[SGVLUG] New Linux Lug

[David Lawyer]

On Thu, Feb 16, 2006 at 02:31:16PM -0800, Dustin Laurence wrote:
> Why do we claim a membership area at all, anyway?

We don't by perhaps we should :-).  One reason being energy
conservation.  Someone could use a shortest path algorithm :-) to find
points that are equidistant from LUG meeting locations and then draw
the equidistant boundaries on a map.  "Distance" on a transportation
network link would be a linear combination of the typical time and
energy to traverse that link.  Distance = a*time + b*energy .  a,b are
prices.  I consider this when I travel and don't always take the
fastest route if a slower one can save energy.  So to encourage energy
conservation double the price b and the LUG membership regions will
change. 

This is OT but the energy consumption depends on ones driving policy.
For example, selecting the most efficient operating point in terms of
torque and rpm.  The policy is quite simple: always drive with either
near maximum torque or coast (preferable with the engine off).  Doing
this will likely get better miles/gallon than a hybrid.  To see what
I mean, look at engine performance curves.  Such charts are had to find
since auto manufacturers keep them secret.  I sometimes ride a bicycle
to meetings (if I go at all) and am thus using more energy than
driving since it's claimed that it takes about 10 cal of fossil fuel
to grow, harvest, package, and distribute 1 cal of food.  cal is a
food calorie = a kcal in chemistry.

> Surely no one pays any attention to such things when deciding where
> to go, I know I certainly don't and never will.  You decide based on
> your own willingness to drive and your motivation to go.

And on the social cost of your drive, including non-renewable resources
depletion and global warming.

> The only use for a geographical location in the name is to make it
> easier for people to know if you're close enough to meet their needs
> and provide a warm fuzzy inclusive feeling.  If there were a name
> that meant "the western end of the San Gabriel valley, Pasadena, and
> Glendale, they might have chosen that way back when. :-)

No, because at that time there weren't any other LUGs in the SGV.

> But as it is, I don't know of a name "centered" on Pasadena.

Just "Pasadena".  For example, the Pasadena chapter of the Sierra club
draws people from adjacent cities.  At one time it temporarily met in
Arcadia but still with the name "Pasadena".  I'll bet there are a
number of other organizations in a similar situation.  Well, I belonged
to one: the Pasadena Chapter of the World Federalist Association.

			David Lawyer