Site Design Issue

(also posted at hlug.org)

I haven't talked with previous presidents about this, but I actually like the fact that this site (hlug.org as well as this blog) does not operate as a forum (anymore...)

I've often remarked that not having forum (discussion) capability keeps down spam and bad feelings about flame wars, but there's another reason, and bigger. The material that would normally go to online boards were they available, in this situation must take place at the meetings. Bad punctuation, but you understand.

Users' groups have been in decline for ten years. Restricting most of our activity from the net, from IRC and from any other remote methods requires the interested individual to show up, and that improves our attendance, as well as Hal-PC numbers. Some theorize that the internet is killing users' groups due to the convenience of getting information remotely rather than in person. It's certainly cited as hurting technical print media in the case of the recently departed SYSADMIN Magazine.

So regardless of the condition of this site, my blog, the twiki, or anybody else's pages, I'm in favor of continuing the blackout on forum activity. Besides, not only do you get more info faster (potentially) in a human conversation, but it's not possible to rummage through our give-away pile over the net. It's also a lot easier to get six people to comment on your machine that you're rebuilding when you drag it into the Wednesday night workshop. Long live the blackout!!

(crossposted with hlug.org)

Yet more info on January and February
-------------------------------------------------------

On my (PJ's) upcoming January 12th Security Topics show, note that I am no expert in the field of computer security but perhaps you can benefit from my recent research in the area, namely regarding three matters:

INSECURE.ORG's current activities and their maintenance of the Nmap scanner
CERT's First Responders Guides to Computer Forensics (both sections)
SECURITY + ("plus") certification and one or two problems with the current official manual

And after that, Jan. 26th is a large general meeting that will take up our regular meeting space. So the above's a formative agenda for the Jan. 12th meeting.

Moving right along, last time I did an in-meeting survey of what future topics people were interested in, the list looked like this:

DenyHosts
TCP Wrappers
Routing Protocols and OSPF RIP
Gimp 2.4
LDAP and PAM
IP v6

And as January is mapped out but February is approaching, Robert Spotswood will be the next person I start pestering (due to his known familiarity with the new Gimp version) as well as former president Aaron Estrada for a presentation on a subject dealing with Linux in audio/video (which is something he actually does weekly if not daily on the job). Such a presentation was scheduled not long ago but cancelled due to interference by inclement weather, stock market fluctuations and the Loch Ness monster.

P.S. - great December show with Steve on the Linux STANDARD Base, not "standards" as I'd earlier blundered. This set of rules is maintained in several places:

http://www.linux-foundation.org
http://www.opengroup.org
http://www.linuxbase.org

- and incorporates the earlier mentioned Filesystem Hierarchy Standard.

"Welcome back; your dreams were your ticket out..."

Long time no post! OK, here's the even REALER real schedule:

Dec. 8th - Steve Mussachia on the Linux Standards Base
Dec. 22nd - probably Hal-PC closed, so definitely no meeting.
January 12 - Pete Jamison on selected security topics (plus another thingie)
January 26 - Hal-PC general meeting (rather than Linux Presentation only)

Now, here's the longer explanation...

Coming up soonest is Steve's picture of how the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard and other such benchmarks fit into the larger Standards Base, and the current state of affairs with that. Then, the next thing will be me on topics like the tools and stats of insecure.org, oddities in Security+ training, and just for the heck of it, how a recently published article on Ndiswrapper promises to bail me out of that continuing mess.

On Jan. 26th we won't have a normal meeting (more from Rick on that general thing later) but I'll probably be reprising my um, Hard Drive Retirement speech, which involves mass realtime destructive testing before your very eyes. Many general members unconnected with Linux within Hal-PC haven't seen that yet, so expect several 911 calls and general bedlam.

As the great triad of Johnny, Doc and Ed often intoned, "more to come"...

LATEST Schedule

OCTOBER 27 - Possibly a surprise from me, since Aaron is not immediately available
NOVEMBER 10 - Steve Musacchia (on a Linux standards subject)
NOVEMBER 27 - Hal-PC closed for Thanksgiving Holiday
DECEMBER 8 - Robert Spotswood (on Transfer Control Protocol/Internet Protocol)
DECEMBER 22 - possibly Aaron's program - stay tuned!

... and I'll continue to mention whether or not I've been able to install Ndiswrapper.
As always, check Hal-PC for times.

Computer history, anyone??

Well, back in the day things were somewhat different. And in some ways, the same. Have a look at these links ---

A guy's basement
More great history from Jason Patterson
An ad-supported history site
the venerable Obsolyte.com

Inaugural Computer Page post

At this writing, I'm the President of the Saturday section of HLUG, or the Houston Linux Users' Group. This blog is being set up in case we need to get out word on HLUG programming changes that could happen on or after the spur of the moment, and to be a place to put comments of mine inappropriate for more formal channels - or any channels where it would be unclear as to who's blameworthy. The material here is solely attributable to me.

More specific info about HLUG: it meets at the headquarters of Hal-PC (the Houston Area League of PC Users) near San Felipe and the 610 Loop on the West side. There are currently three sections: Linux 101 with Sibley Cooley (first Tuesday of the month), the Linux Workshop (every Wednesday with Rich Archibald and company) and the Saturday Presentation Meeting with myself and whomever is conned into presenting.

Click here for times:
Hal-PC Website