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--- wplug:about:about_wplug [2026/04/08 19:25] – created generaliroh
+++ wplug:about:about_wplug [2026/04/14 03:38] (current) – [Help Sites] generaliroh
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 ====== About WPLUG ======
-WPLUG is the Western Pennsylvania Linux Users Group, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. The official founding of the group is dated to September 26, 1997 at 11:37:08 EDT.
+**WPLUG is the Western Pennsylvania Linux Users Group**, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
-We are a not-for-profit organization that provides collaboration resources (including [[MailingLists|mailing lists]] and this very wiki), presentations, and [[InstallFest|installfests]], for Linux users of all backgrounds.
+Our story began on September 26, 1997. For nearly three decades, we have served as a hub for enthusiasts of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). Today, we are entering a new era: a revival focused on **Digital Sovereignty**.
-Experienced Linux users are welcome; curious persons wanting to see what Linux is all about are welcome -- There are no requirements to join our lists. However, the discussions will be oriented to Linux and other Free and Open Source Software.
+We are a collective dedicated to the belief that in an age of corporate data silos, the ability to host your own services and control your own hardware is not just a hobby—it is a necessity.
-Most of our members are from the local area, but we do have list participants from far-flung locations.
+WPLUG provides a community for Linux users of all backgrounds. Whether you are a seasoned sysadmin or someone who has never seen a terminal, you are welcome here. We believe in mutual aid, shared knowledge, and the enduring "coolness" of Linux.
-WPLUG is ultimately governed by its membership, but the [[WPLUGBoard|Board of Directors]] handles most day-to-day activities, with help from various [[Committees|committees]].
+You can contact us by e-mailing [[mailto:[email protected]|[email protected]]].
-You can contact us by e-mailing [[mailto:[email protected]|[email protected]]].
+"Western Pennsylvania Linux Users Group" and "WPLUG" are service marks of the Western Pennsylvania Linux Users Group.
-"Western Pennsylvania Linux Users Group" and "WPLUG" are service marks of the Western Pennyslvania Linux Users Group, an unincorporated association.
 ====== What is Linux? ======
-Linux is a //kernel//, the core of a computer operating system, created by [[wp>Linus Torvalds|Linus Torvalds]]. It is typically packaged as a //[[wp>Linux distribution|distribution]]//, which includes the extra programs necessary to make a computer functional and useful. Since 1991, it has grown from a one-man project which ran on one computer to one with thousands of contributors running on everything from cell phones to million-dollar supercomputers.
+Linux is a //kernel//, the core of a computer operating system, created by [[wp>Linus Torvalds|Linus Torvalds]]. It is typically packaged as a //[[wp>Linux distribution|distribution]]//, which includes the extra programs necessary to make a computer functional and useful.
+In the context of the New WPLUG, Linux is the foundation of **Digital Sovereignty**. By using Linux and FOSS, you remove the middleman between you and your data.
 ====== What are Open Source and Free Software? ======
-Open Source and Free Software provide you, the user, with the opportunity to see the source code of the programs you use. You are free to use it, share it with others, and even make changes to it if you wish. While the [[http://www.gnu.org/|Free Software]] and [[http://www.opensource.org/|Open Source]] communities differ in their philosophical approach, in practical terms they share nearly identical goals.
+Open Source and Free Software provide you, the user, with the opportunity to see the source code of the programs you use. You are free to use it, share it with others, and even make changes to it if you wish.
+This transparency is what makes self-hosting possible; you don't have to trust a corporate promise when you can audit the code yourself.
 ====== Resources ======
-These links are to external sites with useful information about Free and Open Source Software. Please feel free to add more by editing this page.
+These links are to external sites with useful information about Free and Open Source Software.
 ===== Desktop Distributions =====
-The following are the "big three" distributions that seem to be most widely used in the US for the desktop.
+The following are some of the most widely used distributions for getting started:
-  * [[http://www.ubuntu.com/|Ubuntu]] (and its [[http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisubuntu/derivatives|variants]])
+  * [[http://www.ubuntu.com/|Ubuntu]] - User-friendly and widely supported.
-  * [[http://www.fedoraproject.org/|Fedora]]
+  * [[http://www.fedora project.org/|Fedora]] - Cutting edge and community-driven.
-  * [[http://www.opensuse.org/|openSUSE]]
+  * [[http://www.opensuse.org/|openSUSE]] - Powerful and stable.
+  * **Pro Tip:** If you're looking to dive into self-hosting, look into [[https://www.debian.org/|Debian]], the "universal operating system" that powers much of the web.
-===== News =====
+===== News & Community =====
-  * [[http://www.linuxjournal.com/|Linux Journal]] - monthly e-magazine plus web articles
+  * [[http://lwn.net/|LWN.net]] - High-quality technical news.
-  * [[http://www.linuxtoday.com/|Linux Today]] - a high-volume newswire site
+  * [[http://distrowatch.com/|DistroWatch]] - Keep track of different distributions.
-  * [[http://ostatic.com/|OStatic]] - original commentary and reviews
-  * [[http://lxer.com/|LXer]] - a community-driven news aggregator with some original content and forums
-  * [[http://distrowatch.com/|Distrowatch]] - focuses on distribution releases; their [[http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=current|weekly roundup]] often has nice feature articles
-  * [[http://lwn.net/|Linux Weekly News]] - more technically-focused, but also has event news
 ===== Help Sites =====
-  * Probably the best place to start is the discussion forum or mailing lists for your distribution of choice
+  * The best place to start is the official documentation and community forums for your chosen distribution.
-  * [[http://www.linuxquestions.org/|LinuxQuestions.org]] covers all distributions and is a major hub for users helping users
+  * You can also jump straight into our [[wplug:get_involved:irc:|IRC Channel]] to ask questions in real-time.
-  * You can also try the WPLUG [[MailingLists|mailing lists]]
 ====== Other Groups/Events ======
-These are not necessarily Linux, but are groups or events that WPLUGers may also be interested in. Please feel free to add more by editing this page.
+We encourage our members to engage with the broader Pittsburgh tech scene.
-===== Groups =====
+===== Local Groups =====
-  * [[Commission to Reform WPLUG|Commission to Reform WPLUG]] - An informal group created to draft proposals that fix long-standing problems in WPLUG.
+  * [[http://pghrb.org/|Pittsburgh Ruby Brigade]]
-  * [[http://pghrb.org/|Pittsburgh Ruby Brigade]] - focusing on the increasingly popular Ruby programming language, meets first Thursday of the month
-  * [[http://cpusergroup.apcug.org/|CPUser Group]] - general computer user group, meets second Tuesday of the month
-  * [[http://pacc.apcug.org/|Pittsburgh Area Computer Club]] - one of the oldest computer user groups in existence, meets third Sunday of each month. Mostly Windows-oriented, but not exclusively.
-  * [[http://www.hackpittsburgh.org/|Hack Pittsburgh]] - a community workshop with a strong focus on hardware/mechanical stuff
-  * [[http://groups.drupal.org/pittsburgh-and-southwestern-pa/|Pittsburgh and Southwestern PA Drupal User Group]] - for fans of the popular open-source web content management system
-  * [[http://snapgh.com/|SNAPGH | System & Network Administrators of Pittsburgh]] - A local LOPSA chapter
-  * a [[http://www.pghtech.org/networks/user-groups.aspx|list of many local user groups]] maintained by the Pittsburgh Technology Council
-===== Events =====
+===== Regional Events =====
-  * [[http://www.pghgeeks.org/|Pittsburgh Geek Night]] - bimonthly gathering for beer and conversation - Church Brew Works, Lawrenceville
+  * [[http://www.ohiolinux.org/|Ohio LinuxFest]] - An annual major Linux conference in Columbus, Ohio.
-  * [[http://www.ohiolinux.org/|Ohio LinuxFest]] - annual major Linux conference - Columbus, Ohio
-  * [[http://pghpw.org/|Pittsburgh Perl Workshop]] - annual Perl conference - Carnegie Mellon University, Oakland