[Baypiggies] My $3.19 . . .

[Paul McGavin]

Hello, all.

After digesting a few months of the recents posts, I am contributing my 
my $3.19 cents re: new web site, locations, food and name change. 
Please, all who have not yet completed the surveys please do so. We 
need to hear from you. Change is coming. Let it reflect your interests.

The survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?A=123951467E24825

The results will be presented at the next meeting.

The vote is on whether or not you think we should change our name:

http://jacq.istos.com.au/python


Organization/New Web Site
----------------------------
I think the recent discussions on the list are correct: the 
organization is run a bit too much by its seat-of-the-pants (and/or 
skirts). A web site makeover in Plone with multiple contributing 
editors would centralize communication and spread the load, while still 
keeping some work flow controls - so people could 'count on' the info 
that is posted on the web site in a timely manner.

We should accept Donna's offer to transfer all content to Zope/Plone as 
soon as possible. I could help her with this task. Once the site is set 
up, we can authorize" multiple managing editors, contributing editors 
and writers. Everyone else could join the site as a member or remain 
anonymous. Plone is built for this kind of work.

Location, Location, Location
-------------------------------
To be realistic, San Francisco (instead of IronPort) is probably a 
better second location for all of us North Bay and East Bay pyCitizens. 
If Google can sustain 10-12 meetings a year, I say do it, as long as 
the meetings are videotaped and posted in an easy-to-find location 
(linked from the BayPiggies site). Sounds like Google could provide 
this service for us

We could use SF for SIG meetings or other topics that cannot make the 
Google schedule. There is nothing wrong with 10-12 meetings per year at 
Google on the second Thu. of the month and 6-8 meetings per year in SF 
on the fourth Thu. of the month. Perhaps Adobe's new SF location 
(Macromedia's HQ on 600 Townsend St.) could work for us.

Food for Thought
-----------------
I would prefer food/drinks at the meeting. There is nothing wrong with 
asking for $5.00 donations at the door *whether or not you partake of 
the food*. People understand that it takes some money to make the 
meetings run smoothly. For people driving long distances, pizza and 
inexpensive bottled water is sufficient and much appreciated.

What's Your Name?
------------------
Sounds like this has been tabled at this time, but on 4/13, I offered 
this alternative to those that seemed interested in a change:

On Apr 13, 2006, at 5:01 PM, Paul McGavin wrote:

I won't be able to make the meeting tonight, but powered through the 
last two months of list traffic to digest the name change and future 
direction issues. I will respond to the surveys, but wanted to have you 
get reaction from the group to a name that is available as a .com. .net 
or .org.

pybay

It worked for ebay, why not for us? I think people realize that ebay 
was started in the SF Bay area, so we can leverage their million-dollar 
branding. I know people who live as far away as Gilroy,  Tracy, and 
Santa Rosa that consider themselves in the 'Bay Area' so pybay says it 
all:

Python for those who live in the (greater SF) Bay Area.

If people like it, I would be happy to buy the name for the group and 
host the site on my server in Santa Rosa; I run a Linux/Zope Server 
that hosts several sites already.


Regards,


Paul H. McGavin
President, InterSight
Interactive Insight Network
1001 Bridgeway, Suite 150
Sausalito, CA 94952

Tel 415-382-4040
Fax 415-382-6510
paul.mcgavin at intersight.com
www.intersight.com