Group: Manchester/2008-11-10/Minutes

Manchester Free Software Minutes

19:00, Monday 11th November 2008

Attendance: Simon, Dave, Tim, Lucy, Michael, Matt M
Apologies: Paul (& Simon for being half asleep)

Last Meeting

The minutes of the last meeting on 13th October 2008 were read and approved.

Announcements

None

Room booking

A discussion took place about room booking at the MDDA. Lucy enquired as to when we had booked the room at the MDDA up until with reference to the list of dates on the wiki. Simon responded that he didn't know exactly when we were booked up until but that Dave Edwards at the MDDA and that Lucy could find his email address in the team@ inbox.

A discussion was had, taking into account the ideas about cutting down the numbers of speakers, as to whether we should continue booking the MDDA but Lucy expressed her interest, even if the idea is carried through, of continuing to meet in the MDDA coffee area.

Subsequently, it was decided we should book the MDDA dates until the end of June 2009.

Action: Lucy - contact MDDA and book dates until June 2009.

Speakers

Lucy referenced the upcoming talk from Elmar Geese and enquired if there were other mediums or areas we/she should be promoting the event to. There was discussion through which Manchester Digital, Geekup (to which the talks are already promoted) were mentioned but Dave volunteered to take some MFS flyers to a social centre when he visits Liverpool in the near future.

Action: Dave to take MFS flyers to Liverpool Social Centre

Due to the upcoming meeting being the anniversary of the first Manchester Free Software meeting it was agreed to celebrate the event with a cake.

Action: Dave to make cupcakes

Tim brought up that the MDDA seemed to be making us finish our events at the earlier time of 20:30 and pointed out that to maximise the use of time of the venue, it would be beneficial to aim to start at 19:00 rather than the 19:15 it has lapsed to in recent months. Lucy pointed out that several people turn up at 18.30 and that it would be good to encourage people to turn up slightly earlier.

Lucy confirmed that there was no speaker for December's meeting and that we would have a Christmas social. Lucy volunteered to bring mince pies.

Action: Lucy to bring mince pies to the December's social meeting

Tim suggested contacting the following people as potential speakers: Noah Slater - RESTful Databases, Couche DB and free software Judith Garman - from NuX "problems in usability of free software"

Action: Tim to contact people at NuX & Noah Slater in regards to them doing talk.

Books

Lucy reported that she had talked to Matt Lee about the shipment of FS books to sell and eventually Matt Lee had agreed to ship to Michael via 3rd party in UK. With Michael to subsequently distribute books to willing volunteers for storage and sale.

However, nothing has been heard since Michael gave the delivery details to Matt Lee. It was agreed for Michael to chase this up.

Action: Michael to chase Matt Lee about the shipment of books

Banking

A discussion took place about the current status of the proposed bank account for MFS funds where it was decided to move forward further with the proposals

Action: Lucy to start filling Bank account details out
Action: Matt M to write constitution
Action: Lucy to send Matt M details about constitution/what it should say etc.

It was decided that due to its significance there should be a vote for the election of treasurer; it was agreed that Paul should be the returning officer for the election.

Action: Lucy to speak to Paul and arrange the election for treasurer.

Debate on elections being biased by people signing up to the list signups to swing the vote on a certain issue took place but it is was agreed that it was not worth taking any action to address this possible issue at this stage.

Marbella Computer Cluster

A discussion took place about the LTSP cluster whereupon it was announced that while the cluster still worked, the 3rd client wouldn't netboot properly.

Action: Dave to investigate why the client won't netboot properly
Action: Dave to set up a script to reset home directories on logout

It was mentioned that we had been offered client grade computers via the team@ address Tim has offered to look after the computers and put them to good use. Dave also mentioned he had also been offered some client grade computers.

It was pointed out that acquiring client grade machines wasn't very difficult and that a long term objective should be to look for another space for an LTSP system.

Action: Dave to write article for local magazines about LTSP@Marbella
Action: Dave to get whatever information he needs from Lucy to fill in the Software Freedom Day website form

Lucy mentioned that Yuwei had submitted an article about SFD at Marbella Cafe to Linux Magazine.

Action: Dave to write a procedures manual and settings as a page on the wiki

Dave advised that everyone interested with administering the cluster should set them selves up with an account on the server.

Action: Dave to setup a sub domain on cultofperf forwarding to Marbella LTSP server
Action: Janey to organise some wallpaper and images for a default homepage view.

LOGO

A discussion about the logo for MFS took place due to Ian Forrester's request for a logo for the BBC Backstage Christmas Party Publicity and with a view to the long term future.

Tim pointed out there are existing ideas of logos that could be modified and used which were put together in February 2008 by members of the MFS community but that they need modifying to use the correct name. Lucy was less convinced of their suitability and was keen to have something that differentiated MFS from the FSF while still linking it to FS and being suitable to put onto leaflets/posters etc.

Dave suggested (and drew) a 'GNUBee', based on the bee being a long time symbol of Manchester, representing the workers of the city. Others expressed their support for the idea. Lucy suggested getting Janey or a contact of Janey to put something together.

Michael mentioned for technical usage an SVG is very useful, compared to bitmap designs.

Lucy suggested for the BBC that using a levitating GNU as has been used on the leaflets would be a good idea (and could be done at short notice) and volunteered to put it this together.

Action: Lucy to create logo for BBC Backstage event
Action: Dave to look into a GNU Bee

Any other business

NWDC Tim raised the issue that he was unsure who MFS's liaison was with NWDC and highlighted the benefits of being part of it and posting to its 'announce' mailing list.

Simon clarified that he was MFS's NWDC liaison and agreed to stay in the position.

Lucy reported she had looked up the “computer users society” since the last meeting but that they don't exist any more apparently.

Action: Dave to contact and maintain contact with central library
Action: Dave put projects page up on MFS wiki.
Action: Dave to contact Vicky Sinclair about an art space in Hulme.

FOSDEM Dave enquired whether anyone had considered going to FOSDEM 09 and suggested that he might go and do a lightning talk about MFS, the group responded positively and Tim suggested he might also be going.

Bugtracking and Wiki Lucy reported that she had spoken to Paul about hosting for a bug tracking system but that he was unable to do it. It was decided that a bug tracking system probably wasn't needed at this time but that one for the Marbella Cafe would be useful.

Dave suggested maybe moving to our own wiki system due to some difficulties watching changes on the FSF groups wiki. No decision was made and it was agreed that to defer this issue until the next meeting.

Action: Simon to set up a bug tracking system for the Marbella computer cluster

Keysigning It was suggested there should be a keysigning at the next admin meeting.

Next Meeting

It was agreed that the next admin meeting should take place on the 8th December at 7pm, in Marbella Cafe not The Waterhouse, as previously mentioned.

UPDATE: Due to problems at the Cafe, the meeting will take place at The Waterhouse.

Summary of Actions

Lucy
Action: Lucy - contact MDDA and book dates until June 2009.
Action: Lucy to start filling Bank account details out
Action: Lucy to bring mince pies to the December's social meeting
Action: Lucy to send Matt M details about constitution/what it should say etc.
Action: Lucy to create logo for BBC Backstage event
Action: Lucy to speak to Paul and arrange the election for treasurer.

Dave
Action: Dave to take MFS flyers to Liverpool Social Centre
Action: Dave to make cupcakes
Action: Dave to investigate why the client won't netboot properly
Action: Dave to set up a script to reset home directories on logout
Action: Dave to write article for local magazines about LTSP@Marbella
Action: Dave to get whatever information he needs from Lucy to fill in the Software Freedom Day website form
Action: Dave to write a procedures manual and settings as a page on the wiki
Action: Dave to setup a sub domain on cultofperf forwarding to Marbella LTSP server
Action: Dave to look into a GNU BeeAction: Dave to contact and maintain contact with central library
Action: Dave put projects page up on MFS wiki.
Action: Dave to contact Viki Sinclair about an art space in Hulme.

Tim
Action: Tim to contact people at NuX & Noah Slater in regards to them doing talk.

Michael
Action: Michael to chase Matt Lee about the shipment of books

Matt M
Action: Matt M to write constitution

Simon
Action: Simon to set up a bug tracking system for the Marbella computer cluster

Janey
Action: Janey to organise some wallpaper and images for a default homepage view.