Compsoc Exec Minnits

11 March 2002

Present

• Dave de la Motte
• Henry Southgate
• Tom Cropper
• Chris Fanning (belatedly)
• Jake Staines
• Tom Ward
• Richard Colfer
• A Lexus Burke Hill (or something amusing and original)
• Chris Smith
• James Ross
• Adam Bowen
• Phil Stoneman

ITS

After Saturday’s incident with the wiener..er..whiner…, we decided that although it wasn’t likely to happen again we should get the sign on the door updated to reflect the fact that we have Saturday gaming sessions too.
* Dave de la Motte to send a very polite e-mail to Rachel Parkins about this.

LANS

The list of games played at LANs has been compiled (thanks Adam Bowen), complete with version listings. Adam to put links in to enable people to patch their games to the appropriate version, and James Ross to put it on the website.

S7

Signups are to go live at the start of week 20, with Dave de la Motte to write a newsletter then notifying the membership.

BFL

We have now had e-mail confirmation of this so we should have something booked, with a bit of luck it will even be the right stuff for the right time (optimism reigns). The signups for this also to go live at the start of week 20. The question of whether we had sufficient numbers of hubs/switches for this, and it was decided that the society needs to buy another switch but that if necessary we could get by for this LAN by using those possessed by various members of the exec. There was also some discussion as to whether we should make this a joint event with the Warwick Videogaming Society, but it was concluded that this would probably be detrimental to the event. The possibility of inviting the Oxford Brookes Computer Gaming Society was also raised. There followed a long discussion on charging entry for the BFL, which concluded with the following:
* £2.50 to be charged to members
* £5.00 to be charged to non-members (such as Oxford Brookes)
This to be non-refundable (unless the BFL were cancelled), applicable to all attendees (including exec members), with the monies to be given to Henry Southgate or Adam Bowen. A vote was taken and it was decided that monies were to be paid by 2 weeks before the event (Tom Cropper: “Bunch of fuckers”), but that guest monies were to be paid at the door. Furthermore, guest accounts (which can ordinarily drop off the bottom of the sign-up list if more members sign up) were to be fixed in their current positions 2 weeks before the LAN.

Oxford Brookes and Edinburgh Computer Gaming societies

Edinburgh have made a request that we form an amalgamated Counterstrike clan. Dave de la Motte to put this in the newsletter. We have also bee invited to the LAN that the Oxford Brookes society is holding. James Ross to put this in the news on the website, and put up an interest signup too. Dave de la Motte to put it in the newsletter.

Warwick Gamesoc

They have invited us to play them at our choice of console games in a friendly. Suggested games were:
* Quake III Arena
* Unreal Tournament
* Streetfighter series
* Tekken series
No definite plans made but generally a positive response to doing something.

I10

James Ross also to put an item on this on the news on the website, with a related interest signup for those that might attend. Similarly, Dave de la Motte to put it in the newsletter.

At this point in the meeting, bloodletting of Henry was discussed in some detail, with respect to new coours for the Compsoc website, culminating in Chris Fanning’s comment: “Send it to Dulux, they can match Henry’s blood”

Website

New photos have been added to the website, cheers James Ross. The “new funky” signups are almost ready. James Ross to mail randomly generated passwords for these to all who need them.

Molotov

An unusually short discussion of this topic this week, let’s hope that it sets a precedent.

Security

“It was really sucky. It is now slightly less sucky” – Phil Stoneman. Telnet is still enabled but we are looking to disable it as and when it is practical. Phil Stoneman to put PUTTY on to the anonymous FTP, also write a guide to PUTTY. Phil Stoneman also to speak to Matt Bergin and ask him to stop “investigation of new technology” and the associated use of Molotov.

Passwords

All except the suahu password to be changed, with root access restricted to Henry Southgate and Phil Stoneman. These passwords to be e-mailed out in secure format once changed.

Budget

The appropriate forms were (we presume) ably filled out, and handed in by Alexis Birkhill and Chris Fanning, requesting a total of £455.

Exec handover

Finance cards need to be handed over to the Nuexec, and the transfer of power (MWUAhahahahaha…) to be completed

As before, if I’ve missed anything out or you diagree with what I’ve recorded as being said, let me know.
better if one of my predecessors held this record, so here they are…

Thought for the day

Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes

Compsoc Exec Minnits

4 March 2002

Present

• Dave de la Motte
• Henry Southgate
• Tom Cropper
• Chris Fanning
• Jake Staines
• Tom Ward
• Richard Colfer
• Alexis Birkill
• Chris Smith
• James Ross
• Adam Bowen

Budget

Not exactly important so we didn’t discuss it much. Alexis Birkhill to meet Chris Fanning on Wednesday to fill out the forms. Alexis Birkhill to bring the list of items which are being (rather optimistically)claimed for.

Gamesoc

A few friendlies were played on Friday night against Edinburgh Gamesoc. They seemed willing to play Half-life, especially Counterstrike, and in future Starcraft, for which we should not require keys to play over the internet. Chris Smith to speak to them about playing some more games and perhaps trying to organise that more than three of them join in.

S7/BFL

Tom Cropper booked S7 for the appropriate dates in LIB2 and has received comfirmation of the booking.(I could look back through the Pad of Doom to seee exactly when this is, but I’m scared that something will jump out and eat my face, so I’ll assume you know when the dates were.)

BFL

As yet no confirmation of this booking, so Tom Cropper to chase up room bookings to get this. There was a suggestion that Gamesoc might be asked to attend if there was the space, and more generally that people’s friends could be invited along if signups were not full. This is a possibiliyty which will likely be discussed more fully closer to the event.

• There should also be a specific list of the main games being played at future LANs, along with the version of the game to be played. This to be done by Adam Bowen, as it was his idea (That’ll teach him). This information could also be put on the website at an appropriate time.

Gaming H: Drive

We are running out of space on this drive. This is not a huge issue at the moment, but will become so if/when we want to add stuff to the drive. The point was raised that the single player elements of the various games on the drive could be deleted. Other options considered to free up a little space were that Quake and Doom could be moved to Molotov, and that Starcraft could be zipped. If any Compsoc members wanted other stuff put on the drive, it would have to first be demonstrated that it worked.

I10

There was some short, general discussion about this, and it was essentially decided that although this was not a society event, those people from the society who were going should feel free to get together and organise themselves as to what they were doing.

Molotov

Quotas have now been fixed, hurrah for Phil Stoneman on this. PostgreSQL has similarly been dealt with, likewise hurrah for Phil. PHP to be upgraded by Phil Stoneman to deal with the security issues flagged earlier in the week. There was some dissatisfaction amongst the membership about the small size of the new (-ly enforced) quotas and there was limited to discussion about rasing the quota to 20 or 30MB. Henry Southgate to speak to Lionfish about this.

Passwords/Security

There followed a long discussion of which I understood essentially zip, but the main points were that the ATOMS (or whatever) password was apparently readable by anyone with an account on Molotov, and that root access might have been possible for those that shouldn’t have it. Henry Southgate to speak to Matt Bergin abut this. Phil Stoneman was claimed to have said that Molotov was “mind-bogglingly insecure” or words to that effect. Hence Phil Stoneman should try to deal with this, the sooner the better. It was also decided that the ATOMS password needed changing at some point, although not right away. Henry Southgate to list everything on the ATOMS password. There was a further general statement that perhaps passwords should be changed annually to prevent excessive shenanigans and make them more difficult to remember. The use of SU-tabs was raised but it was decided that on the whole these would be a bad idea. (My general cluelessness about this conversation is highlighted by the fact that I have absoutely no idea what SU-tabs are, or how to spell them. But I figure those in the know will be able to figure it out.)

Socials

It was decided in principle that there whould be a bowling social in term 3 at that there shouls also be a BBQ at the end of term 3.

Academia

Revision guides

There was a positive response from Professor Rowland Wilson that revision guides would be a good idea provided that we liased with the SSLC and the lecturer concerned. Revision guides would be good for a variety of first-year courses, particularly SML. Phil Stoneman was mooted as a good candidate for writing this, if he has any time with all the other stuff already assigned to him.

Linux User Group

There was some suggestion that this would not be directly associated with the society in order not to discourage certain people. A Coventry LUG has been discovered but has been decreed lame and will be ignored. Dave de la Motte to mail the relevant party about any hints or tips for starting such a group.

Open Source Project

NuExec to continue to think about new and ingenious ideas for next year’s OSP.

Wow! And that’s the end of my first minnits for this hopefully prosperous year. If anybody has any comments or questions, either mail me direct or the mailing list I will be sure to studiously ignore them.

Thought for the Day

Today’s greatest labour-saving device is tomorrow.