Ubuntu Wiki

Ubuntu Open Week - Local Community Teams] - Aaron Toponce - Mon, Oct 22, 2007

see also Saturday session.

17:08 -!- popey changed the topic of #ubuntu-classroom to: Ubuntu Open Week info: Information and Logs: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuOpenWeek | Ubuntu classroom transcripts: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ClassroomTranscripts | Please ask questions in #ubuntu-classroom-chat not here | Current session: LoCo teams - Aaron Toponce
17:08 -!- mode/#ubuntu-classroom [-v pleia2] by popey
17:08 -!- mode/#ubuntu-classroom [+v atoponce] by ChanServ
17:08 -!- mode/#ubuntu-classroom [-o popey] by popey
17:08 <+atoponce> Ok. welcome everyone
17:08 -!- mode/#ubuntu-classroom [-v svaksha] by Vorian
17:08 <+atoponce> for this discussion, I will be referring mainly to 3 resource pages:
17:08 <+atoponce> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoTeams
17:09 <+atoponce> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoTeamKnowledgeBase
17:09 <+atoponce> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoFAQ
17:09 <+atoponce> I have a lot to cover, so I'll be getting to the questions in groups, rather than as they come
17:09 <+atoponce> please remember to ask your questions in #ubuntu-classroom-chat
17:09 <+atoponce> Ok. Let's get started
17:10 <+atoponce> first, what exactly is a "LoCo Team"?
17:10 <+atoponce> LoCo stands for Local Community
17:10 <+atoponce> it's important to remember that an Ubuntu LoCo is a Special Interest Group (SIG), not a Linux Users Group (LUG)
17:11 <+atoponce> as such, the purpose of Ubuntu LoCo Teams is to build Ubuntu in their respective community, and not general Linux
17:11 <+atoponce> although, people from all Linux distros are more than welcome to join the team and learn more about Ubuntu
17:12 <+atoponce> loco teams are a collection of members all running Ubuntu looking to learn more about the distro and to spread loco advocacy in their area
17:12 <+atoponce> we advocate its use to organizations, schools and corporations
17:12 <+atoponce> generally, we meet on a regular basis, like once a month, or more often, pending the team
17:13 <+atoponce> we can meet in person, online (IRC), jabber muc, etc
17:13 <+atoponce> generally, loco teams are usually free for participation and membership, although that's up to the specific team
17:14 <+atoponce> asking for donations in not unheard of, and more than appropriate to help float some of the costs that a loco team uses, in terms of cds, t-shirts, posters, etc
17:14 <+atoponce> finally, goals and vision can vary from team to team. they could consist of translation, support, advocacy, etc
17:15 <+atoponce> Ok. So, now that we know a little bit about what it is, why create a team?
17:15 <+atoponce> well, computer users of similar interests like to meet with each other and discuss what they learn and do with Ubuntu
17:16 <+atoponce> loco team members also enjoy advocating Ubuntu together and discussing their success stories and where Ubuntu is being deployed
17:16 <+atoponce> of course, friendships are built, and a community is born
17:16 <+atoponce> so, that brings me up to joining a loco team
17:16 <+atoponce> loco teams are built around geographic locations
17:17 <+atoponce> a fairly expansive list can be found at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoTeamList
17:17 <+atoponce> if you are looking to see if a team exists in your area, check there. chances are good that it does
17:18 <+atoponce> joining a team generally means finding the teams IRC channel and joining online
17:18 <+atoponce> of course, you can join their mailing list, add yourself to their wiki page, join the launchpad membership roster
17:18 <+atoponce> once joined, the team will usually ask for participation and contribution to the team
17:19 <+atoponce> sitting idle on a team, by not helping to beild the loco team or contribute, is generally discouraged
17:20 <+atoponce> once joined, look at which talents you have, how you can contribute, how much time you have to contribute, and get started
17:20 <+atoponce> it varies from team to team, but whatever you can do is great
17:22 <+atoponce> sorry
17:22 <+atoponce> family just came over celebrating our baby news
17:23 <+atoponce> Ok. Let's look at starting a loco team
17:23 <+atoponce> it's important to note first off that loco teams are not to replace existing LUGs/SIGs
17:24 <+atoponce> rather, loco teams are designed to work hand-in-hand with existing LUGs to help spread Ubuntu
17:24 <+atoponce> much like a python SIG would be helping to spread python in a more general programming group
17:25 <+atoponce> of course, the loco team wants to build team membership, and a great resource is the regional lugs, just be careful, would be my advice
17:25 <+atoponce> keep the relationship strong between the local lugs in the area
17:25 <+atoponce> now, you should not start a team in the same area, if you think that the loco team is not performing well, or as you would run it
17:26 <+atoponce> rather, you should work with the existing loco leader to see what you can do to help make the team succeed
17:27 <+atoponce> so, if you're sure that there is not a team in your area, after checking all the available resources, and "googling", then the first thing to do is to get those resources setup
17:28 <+atoponce> mailing lists, irc, wiki pages are the essential resources that need to be setup
17:28 <+atoponce> a team should not be worrying about setting up a cms site for the team
17:29 <+atoponce> however, launchpad is a good resource to manage team membership
17:29 <+atoponce> a loco team should be setup geographically by country, or by state in the U.S.
17:30 <+atoponce> however, there are situations that meeting in person is not appropriate, because the area is so large, so creating a smaller team under the country umbrella team or umbrella state team could work
17:31 <+atoponce> I would advise to work with the umbrella loco team leader in that situation, and see what's best
17:31 <+atoponce> Ok. I've covered a lot of content up to this point. are there any questions in -chat that I can answer?
17:33 <+atoponce> well, if no questions, I'll continue with running and participating in a loco team and the difference between approved and non-approved teams
17:34 <+atoponce> running a loco team can take a great deal of time to execute and execute well
17:35 <+atoponce> running a team effectively takes a great deal of work and contributions from all team members not just the team leader and a couple of members here and there
17:35 <+atoponce> running a team consists of install fests, local community work, advocation to schools, corporations, etc.
17:35 <+atoponce> money is usually involved with running a team, but can be greatly minimized to a few dollars per year per member if the team is run correctly and effectively
17:36 <+atoponce> this includes money for food, t-shirts, mugs, posters, CD-, etc
17:36 <+atoponce> *CDs
17:37 <+atoponce> Ok. Now, I'm sure that some of you have heard about getting a team approved
17:37 <+atoponce> what is it and why would you want your team approved?
17:37 <+atoponce> there are a few incentives on getting an approved team
17:38 <+atoponce> incentives such as CDs from Canonical, booth setups with kiosk materials as well as a sense of pride and accomplishment
17:39 <@Vorian> cjb_ie> QUESTION: Are loco teams meant to address anything in particular? unsurprisingly, localisation springs to mind - but anything else?
17:39 <+atoponce> getting approved means an active team, with a good user base, and active community involvement
17:40 <+atoponce> it varies from team to team, but generally a good rule of thumb is 2-3 large community events, such as booths or install fests, large membership list, an active mailing list and regularly scheduled meetings
17:40 <+atoponce> to get approved, create an application for approval on your team wiki, get in contact with jono to find out whether or not you can apply for approval from the CC
17:40 <+atoponce> ok. questions
17:40 <@Vorian> cjb_ie> QUESTION: Are loco teams meant to address anything in particular? unsurprisingly, localisation springs to mind - but anything else?
17:41 <@Vorian> :)
17:41 <+atoponce> cjb_ie: advocacy advocacy advocacy. what a team should be focused on is getting schools, corporations, organizations, etc converted to Ubuntu
17:42 <+atoponce> there are many ways to do it, and execute, but it's mainly important to get out there and talking
17:42 <@Vorian> <nixternal> QUESTION: Are there any other teams like the Ubuntu US LoCo project for other groups around the world that are interested? And if not, who are some good people to talk to for mentoring?
17:43 <+atoponce> nixternal: I am not aware of any teams like the US Teams Mentoring project in other areas. However, there are good people to get in contact with., such as:
17:43 <+atoponce> Vorian, jono, nixternal (hehe), elkbuntu, pleia2 and others
17:44 <+atoponce> If you stick around for 2.5 more hors, i will also be talking about the mentoring project and how it's made the US Teams successful
17:44 < nixternal> groovy
17:45 <+atoponce> Ok. I'm going to finish up with conflicts that may arise in loco teams, and how to resolve them, as well and misc resources and stuff
17:45 <+atoponce> so, conflicts: they suck, but they happen from time to time
17:45 <+atoponce> the important thing to do when conflicts arise is not panic. They do NOT need to be taken to the CC whenever one arises
17:46 <+atoponce> conflicts in a loco team should be taken care of in the team. If escalated, loco leaders such as those I just mentioned, can help point members in the right direction to get the conflict resolved
17:46 <+atoponce> it's very possible that the conflict you are facing has been faced before and already resolved
17:47 <+atoponce> also, 90% of problems come from a lack of communication between members.  Team members need to be united in purpose and vision, and open 100% to make it execute smoothly
17:48 <+atoponce> I have seen a couple conflicts arise here and there, and in every case, when the team members got talking, it was resolved quickly and efficiently
17:49 <+atoponce> the last topic that I have planned is a few odd-ball misc items that don't really fit, but i feel should be covered
17:49 <+atoponce> one is a hot topic that has been on the mailing lists: tax exemption and liability coverage
17:49 <+atoponce> both of these items need to be covered on a team-by-team basis
17:50 <+atoponce> Canonical will NOT provide an umbrella organization for loco teams to fall under
17:50 <+atoponce> if a team feels they need it, they are more than welcome however, to go after it
17:50 <+atoponce> *anything* that will make the team succeed should be looked at, even if it's tax exemption and liability coverage
17:51 <+atoponce> Ok. question time
17:51 <@Vorian> BonesolTeraDyne> QUESTION: Is there a central place for LoCo teams to get tips on what kind of events they could hold, or how to present Ubuntu or possible new users\companies\etc...?
17:52 <+atoponce> BonesolTeraDyne: there are resources all over the wiki, and even the forums.  i don't know of specific pages off hand, but a few good resources that can get you pointed in the right direction would be:
17:52 <+atoponce> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoTeams and #ubuntu-locoteams
17:53 <+atoponce> of course, there is also the ubuntu-contacts mailing list and launchpad page, which will get you in contact with the major loco leaders directly
17:53 <+atoponce> BonesolTeraDyne: but that's a *great* question. Something that should be all over the wiki if it's not already
17:54 < BonesolTeraDyne> thanks. That answers the question quite nicely.
17:54 <+atoponce> we should bring that up to the next loco doc day, where we work on filling holes and creating pages for loco teams
17:54 <+atoponce> cool
17:54 <+atoponce> to summarize this meeting at a 30,000 foot level:
17:55 <+atoponce> * loco teams are Ubuntu-specific teams, not lugs
17:55 <+atoponce> * loco teams are about advocating Ubuntu to anyone and everyone
17:55 <+atoponce> * loco teams are build around geographic boundaries, tying regional people together
17:56 <+atoponce> * joining a loco team is always encouraged, and more than welcome
17:56 <+atoponce> * identify your talents to help build the team and make the community stronger
17:56 <+atoponce> * donate whatever time you can to building that community
17:57 <+atoponce> * start a loco team if one does not exist in your area
17:57 <+atoponce> * mailing list, wiki page and irc channel are the "essentials" for loco team resources
17:57 <+atoponce> * running a team does not require money, but there's nothing wrong with asking for donations. :)
17:57 <+atoponce> * the team should strive for approval by jono and the CC
17:58 <+atoponce> * resolve conflicts within the team, and pull in loco team leaders only as needed
17:58 <+atoponce> * LOCO TEAMS ROCK!
17:58 <+atoponce> it looks like i have about 9 minutes to answer any questions, or to fill any holes that i may have missed
18:00 <@Vorian> nicely done atoponce :)
18:00 <+atoponce> Vorian: thank you
18:00 <@Vorian> Thanks for a great presentation
18:00 <+atoponce> :)
18:00 <+atoponce> np
18:00 <+atoponce> i think everyone is sleeping. :)
18:00 < BonesolTeraDyne> thanks atoponce
18:00 <+atoponce> BonesolTeraDyne: np
18:01 <@Vorian> Lardarse> QUESTION: Do you think that people who are not sure what they can offer to a LoCo should be put off from joining one?
18:01 <@Vorian> atoponce, ^
18:01 <+atoponce> Lardarse: Absolutely not. Being active, even if you're not contributing, is okay. For example:
18:01 <+atoponce> participating on the team mailing list or forums are a great way to be involved with the team
18:02 <+atoponce> attend the meetings, and talk to friends about Ubuntu
18:02 <+atoponce> if everyone in the loco team did that, then every team would be 10x stronger than they currently are
18:03 <+atoponce> good question.
18:03 < Lardarse> :-)
18:05 <@Vorian> thanks again atoponce :)
18:05 <+atoponce> Vorian:  np
18:05 <+atoponce> everyone, come back for the loco teams mentoring project if you're still interested in loco teams
18:05 <+atoponce> in 2.5 hours here
18:05 <@Vorian> \o/ mentors!
18:06 <+atoponce> or, 2 hours now. :)
18:06  * atoponce can count. promise!
18:06 < Lardarse> come back? who said we were going to leave? :-)
18:06 < BonesolTeraDyne> exactly
18:06 <+atoponce> Lardarse: good response. :)