All, Recent conversations on this list have gotten me thinking about our group, its purpose, and its goals. Honestly, the LUG is in a slump and I have no one to blame but myself. When the LUG was formalized a few years back a Board of Directors was elected and that body recognized a potential for the LUG to fall into a slump such as this. The Board created the position of Director Emeritus For Life as a mechanism for providing perpetual leadership in the event such a slump occurs. Soon after I was honored with the title. As Director Emeritus For Life it is my responsibility to provide guidance and direction to help us get out of this slump. I still believe strongly in the principles embodied in Linux and other Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). But the term FOSS is self-limiting; those same principles can be applied to hardware and data/file formats, as well as software. More importantly, FOSS principles are at the heart of the free exchange of ideas and information necessary in a free society. To that end, I believe that by focusing the group on one tool -- the Linux kernel and related utilities -- we have limited are our scope and our potential. So what do we do? We can: A. keep doing what we've been doing, (and continue getting what we've been getting.) B. end the LUG and let whatever files the void (such as it would be) file the void, C. re-purpose the LUG to be more inclusive of FOSS and FOSS-inspired projects in general, D. do something not yet considered. Ultimately, the whole thing is fairly rhetorical, as there really isn't a "we". As Director Emeritus For Life, I and I alone, can make the final call. But I do want your thoughts and opinions to be heard and considered. My expectations are that the direction and fate of the NCOLUG is to be resolved by the end of September. Please advise. Chuck