further below.

Meeting kicks off at 6:30 P.M. - we start with meet and greet and chat
and such, then proceed with dining around 7:00 P.M. for dinner - please
arrive before 7:00 P.M. if you want to join us for dinner.

RSVP

Please RSVP if you're planning to attend.  To do so please
e-mail us a note to rsvp at balug.org
indicating meeting date.  If you'll be bringing additional guest(s)
please let us know total number of folks you're RSVPing for.
Also please let us know any special requirements or concerns you may
have (e.g. if you have any particular dietary considerations, so that
we might possibly be able to accommodate you, or if you won't be dining
with us but do wish to otherwise join our meeting).
IF WE'VE RECEIVED EXACTLY ZERO RSVPs BY 5:00 P.M. ON DATE OF MEETING,
MEETING MAY BE CANCELLED WITH NO FURTHER NOTIFICATIONS.  So, if we
receive your RSVP in time, then there is a meeting, if we receive zero
RSVPs in time, there may not be a meeting, so if you want to be sure
there's a meeting to go to, be sure to send your RSVP in time for
us to receive it by not later than 5:00 P.M. US/Pacific time on date of
meeting.  Host(s) and any speaker(s)/presenters will be presumed to be
RSVPed yes, but will not be counted towards the total of RSVPs received
even if they've explicitly RSVPed (hosts/speaker(s)/presenter(s) will
be communicated with if meeting is cancelled for any reason).

    6:30pm Tuesday, August 15th, 2017 2017-08-15
    Henry's Hunan Restaurant
    110 Natoma St. (between 2nd & New Montgomery)
    San Francisco, CA 94105-3704
    1-415-546-4999
    http://henryshunan.com/
    Easy Transit/Parking Access: short walk from BART, MUNI, parking
       Trip planning:  http://www.511.org/

Delicious Hunan cuisine and reasonably priced.

Meeting Details...

Cost/Dining:
     The meetings are always free, but dinner is not (unless you are our
     guest speaker, in which case we also treat you to dinner).  For
     Henry's Hunan Restaurant, if folks are agreeable, we'll share and
     dine "family" style, and split up the costs, and typical cost per
     person including tax and tip (but not including beverages beyond
     complementary tea) would be in the $13.00 to $20.00 range, and
     commonly around $15.00 to $17.00.  Cash may be preferred to ease
     splitting up the check.  One can also specifically order the
     dish(es) one needs/prefers (e.g. for dietary considerations) - and
     we also commonly order some dish(es) that may meet various dietary
     considerations) (e.g. vegetarian, non-pork, ...).  Please arrive by
     7:00 P.M., we expect to order entrees at that time, and may order
     appetizer(s) and/or soup(s) anytime after 6:30 P.M.

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BALUG lists migrated! ...

BALUG lists have been migrated* from DreamHost.com hosting services.
Note that at least for now:
   o domain for URLs and postings has temporarily changed (will
     eventually be shifted back to same domain as earlier, and there will
     be a fairly long overlapping grace period where both will work)
   * lists have been migrated (merging/migration of old archives still
     pending), subscribers and their options/settings all also migrated
     (except all subscriber passwords were reset, and those were sent
     out individually to subscribers when they were migrated)
   o One can find the relevant links under http://www.balug.org/#Lists
   o Links to older archives not yet migrated and merged, can be also be
     found on each lists' current information page
   o more details can be found on the BALUG-Talk list, and yet more
     details on the BALUG-Admin list - all the BALUG lists are publicly
     archived, so, if one wishes to, one can browse/download those
     postings, without need to subscribe to those lists.

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We typically have various giveaway items at BALUG meetings.  We'll
likely have at least the below plus additional items.

Books and other titles!
have a look/read here:
https://www.wiki.balug.org/wiki/doku.php?id=balug:books_and_publications

CDs/DVDs/ISOs, etc. - have a peek here:
http://www.wiki.balug.org/wiki/doku.php?id=balug:cds_and_images_etc
We may also be able to "burn" images per request or copy to USB flash,
etc.  Donations of blank or +-RW media, USB flash, or funding thereof,
also appreciated.  See the above URL for details (and the inventory
(qty.) of what we specifically have "burned" and available on-hand does
also frequently change).

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help BALUG! :-) - volunteering, venue ...

You can do useful and cool stuff volunteering to help BALUG.

Quite a variety of opportunities to help BALUG.  Come talk to us at a
meeting and/or drop us a note at: balug-contact at balug.org
These opportunities may include, among other possibilities:
o venue arrangement (e.g. followup on potential leads,
   on-site coordination/preparations), see also:
http://lists.balug.org/pipermail/balug-admin-balug.org/2014-July/001504.html
o chief/assistant cat herder
o assist on speaker coordination/procurement, etc.
o assist on publicity
o Linux Systems Administration (e.g. do/assist/learn, with/under some
     quite experienced and skilled Linux systems administrator(s)).
o webmaster, assistant webmaster, designer, graphic artist
o archivist/history/retrieval/etc.
o and other various/miscellaneous tasks BALUG would like to be doing
     (also feel free to suggest ideas!)

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Twitter - you can also follow BALUG on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/BALUG_org

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Feedback on our publicity/announcements (e.g. contacts or lists where we
should get our information out that we're not presently reaching, or
things we should do differently): publicity-feedback at balug.org

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