[Baypiggies] BayPIGgies leadership

[Stephen McInerney]

Marilyn's comments are excellent and I will add them to the forthcoming 
member survey.
I had already said I would rerun the BayPIGgies member survey that I ran in 
2003.
Anyone with suggestions/strong opinions/pet topics/narks please do contact 
me.

Marilyn's question:  "What are your priorities in attending meetings"
a) to learn something?
b) to meet other people who use Python?
c) to network? /job-shop?
d) any other suggestions? "recruiter evening" is something we had kicked 
around but takes a lot of advance organizing and never happened. But I think 
the critical mass is there.

>Do we have a statement of purpose?
Please everyone reread the comprehensive email I sent after Mar mtg in 
response to the same question: 
http://mail.python.org/pipermail/baypiggies/2006-March/000285.html
This is what came out of 2003 survey. Clearly the membership and interests 
will have moved on.
We will find out soon.

>Maybe we could collectively figure a way to push Python into the schools?
Seems like 'Python in education' has recently surfaced as a topic of 
interest. I will add that.
Ruby on Rails, Plone and Twisted are other additions. Anything else?

Re Marilyn's other comments:
- the 'BayPIGgies' name is considered to be set in stone, this was discussed 
previously
- off-mail discussion is discouraged if the topic of public interest, but 
otherwise not.
This distinction has grey areas; I do not think this is a major issue, just 
netiquette.
Hopefully we do not get to the point where we need SIGs.

My personal opinion on meeting format:
- my previous suggestion: categorise each meeting either 'Beginner', 
'Advanced' or 'Expert'. This is important. Several people have come to 
meetings expecting a newbie topic and left scratching their heads and 
cursing.
- job/book/training announcements before mtg are fine, 60 sec each max, 
limit 10 min. Post fulltext to list. Announcers, please state your name(!) 
and affiliation.
- it would be best to crosspost the ACCU, East-Bay Python and other group 
notices in *advance* of BayPIGgies so as not to spend time redescribing the 
meeting notice.
- as Wes comments we need a hardcore of moderators to give the thing form 
and keep it somehow focused and on track, structure the Q&A, add continuity 
between meetings. Volunteers needed.
- signing in at Google takes serious time, so I suggest the Google meeting 
announcements should say "7:10 in lobby for signin for 7:30 start". Wes's 
comments about how to do it in 10sec were useful. How to decline the Google 
NDA is useful too.
- snacks is a good point. The restaurant thing currently does not really 
work at either location, and that is a missed opportunity. Pizza at the 
meeting itself would probably be better, but pizza for 100 people would cost 
serious money. Wes suggests people would be opposed to even an optional 
voluntary member subscription(~$50/yr?), and BayPIGgies does not currently 
have tax-deductible status. Any solutions on this?

Regards,
Stephen