WiredSoc events for the new year

[teamonkey]

Michael, our events co-ordinator, has not been reading his committee e-mails recently. Tut tut. If anyone knows how to contact him can they poke him with a stick until he responds? Thank you.

You see, we need to organise some events for next year, so we have loads of them for people to come to early on in the new year. We have a few ideas, but we'd really like people to tell us what they'd like us to do. After all, we'll be taking your money off you at the Freshers Fayre -- it's only sensible that we spend it how you want...

[TheGamesMaster]

I have informed Michael about the emails and he should have put putty on his computer by now. If he still hasn't checked them in a few days tell me and I'll get him shouted at.

[LeopardSkinQueen]

Some talks from representatives from big software companies could be good- some Microsoft spokesman to talk to/ritualistically humiliate, anyone?

[teamonkey]

Yeah, we didn't do our regular MS talk last year, and we should have because they could have talked to us about the XBox.

We'll try and get them in. Any ideas on what you want them to talk about? Topics beginning with "In Windows, why..." will be discarded.

[TheGamesMaster]

What about one of the linux companies (Yes I know you have thought about this before but I am just reminding you again)?

[teamonkey]

We've got the name of a guy at SuSE Linux, who sounded interested but a little busy. I'm sure we could get someone from DeadRat to come along, since that's what runs on the honours CompSci cluster. We'll not get anyone from Debian, because we'd have to pay them expenses, but a talk from Lycoris might be very interesting indeed...

[TheGamesMaster]

Yea, just now need to shout at Michael to actually get him to do something!!!

Lycoris (http://www.lycoris.com/) does looks nice. What about trying the Lindows people or maybe get a web related company like google to give a talk?

[LeopardSkinQueen]

How about some Apple reps? We could ask them about the shiny new OS X, what gains it has given them in the market, and why it is necessary to sell vital organs to own a dual gig G4.

[teamonkey]

Well I'd certainly donate a kidney.

[TheGamesMaster]

Really teamonkey? Never knew you liked macs that much. Anyway what about a Paintball event as something that is fun and not related to computers so more members might got for it. Go-karting would be good aswell.

[LeopardSkinQueen]

Some sort of gaming event maybe- Q3 being the obvious choice

Difficult to organize though. But then, that's Mike's problem. Pity he doesn't seem to be paying the board any attention to read the suggestions...

[teamonkey]

MacOS9 was a bit crap. The interface was easy, but had no power underneath, and multi-tasking was appalling. But MacOS X is effectively Unix running a very heavily modified version of the NeXT Step desktop. Yum.

Paintball and karting, yes. Sounds good.

[Gothmog]

From what I heard, Michael went insane and only recently escaped from a secret bunker built specially for his "treatment". He asked me to request any previous details accumulated by the previous events coordinator and to ask committee members to read the email sent by him a couple of days ago....

[Anonymous]

Since this Michael is insane and (according to this board) hasn't actually done anything towards co-ordinatoring events, perhaps you should sack him (drop him in the sea?) and get someone better to do the job?

[teamonkey]

No.

[Anonymous]

Mike, who have you contacted about events/talks over the summer? I think most people would like to know who looks likely to do something.

Don't really want to pay up in September for no reason, do we? After all, it is the events connected with it which makes a society.

[teamonkey]

A few games companies expressed an interest in coming to talk to us last year. Climax said they might, but only after they finished their latest project (Moto GP I believe), which is now released.

Still on the subject of gaming talks, I'm sure Jeff Minter might like to come and have a chat, so long as we pay expenses/beer. There's a couple of other people who could be interested in doing a weekend crash course - how to write a game in a weekend. Bullfrog used to do this in the early/mid 90's I believe. This would be very cool indeed, but involves a hell of a lot of organisation.


There are also some very interesting people working on very interesting areas of computer science very close to home. There is a reason why the University employs its lecturers, you know. I'm sure Al Dearle won't mind giving a talk on cryptography or robotics. Perhaps Norman can talk to us about genetic programming? Likewise with the Abertay and Dundee Universities.

[LeopardSkinQueen]

How about an AI talk? It could be done as a departmental crossover thing- both the computing and philosophy departments have teaching on it. It would be different and pull in a lot of people who wouldn't normally be interested in Wiredsoc stuff. Maybe it could be organized in conjunction wiht the philosophy club?

[TheGamesMaster]

I think Mike might melt if he did all the events on this board!

[James Baster]

Melting Mike(R): The New Toy From Haribo!

Kids: Disgust And Revolt Your Parents Today!

(no offence micheal)