[SLUG] Library display

[Al Girling]

Hi Folks,

John Allsopp wrote:
--%<-- 
> 
> So the discussion I want to have is this. What is our main theme?
> 
> Are we a Linux support group for people who know what Linux is?
> A phrase that works for that might be simply 'Scarborough Linux User
> Group', since those people would know what a LUG does.
> 
> Are we trying to help people convert to Linux from Windows?
> A phrase that works for that might be 'Free software that works', or
> maybe that sounds like we're giving away one program, perhaps 'A world
> of free software'.
> 
> Are we more about the whole Open Source / Free Software movement?
> A phrase that works for that might be 'Software freedom'

All of the above. ;)  Not that helpful perhaps, but I can't see how
narrowing down the target audience for the display as being helpful to
increasing the groups size.

My suggestion for this would be:

		      Scarborough Linux User Group
		Free/Open Source Software for everyone!

I've alwasy felt the group is for those using F/OSS and to help people
interested to become F/OSS users.  Despite my dislike for MS products I
feel that a deliberate targeting of their users is a negative and
anti-free thinking policy.  So many of them are ready for something else
(just stand on an InfoPoint stand for an hour to see what I mean!) that
just offering a viable alternative is enough.¹

> Once we've decided on our main theme, that leads on to things like
> graphic design standards. For instance, there's a good chance we
> should probably standardise on the Tux colours for everything we do,
> and perhaps we can use Tux in a standard way, along with a standard
> form for  Scarborough Linux User Group. Font size, colours, margins
> and all that need to be standardised so that people know when they've
> got something from us, and they need to be chosen to reflect our
> goals. The page layout for a 'freedom' organisation would be different
> to that for a support group.

My only suggestion/request here is that there be no use of 'MS Comic
Sans' on anything.  I know it's popular, but to me it always looks as if
the author hasn't learn't to do joined up writing!

> Thoughts anyone?
> 
> J


¹ This leads me to something which has frequently worries me when talk
of getting new users raises itself.

In the event of having an information board at the library, someone
contacts the group asking to have a distro installed either as dual boot
or as a single install.  Who within the group has sufficient
confidence/knowledge to go to someones house and do this?  Or do we
suggest that an interested person take a set of discs and attempt to
install it themselves?  I see the second option as a recipe for failure
and another anti-linux MS devote.


My tuppence h'penny worth.

Al

-- 

Al Girling

GPG: key ID 0xD826BCE9
Home page:                  <http://al.sdf-eu.org>
Linux User: #290080         <http://counter.li.org>
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