Coping with the Flu season (and other problems)

Just as the rainy season is starting, we are also facing a new critical issue in the health department.

Noting that the Philippines is now regarded as having the highest number of A-H1N1 flu cases throughout South-East Asia, this is definitely going to limit our group interaction.

Recommendation for safety measures:

• ONLINE MEETUPS
  • sad to say, it's safer not to have physical meetups. I do have personal worries going to Ortigas / Makati due to the rise of flu infections (tho I might be exaggerating). IMHO Riding the LRT/MRT is the best way to catch the disease.
  • We have alternatives: online meetups via group chats and remote-desktop sharing sessions
• Audio / Video Podcasts
  • instead of being repetitive, it's best to upload multimedia files via YouTube/Vimeo/Blip.tv. Of course community involvement in selecting the topics would be highly appreciated. Let's not forget to thank people who spare time recording their vids.
• Practice, Practice, Practice
  • observing that most people who attend workshops are the ones with the least experience, this would be a great opportunity for them to practice, explore, and improve their site-building experience.
    -- Did you know that it's stressful for a resource person to answer too many basic questions that people could've answered by just reading and practicing ahead of time?
    -- Did you know that those who can't comprehend Drupal fast enough lack the basic understanding of the fundamentals of content management systems?
    -- Did you know every 2 seconds, 7 people die due to stress? Now is the appropriate time to check if you're either stressing yourself, or, bringing stress to others. The open source community does not need another menace that's for sure.
  • Kudos to all those who work hard to learn what they need to know. Belat to those who always complain about this and that.
• RESEARCH
  • We're in the 21st century. If you haven't heard of Google, Bing or Wolfram|Alpha... then get back to your cave! Use that ultra-expensive & top-of-the-line machine of yours to spark your intellect. Oh, and it's not just a shiny piece of stone that you use to impress others.
• Diversific8n
  • __Reality Check:__ So you already know that you are not good at programming. What do you do... code? Instead of creating spaghetti code, why not leverage your existing skills to contribute something irresistible?
  • __Here is but a few of other things that you can do:__
    --- designing / arts and stuff
    --- theming / layout
    --- giving responsible feedback on the work of others
    --- help in marketing
    --- help in code testing
    --- any more ideas?
  • the good news is that you can also earn extra cash in the process.
• Don't forget to support the community
  • even if it's as simple as saying "You're doing a great job!" or "Ayos ito ah!" or "Ok sana pero... mas okay siguro pag...": you're already contributing in a very positive way. Of course, it's not okay to make bola-bola (too much flattering). The goal is to motivate and encourage active members of the community to do good things. If you have nothing but crappy words to say, it's best to keep your mouth shut [or else!].
  • "Support" connotes a very weak meaning to an average person. It sometimes imply that a person is playing a very small role in an world filled with sharks: "...Supporter lang ako eh". Truth is, without these supportive people, good ideas won't materialize. The egomaniacs are probably loud about their success, but good karma is well deserved when kept in silence no matter how small it is.

With all that, belated Happy 111st Philippine Independence day.

Good luck to us all. Mabuhay!

--- Marc Robinsone