====== BLUG Membership ======

**BLUG membership are all free (free as in freedom and free as free beer ). Anyone who outside of our WoT could not be consider as a “BLUG member”. But it is unnecessary to be a BLUG member if you want to:**

  * Participate any off-line events
  * Join in our mailling list
  * Chat in our IRC channel (include sync services)
  * Participate exist FLOSS projects
  * Edit wiki pages
 
However, as a BLUG member: 

  * Will be part of our //WoT ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_of_trust|Web of Trust]])// network which connecting to most famous Free Software advocating network
  * Join in Membership chat room to fetch latest news
  * Create wiki pages and upload files to BLUG wiki
  * Authorized to organize activities/mini-events, start new projects in the name of Beijing GNU/Linux User Group
  * Opportunity to become one of BLUG maintainers in the future.

===== How to apply a BLUG member =====

<note tip>You can submit your OpenPGP public key to [[member:apply|this wiki page]], but first you have to [[https://beijinglug.club/wiki/doku.php?id=start&do=register|register]] a wiki account.</note>

BLUG membership requires you have a **//valid//** OpenPGP keychain, sufficient knowledge on **OpenPGP (GnuPG)** and basic GNU/Linux (//Linux subsystem in Win10 not included!//) usage.

How to become a BLUG member? Firstly, you have to participate a BLUG off-line events (anyone of them), and bring your //OpenPGP public key (full fingerprint should be included) and any of identification document (Identity Card, passport, student card, driver license)// to that event which you plan to. Then, contact maintainer members, ask them sign your OpenPGP public key, your key should be signed by **at least two-thirds of on-duty [[member:maintainers|maintainers]]**. It is better that make your key signed by as many as other BLUG members and event participators, so that make our network stronger and more extensive. In a word, our off-line event could considered as a //mini-Key-Signing-Party//!

<note>
**What is a //valid// OpenPGP key?**

BLUG will consider the OpenPGP key which meets the following criteria is valid:

  * Name in the key is identical with your ID card name (or passport, student card, driver license)，Pinyin name or English name also allowed.
  * Email in the key should be your common use mail box (for general purpose), a spam email is not accepted.
  * The key should be generated using RSA or ECC algorithm.
  * Key length more than 2048 bits, //4096 bits is strong recommended!// If you're using ECC, //Ed25519 is the best choice//, we discourage you from using NIST ECC curves.
  * The key should be generated //more than one mouth// before you applying your BLUG membership.
</note>


<note important>**Important Note**

**Please note that, keep your private key privately and full securely, if you lost your private key or key stolen, you can not decrypt maintainer's mail and kick out from our WoT network immediately.**

If you lost your private key, make sure revoke your public key immediately, premise is you already backup your revoke certificate, and made a new one to re-join our membership at off-line event. If you lost your revoke certificate or never generate it before, that makes you //never// be a member due to you loose control of your personal security.

Please be sure, your public key is signed and updated. Maintainers may send you a encrypted mail that your signed public key included, so that you have to decrypt the mail by using your private key and then upload this signed public key to key server by yourself.

You should never sign a key for somebody else you haven't met personally. Signing a key based on anything other than first-hand knowledge destroys the utility of the Web of Trust.
</note>
===== For individuals who donate but not signed key =====

We thank your [[member:donations|donating]] money, devices or anything to BLUG sincerely and honor you as a //BLUG Honorary Member//. But you cannot create wiki pages and upload files to BLUG wiki, however you could ask wiki permission from any of BLUG maintainer. And you are not authorized to organize activities/mini-events or start new projects in the name of Beijing GNU/Linux User Group, and CANNOT become one of BLUG maintainers.

To enable your full membership just following above steps. So that we could add you into our WoT network.

===== For Old BLUGer =====

If you joined BLUG before 2015 (just registered in the old website) but you haven't attended any of event recently, so we consider you as //emeritus member//. To re-active your membership you could attend any of our offline event and ask on-duty maintainers sign your OpenPGP Key (no ID card required), but at least one on-duty maintainer recognize and vouch you are the old BLUGer.
===== Useful Documents about GnuPG and Key Signing Party =====

  * https://wiki.debian.org/Keysigning
  * https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/GnuPG
  * https://riseup.net/en/gpg-best-practices