Re: [LUG] Happy Software Freedom Day

I think the most important thing is not to project a "view" that we are
an apathetic community.

Why does not bothering to do anything for a piece of marketing crap like SFD (which is really a combination of an FSF press conference and an advert for Red Hat) project a view of apathy? If we as a LUG want to appear non-apathetic then we just need to maintain a healthy quantity of events and a nice amount of mailing list posts. We're doing just fine; anyone who thinks we're apathetic can simply be referred to our mailman stats (or whatever we use now) and be corrected.

I  know we are not , and I would hope every
member of this group feels the same. I also understand and appreciate
the efforts made by all the members of our community.  On the other
hand,  to the "outsider", our lack of interest in global  events such as
SFD  might be taken the wrong way.

Not really, no.

What is the point of lighting a candle and then putting under a bucket
where no one can see the light ?

I'd rather have a vaguely inconspicuous candle than a hyped-up but nonexistent arc light.

And just because a product is deemed to be "good" or "better" doesn't
automatically follow it will be market leader tomorrow, (beta max
anybody ?).

Betamax predates me, but I'm aware that it was better. However, it seems the general public didn't feel this, so it was squashed by VHS.
Linux is technically better, and most people think it's difficult to use. They are partially correct, as all computer software is difficult to use unless one is prepared to learn. I am amazed by the number of people who denounce Linux as a difficult OS/kernel because it's different to Windows, totally ignoring the fact that it took them years to learn to use Windows which is apparently so much easier to use.

We all do our own thing to promote free software, GNU, Linux etc. But
think about the potential we could achieve if we co-ordinated our
efforts a little. I don't want to get regimental or structural, but I
just think it would be nice to showcase the many diverse things that our
community contributes towards under one heading (DCGLUG).

Showcasing is for corporations. We are not a corporation. We don't need an advertising campaign.