[H-GEN] Big ticket spending [was: The lca movie.]

[matheist76 at westnet.com.au]

Okay here is the deal. There has been talk about getting a video camera. Please see the minutes of the last exec meeting. http://www.humbug.org.au/ExecMinutes As a result Mark and I went looking for video cameras. We saw a nice JVC video camera can't recall exact details but it had iee1394 (ilink) output. Took stills as well and looks to be a really good camera both from the usability point and the functions that it had. Cost $299. 

Now the agenda for the next exec meeting is to see whether or not to complete the purchase. I invite anyone to have your say here. The next Exec meeting will be on the 27/6/09 at the same room as HUMBUG but just before at 2pm. It does conflict with the LCA meeting so we were planning on only a very short meeting as there are members of the Exec who are also on the LCA team.   

The reasons I have put to the other members of the Exec are so that we can tape talks and learn howto edit and create videos using opensource software (of course). These would all be done only for HUMBUG's sake and not LCA. The hope is also to get Linux Australia to host the videos so that we can link them from the HUMBUG site. 

As far as LCA goes the real benefit of the camera would come from the knowledge that we would acquire from it. If we did win the bid then this would be a definite bonus however I feel that just the hands on experience that we would get from using the camera and posting videos to the web would be great benefit. We could also post the whole learning experience on the HUMBUG website no problems. That's just my opinion through.

I'll discuss in another email about LCA AV stuff. Also I'll post the minutes of the LCA meeting that happened on the 13th.

Matthew Franklin (Librarian)   

  
----- Original Message -----
From: "Greg Black" <gjb at yaxom.com>
To: general at lists.humbug.org.au
Sent: Monday, 22 June, 2009 10:17:07 AM GMT +10:00 Brisbane
Subject: [H-GEN] Big ticket spending [was: The lca movie.]

[ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and     ]
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On 2009-06-19, matheist76 at westnet.com.au wrote:
> Although I didn't see it this year there is some talk that the winning
> bid team creates a movie which they then present at the end of
> lca. I've come up with a rough concept which I think would not only
> work for the presentation but could also be used in a series of
> adverts on youtube for lca.

I have seen various discussions recently which seem to suggest that
there is a plan, or maybe a possible plan, to purchase a video camera
(and possibly other supporting equipment) by Humbug and this message
reminded me of that.

Given that Humbug is a non-profit organisation with a very limited
budget (based most years on membership fees of only $20/year), it seems
to me that any proposal to even consider a big dollar purchase of this
type should have wide discussion and should not be considered unless
there is widespread support amongst the membership.  To date, I have
seen no attempt to gauge support or to include the membership in the
process of deliberation.

While it is true that people can have fun with video cameras, it is not
at all clear to me that any of the goals of Humbug would be advanced by
such a purchase.  I feel that this project should be stopped in its
tracks until the reasons and benefits and costs have been presented to
the whole club for discussion and endorsement (or not).

As far as I can see, the only way in which such a purchase could be
contemplated would be if it was sponsored by some commercial body who
saw some benefit in doing that.

Anyway, I would really like to see some discussion by club members
before this horse gets out of the barn.

Cheers,

Greg
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