[SLUG] Library summary v2.0

[john at johnallsopp.co.uk]

> Our at-a-glance message:
> ------------------------
>
> We need to deliver our message at a glance both front-on and as seen
> from the entrance doorway. We wanted something that might work for all
> our markets and so far we have these suggestions (and votes):
>
> Scarborough Linux User Group - Free/Open Source Software for
> everyone	2
> Scarborough Linux User Group - Free Software for everyone	2
> Scarborough Linux User Group - Free your computer	1
>
> Any improvement comments?

I have to say I'm moving away from the 'everyone' side of things. I
think it's accepted that installing Linux isn't for your average
library using granny. Maybe:

Scarborough Linux User Group - software freedom


> Display content:
> ----------------
>
> The way the display is currently looking, we have essentially three
> sides plus the back of one panel which faces the entrance (which will
> just display our at-a-glance message).
>
> The central panel will show our at-a-glance message at the top, and
> then a main motivational poster, A3 or A2, which we'll get
> commercially 'printed' and people will put in a £1 or so each to fund
> that. Here, we'll answer the questions what is Linux, why does it
> matter, and what can it do for you.
>
> Volunteer required to design and print the poster:
I'm not a graphic designer, but I'm thinking I might be the most
graphic designer of the current people in the group, in which case it
kinda falls to me although I'd rather someone else do it .. anyone
else fancy it?

> Underneath that will be a wrapped box with a 'letterbox' opening, and
> a questionnaire. This is the Linux challenge. The idea is that someone
> who is interested in Linux and wants to know more about what might be
> suitable for them can complete a form about their needs (what they
> want to do with their computer) and we'll collaboratively work out a
> recommendation for them and respond by email in due course.
>
> Resonsible: JA
>
> The left hand panel will contain pockets with trifold leaflets about
> various aspects of Linux, for instance, 'choosing a distribution', or
> 'Linux for school and study'. What subjects need to be covered here?
> Let's decide subjects then share out the writing of them.
>
> Suggestions:

I vote for combining music and video into 'artists', and 'saving money
with Linux' is obviously combinable with 'A working computer for under
£100'

> "Linux for the small business"
> "Linux for artists"
> "Saving money with Linux, a working computer for under £100"
> "Linux for games"
> "Linux in education"
> "Free as in freedom - the ethics of free software"

> These will be in A4 trifold format (making a document that's 210mm
> high and 99mm wide), only six of which will comfortably fit on our
> left hand panel (two rows of three). There are ten suggestions above,
> which means we need to vote which to keep. Please send in your votes
> for the six we should keep.
>
> A volunteer who used to watch Blue Peter is required to make up
> pockets that will contain and display these and that will velcro to
> the panel.
>
> The right hand panel (and I'm expanding a little on Al's thought) will
> have a series of screenshots of our Linux machines together with a
> paragraph about each of us (and a photo if you want). The idea is to
> show Linux looking good and to show how we are real people not just
> screenburned geeks. How many people are willing/able to produce an A5
> like this about themselves, we need five at least?
>
> John Allsopp
> Al Girling
> Stephen O'Neill
>
> Responsible for producing the format for this: JA
>
> We should have a bowl of business-card sized pieces of paper or
> smaller along with a "please take one" sign (as if they were sweets)
> which just contain the message that all this information is on our
> website and giving our website address. Our website address across the
> whole thing will be a variant on our normal address, eg.
> http://www.scarborough.lug.org.uk/lib so we can see how many people
> came to visit.
>
> A volunteer is required to produce this (the bowl, the sign, the bits
> of paper). JA will produce graphic guidelines.
>
> We (Bob?) should investigate whether it's possible for the IT suite to
> add an icon linking to our website for the duration of our exhibition.
> The person who organises that might also discover what other events
> are on at the library during our exhibition, then we might decide to
> change the front message and/or staff the stand.
>
> We might also provide some coverdiscs for people to take away. My
> feeling is we'd be better to provide something like Knoppix or the
> Open CD. Opinions? How do we get, say, 100 copies? Do we need some
> text to go with it or does it say enough on the disc?
>
> Opinions?
>
>
> Staffing the stall:
> -------------------
>
> On the last day, the 11th December, the local Animal Rights groups has
> booked the whole of the top floor for a Santa's Little Helpers
> Christmas Fair from 11am - 4 pm with 'stalls, music, films, free food
> tasting and much more'. Since there's an ethical side to open source
> computing, maybe this is an opportunity to staff the stand, or at
> least add to the door-facing part of the display the phrase "ethical
> computing" or similar.
>
> The stall needs to be created on the morning of the 29th November, and
> decommissioned at the end of the 11th December. Those providing
> materials need to check (weekly?) the stock levels of various items
> and refill as necessary.
>
> 10-12 each Saturday could be usefully staffed too, maybe try the first
> one and report back whether it was worthwhile. Steve might be
> available for the first one.
>
> Volunteers required.

I'm willing to build on the first day, but it will be down the the
individuals to either get their contributions to me beforehand or to
the stand on the morning. I'll be there when the library opens.

If Steve needs moral support on that first Saturday I might come along
too.

Maybe I'm up for the last (veggie fair) day too and dismembering the
stand, I probably know a lot of the people going to that.


> SLUG graphic design standards:
> ------------------------------
>
> In an effort to show a unified display, JA is suggesting we come up
> with a set of design standards, which would mean every document we
> produce looks like it comes from the same organisation, and the
> display as a whole looks good. JA will attempt to carve out some time
> to look at this. It's suggested this has links to the website.
>
> A small amount of progress has been made with this.
>
>
> Handling the resulting enquiries:
> ---------------------------------
>
> Can we install Linux for people?
>
> Steve and Ian have put their hands up as feeling capable of doing
> this, although JA will probably feel capable of that soon. Steve is
> under time pressure so may back out.
>
> We find problems with installing at the person's home and with asking
> them to bring their machine to one of our houses or to a meeting. Our
> best bet seems to be an installfest style event at a venue which has
> an Internet connection, the favourite being Scalby school.
>
> Ideally, those wanting an install should prepare by backing up their
> system and providing us with details of their hardware, so a sheet
> explaining that and telling them how to get the information we need is
> required. We can then prepare ahead of time, ideally letting them know
> if anything they have is likely to pose a difficulty (eg. scanners,
> sound cards). This suggests we would be able to book people into their
> own hour-long (or whatever) slots.
>
> We also need an easy to understand liability waver for them to sign ..
> Ian suggests
> * The donor of the computer shall not hold the installer responsible
> for any loss of data or damage whatsoever
> * The donor shall be responsible for backing up all data
>
> There seems to be a consensus that we choose a distro that will suit
> most people and get used to installing it and offer only that
> (although a couple of other lines of thought came up .. matching the
> distribution to the machine, and matching the distribution to the
> installer). We need to choose a distribution and then our installers
> need to do at least a trial installation. Who wants to recommend what?
> Let's have this discussion and decide, since this is probably on the
> critical path.
>
> Votes so far are:
> FC4	2
> Mandrake 9/10	1
> Debian	1
> Slackware 10.2	1 (Bob does a good selling job on this with "Slackware
> installs in about an hour and is traditional enough to work on most
> computers. It has a manual and only needs 32M. It runs KDE 3.4 and
> looks brilliant").
> Ubuntu	1 (York chose that)
>
> I don't know how to proceed with this. I haven't voted yet, and I have
> to say I'm leaning towards Debian and the whole apt-get ease, although
> I've never actually used it. Is Ubunto Debian based? If so, I might
> vote that, and then we could have an FC4/Ubunto debate to decide.
> Otherwise, any suggestions how we might resolve this?
>
> Also Bob said "are we willing to try a dual boot with Windows?" I was
> assuming every single machine would require that. Is that what the
> installers were thinking, otherwise we are asking people to bring us
> virgin or spare machines.
>
> There's a suggested visit to the YLUG install-fest on the 12th Nov
> <"http://www.york.lug.org.uk/installday2005/>,
> <http://www.tuxx.homelinux.org/ylug/cgi-bin/view/Main/YLUGInstallDay05>.
> Anyone fancy that?

I'm interested but short on time and have plenty to be getting on with
regarding this project so I think I'll leave this one to someone else
to investigate, although I do think one of us should.

J