OpenStackUserGroups/HowTo

The OpenStack User Group HOWTO

1. Purpose

The OpenStack User Group HOWTO is intended to serve as a guide to founding, maintaining, and growing a GNU/Linux user group. OpenStack is Open source software for building private and public clouds. If you want to know more about OpenStack go to http://openstack.org

2. What is an OpenStack User Group

An OpenStack User Group (OSUG) is made of people sharing interests operating and developing OpenStack. Usually the reason to form an OSUG is to provide a space for face to face meetings and/or to share knowledge between users in languages other than English.

3. What OSUG exist?

The full list of OpenStack User Groups is maintained on OpenStackUserGroups. Before starting a new OSUG consult that list and find one in your area. The point is that starting a user group is a significant undertaking, which should be commenced with all relevant facts and some appreciation of the effect on other groups. If you don't find one on the list, ask on the mailing list community@lists.openstack.org of the User Group team.

4. Activities

TODO

5. Suggestions

How to attract folks to your group:

1. Get vendors along. Go through the list at http://openstack.org/community/companies/ and contact who you can in your area. If the company is serious about being involved they will help you out! Ask them if they can do a short talk on their company involvement with OpenStack.
2. Write to the Heads of Schools of the University IT faculties in the area and invite them and their school along.
3. A bar tab. If you can stretch for it, good, if not, this is where your vendors may be able to help. Free beer is always attractive. :-)
4. Look for local sysops/sysadmin/network ops email lists or online forums and promote your events there to get folks along.

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