General VOICE Meeting - 30 April 2005
Agenda
~~~~~~
1. Call the meeting to order.
2. Old Business
a) Usergroup page (Roderick Klein, Mark Dodel)
b) Status of future SpeakUps (Roderick Klein)
c) Forum (Walter Metcalf)
d) MOTION: That on-going communications with members be maintained using a moderated forum, with read available to all and posting available to members only.
e) status OS/2 news system (Roderick)
f) support OS/2 development
3) New Business.
a) sponsorship Warpstock
4. Other Business
5. Announcements
a)
b)Next meeting will be 28th May 2005
6. Adjournment
Summary - Decisions/Announcements Made
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. The new OS/2-eCS news service is still in development and has limited usage to date. Translation and other features are being worked on.
2. Status of SpeakUps - Next SpeakUp in May on Open Watcom. A SpeakUp for June is planned on eComStation. There will be a 2-month summer break in SpeakUps.
3. There is now an up-to-date list of OS/2 usersgroups on OS2Voice.
4. MOTION: That on-going communications with members be maintained using a moderated forum, with read available to all and posting available to members only. The motion was passed and implementation using Ceilidh was discussed.
5. Support for OS/2 development - was postponed until the parties are contacted.
6. Sponsorship for Warpstock was also introduced. No decision was made.
7. Next scheduled meeting is the 28th of May 2005.
Meeting Log
~~~~~~~~~~~
Chairman of the meeting Roderick Klein called the meeting to order at 15:00:01 EDT
<eCSNL> * eCSNL declares this meeting for opened
<JWE> logging has begun
<eCSNL> Its exactly 21:00 Amsterdam time. John could you start logging.
<eCSNL> Thank you.
<eCSNL> Secretary of the meeting if John Edwards, chairman is Roderick Klein.
<eCSNL> First point on the agenda
<eCSNL> First point. We have an additional visitor.
<eCSNL> Point e on the agenda is old business. I'm just moving it to top of the agenda.
* eCSNL gives a applause for the real OS/2 guy, Robert Henschel
<eCSNL> I invited Warp 5 to give us an update on the newssystem. He is the guy that agreed we needed this system for the community.
*WalterOS2* Sorry I was out when you called the second time. I see you made it anyway. :-)
<eCSNL> And he is the person who deserves the credit. He actualy is coding the whole thing.
* eCSNL hands Warp 5 the microphone
<Warp5> thanks
<Warp5> well, actually Roderick convinced me that we need the system
<Warp5> I implemented a first version last year, and today, only OS/2 VOice and my user group website use it
<Warp5> it has a couple of problem, that are now being addressed in the "OS/2 News System - 2nd edition" :-)
<Warp5> Currently, all OS/2 voice news posts go into the system, and I translate parts of them to German to use them on my user group website
<Warp5> when the system is ready, we hope to add other websites as well
<Warp5> so that in the end, we have a large central news source, where OS/2 websites can get up to date news, in different languages
* eCSNL assigned Warp 5 for translation in Japanese, but so far I have been able to convince him...
<eCSNL> unable that is.
<Warp5> So far, I hope I can finish it next month
<Warp5> websites will be able to retrieve the news via an RSS feed or via linking to static HTML content
<Warp5> websites can input data via a submission form
<Warp5> in addition, normal OS/2 users can also submit news items
<WalterOS2> Please be sure to allow announcements via email. :-)
<eCSNL> Guess what is happening to the voice news :-)
<Warp5> yes, Roderick brought this to my attention as well, and we should include that
<WalterOS2> submission of announcements.
<WalterOS2> Thanks.
<Warp5> I will also write a short article that describes how to use the system
<Warp5> from a "website admin" viewpoint
<Warp5> this will hopefully be enough to get it used by other websites
<WalterOS2> Roderick: What is happening to VOICE NEWS?
<eCSNL> Well you see the mailing list can continue to run.
<eCSNL> But basicly we have discussed this. There will also be a lazy admin option where with an iframe you can display websites HTML from our server.
<eCSNL> However, consumers will not have access to os2news.com.
<eCSNL> (That is to read news)
<eCSNL> This is done on purpose so other websites don't lose their readers.
<Warp5> Voice will also benefit, as you can put news that come in from other websites into your mailing list...
* Warp5 thinks he said everything
<eCSNL> Having news collected via one system and translated will increase the news flow. The community will get to know more people
<eCSNL> and more software.
<WalterOS2> That can't hurt. :-)
<eCSNL> With the lazy webadmin option, more OS/2 user group pages will become alive again with almost daily fresh news feeds
<eCSNL> The more websites and servers hookup to the system the better...
* eCSNL turned off the microphone and gets it back
<Warp5> the good thing for VOICE is, since your mailings list is already connected to the news system, you do not need to change anything on your system :-)
<eCSNL> Thank you Warp5 for that update. I may have convinced you. You spent the hours coding the system.
<eCSNL> Next group on the agenda is the speakup status.
<eCSNL> Today I have been able to get the rusty project going again.
<eCSNL> Send an email to Michal who works on Open Watcom.
<eCSNL> That *planned* for May.
<eCSNL> And the speakup is done twice so the people in Australia and Asia can also join.
<eCSNL> Scheduled for June is a speakup about ecomstation
<eCSNL> I'm looking to see if I can get Bob StJohn, me, Joachim Benjamins and Alex Taylor.
<eCSNL> And Bart van Leeuwen who leads the eCS project.
<eCSNL> After that I suggest a break for 2 months for speakups for because of the summerbreak.
<eCSNL> All speakups will be on a Saturday.
<eCSNL> For Australia they will always be on a Sunday morning from 09:00 to 11:00 Sydney time.
<eCSNL> So there you have the contributions to get the community in touch with each other
<Gord> Very good!
<eCSNL> and distribute news.
<eCSNL> Then another person who has done work on things is Mark Dodel.
<eCSNL> We have an up to date list of OS/2 usersgroups now on os2voice.
<eCSNL> http://www.os2voice.org/os2groups.html
<Hawklord The groups have been shortlisted :-)
<eCSNL> Well its a start. There are more in the woodwork.
<eCSNL> As somebody I know say, OS/2 users live in a cave.
<eCSNL> We need to hand these people a lightbulb :-)
<eCSNL> Where can I get support, get more websites hooked up on the news system and this way websites will get more visable in google....
<eCSNL> Next item is the forum discussion that I need to
<eCSNL> wait to put to vote until
<eCSNL> Walter was here.
<eCSNL> The motion was.
<eCSNL> MOTION: That on-going communications with members be maintained using a moderated forum, with read available to all and posting available to members only.
<eCSNL> The forum it to speed up daily discussion.
<WalterOS2> I'm willing to do whatever is necessary to support that with Ceilidh.
<eCSNL> The monthly IRC meeting will still be there for people who want to say something.
<Gord> Question: Will members be notified of additions to the discussion? If so, how?
<eCSNL> That means people who can't post on the forums.
* eCSNL unplugs his microphone and hands it walteros2 so he can answer questions on the forum software
<WalterOS2> A feature of Ceilidh is to notify people of changes to a particular thread/topic.
<Hawklord Where is info about Ceilidh?
<WalterOS2> Ken helped implement that feature for the C++ forum, so we know it works.
<WalterOS2> Hold on...
<Gord> How are they notified?
<KenKrchnr Via email
<WalterOS2> Go to http://www.lilikoi.com/features.html for information about the product.
<WalterOS2> It's fairly intuitive to use. Just use it a few times, and you should get the hang of it.
<WalterOS2> The manual is really for installing, so it is very technical. Don't let it scare you. :-)
<WalterOS2> I recommend surfing around the www.lilikoi.com site for info on how to use it.
<WalterOS2> That's all I really have. Are there any questions?
<Gord> What is the first discussion to be done there?
<eCSNL> The idea of this forum
<eCSNL> is that we can have discussions when it suits are needs
<eCSNL> are=our
<eCSNL> And one monthly IRC meeting.
<KenKrchnr Topic: Should we continue to use these forums ;-)
15:42:12
<WalterOS2> What's on your mind, Ken?
<KenKrchnr Just answering Gord's question about the first discussion. :-)
<Gord> Thank you.
<Gord> Do we have the professional version?
<KenKrchnr Yes
<WalterOS2> If someone provides me with a complete list of members, then I can register them all in one shot, so they don't have to.
<Gord> I can do that.
<Gord> What info do you need for each member?
<WalterOS2> Name and email address, I believe. Let me check.
<Gord> Does that mean I have to notify you, Walter, every time a member leaves or joins?
<WalterOS2> Password, full name, and email address.
<Gord> Password???
<eCSNL> Well silly question.
<WalterOS2> Roderick?
<eCSNL> Ken don't all members already have an account on os2voice.org ?
<eCSNL> Let people use that account?
<WalterOS2> No.
<eCSNL> Why not ?
<eCSNL> One website and two userid and passwords for one website ?
<KenKrchnr There are no areas yet that would have required an account.
<WalterOS2> We can either ask people to give us a password when they join, or, better, give each person a generic password when we register them, and tell them to change ASAP.
<KenKrchnr Gord is currently working on populating the user database. Then we'll be able to validate users for given areas of the site.
<eCSNL> Since we are planning on distributing the OS2VOICE newsletter in PDF to members only.
<eCSNL> That would require a password and userid.
<Gord> Ken, that is on hold. I found it was just too slow over dialup.
<WalterOS2> Gord: As to your first question, it isn't a big deal for me to create a new registration or delete one every once in awhile.
<eCSNL> So why not implent that if that if futher down the line.
<Gord> Because it isn't very far down the line.
<eCSNL> Oke great then we need to use that database for access.
<eCSNL> Otherwhise people will get confused enough.
<Gord> Walter: I understand. But now I have an extra action to perform for each new member.
<Gord> I must write it into the Treasurer's notes.
<WalterOS2> Well, we could do a batch registration for every one at the beginning just to get going, and then let everyone who joins after that register themselves.
<WalterOS2> Ceilidh is quite flexible. :-)
<Gord> Could I do it from here?
<WalterOS2> Not unless I give you administrator access. :-)
<Gord> I could include their instructions as part of my 'Welcome' note.
<WalterOS2> Sounds good.
<Gord> OK, send me a copy of the instructions, please.
<eCSNL> I don't understand this. Will users for the forum have seperated passwords that don't work on the rest of the website (for example the VOICE news letter PDF download ?)
<WalterOS2> Instructions for what?
<Gord> About the presence and use of Ceilidh.
<Gord> For each new member.
<WalterOS2> OK
<WalterOS2> Roderick: Members will choose their own passwords for the forum. It should also be up to them whether they want to use the same password for the Newsletter. :-)
<eCSNL> Oke can this forum be active on os2voice.org
<eCSNL> before the end of may?
<WalterOS2> Hi Bren
<WalterOS2> As far as I am concerned, certainly.
<WalterOS2> Gord, if you're pushed for time, just send me a copy of the database, and I'll do the bulk registration myself.
<eCSNL> OK that wraps up this agenda point.
<WalterOS2> IWB isn't open source. AFAIK only IBM could do that.
<eCSNL> Next point is the sponsor ship of a Netlabs project.
<JWE> We still need to vote on the motion.
<eCSNL> Well Adriaan Geschwend remains snowed in.
<eCSNL> We will do that at the end of the meeting.
<WalterOS2> in or under? :-)
<WalterOS2> I would really like to see support for PMMail; however that is in the SourceForge group.
<WalterOS2> support s/b sponsor
<eCSNL> s/b ?
<eCSNL> Anyway that point will have to wait.
<KenKrchnr<> Should Be
<eCSNL> I will try and get it squared away for the next meeting.
<eCSNL> Last topic is.
<eCSNL> For how much do we want to sponsor Warpstock US this year ?
<Zoltan> Enough to make it happen?
<Gord> Has it been announced yet?
<Zoltan> No
<Gord> We don't have enough money to make it happen on our own.
<WalterOS2> If I may play Devil's advocate for a minute. Donating $500 (or whatever) to Warpstock could be viewed as going just to the 40 or so people who actually go to Warpstock.
<Gord> Well just ask them how they would feel if Warpstock doesn't happen at all.
<WalterOS2> Them?
<Gord> ...whether they go or not.
<Gord> Those who say that.
<WalterOS2> End of Devil's advotate. :-)
<KenKrchnr I'll play the Angels Advocate :-)
<KenKrchnr Warpstock also posts all the sessions and many pics and videos.
<KenKrchnr Those are available to everyone, whether or not they've attended or supported.
16:17:52
<Zoltan> Well, at a Warpstock we proove that we really exist...
* eCSNL is away for 5 minutes
<Warp5> sorry, have to go, bye
<WalterOS2>
<Gord> Walter, Ceilidh names are on their way to you in an email.
<WalterOS2> Thanks, Gord.
<WalterOS2> I wonder when Roderick is coming back.
<Gord> 3 minutes
<Gord> Hawklord, we are waiting for Roderick to return.
<eCSNL> I'm baack!
<eCSNL> :-)
<WalterOS2> Yea!!
<WalterOS2> :-)
<Gord> What's the next item on the agenda?
<Gord> I move we adjourn since we seem to have covered everything on the agenda.
<eCSNL> Oke that is possible.
<eCSNL> There was a reason for me to interrupt this meeting.
<Gord> What was the reason?
<eCSNL> Can't get into detail right now...
<Gord> OK
<Gord> Can we vote on my motion, then?
<eCSNL> Ahaa yes the motion.
* eCSNL has a spinning head...
<eCSNL> MOTION: That on-going communications with members be maintained using a moderated forum, with read available to all and posting available to members only. The monthly IRC meeting will remain.
<eCSNL> Who is in favour of putting this motion to a vote ?
<Gord> Aye.
* eCSNL is still not used to this procedure
<WalterOS2> Aye
<JWE> Aye
<eCSNL> Great I need one vote.
<eCSNL> Who is favour of this motion, say aye
<Zoltan> *WaterOS2* O.T. If I recall it correctly, your and my wife had a good time at the Warpstock in Philadelphia going siteseeing of historical material, and sure missed her in Toronto and thereafter.
<Zoltan> Aye
<WalterOS2> Aye
<eCSNL> Aye
<Gord> Everyone else has fallen asleep, I think.
<eCSNL> Well anybody against this motion, if you think its evil, will be end of times ? :-)
<eCSNL> Please say nay
<eCSNL> Great.
<eCSNL> Motion is accepted.
* Hawklord abstains
<Gord> Now, how about my motion to adjourn?
<eCSNL> Announcement
<Gord> Oh.
* eCSNL sticks to agenda somehow
<eCSNL> Next meeting will be 28th May 2005
<eCSNL> Who wants to close this meeting?
<Gord> Aye.
<JWE> Aye
<WalterOS2> Aye
<Zoltan> Aye
* eCSNL cuts red tape
<eCSNL> Nobody is ever against closing a meeting. So I declare this meeting closed :-)
<eCSNL> Thank you for your time and see you next month
Meeting adjourned 30 April 2005 at 16:53:01 EDT