about.html

---
layout: default
title: About UALUG
named: About
---

<header>
  <h1><a href="/about.html">Who is UALUG?</a></h1>
</header>

<p><strong>UALUG</strong> (The University of Auckland Linux Users Group) adovocates for the awareness, use and development of free and open source software, including Linux, on campus in the University of Auckland. We aim to foster a culture of freedom, especially in software development. 
We have a small and active community, and its makeup ranges from a bus sign operator, a high school wordpress plugin writer,  to plain old university students. We've argued for freedom to use free and open source software in courses, assignments and university in general. Linux installfests, university server room visits and social meets are held, and much fun was had. The community has produced a <a href="/projects.html">lot of open source projects</a>, and helped each other with problems.</p>
<p>Here is where you can find help, a common voice, and a community.</p>
<p>If you love free and open source software, join us! We'd love to have you in the chatroom and at our events.</p>

<h2>History of UALUG</h2>
<p><em>as written by <a href="https://github.com/passcod">Félix</a></em></p>
<p>Hello, I'm <abbr title="a.k.a. “passcod”">Félix</a>. I <del>am</del> was a CompSci student or something like that, and I coded the present iteration of this website. Doing so, I also trudged through the archives and archives of archives of what came before my time. I arrived in Auckland in 2011, and, yeah, that's about it. I'll  just walk you through what I found from my scuffling around.</p>
<p>To quote from the <a href="/old-website/" title="Mirror of the original site">original UALUG website</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>
UALUG was founded on January 2007. Our mission is "to provide Linux  tutorials, installfests, and support at the University of Auckland". Activities focus on introducing students to Linux and will parallel  skills needed in University courses.
</p></blockquote>

<p>In late June 2008, Sigrid Roehling, the original founder, stepped back as UALUG Coordinator after 18 months apparently (I wasn't there) filled with fun and awesomeness. Even though I wasn't present at the time, and probably didn't think I'd ever be writing this, I feel moved and enthused by the words in <a href="/old-website/sigridback.htm">that final, farewell note</a>.</p>

<p>Tony took over, or something like that. If I read the little information available, the core UALUG group in 2008 was comprised of Sigrid, Toby, Emlyn, Simon, and Barry. In <a href="/2009/09/02/new-site.html">September 2009</a>, Kennedy installed a new website and there seems to have been increased activity from then on.</p>

<p>From the <a href="/2010/05/24/meeting-minutes.html">minutes of a 2010 meeting</a> I can deduce a few of the members: Nevyn, Rob Connoly, Noel Zeng, Tony, Kennedy, Louis, Jan, Jamie. In 2011, Noel Zeng took over as Coordinator, and will be stepping back at the end of his studies this year (2013).</p>

<p>I have no idea who were most of these people above, but I'd like to  thank them for creating and maintaining UALUG in the years before. Our community might be small (less than 20 regular members on good days), it  might be strange unique in its make up (containing an AUT student, a high-schooler, a guy in his... later years), it might talk most on IRC and not much in  meat-space, it might be divided in ideas and in philosophies. But it is us. It's a community to belong to, to engage with, to feel at home in a place that might not have been ours to begin with.</p>

<!-- Also, if you're reading this, come by some time, I'll get you a drink. -->

<p>We are UALUG, and we welcome you.</p>