[dundee] Re: Volunteering computer expertise

[Colin Brough]

Following up from this, I fired off an e-mail to the contact address
at webtrust.org.uk, and got the following reply (see the end for my
message). I'm happy to "lead" a discussion on this at the next meeting
- which I suspect this is the best way forward from here... Also, I've
already responded to the bit about the LUG website, and pointed Angie
at the mailing list as the best place to keep in touch with what the
LUG is up to.

Cheers

Colin

----- Forwarded message from "WebTrust.org.uk" <webtrust at webtrust.org.uk> -----

From: "WebTrust.org.uk" <webtrust at webtrust.org.uk>
To: "Colin Brough" <Colin.Brough at blueyonder.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Volunteering computer expertise
Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 10:57:40 +0100
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158

Hi Colin,
  Thanks for your interest in volunteering with WebTrust. One project I've
had on hold for a while is to investigate the feasibility for charities to
use Linux instead of MS Windows and in the long term to produce training
manuals for various Linux packages - basically because the software is
(mostly?) free, more reliable than MS and less open to virus attacks etc.

Would you be interested in helping identify some office applications for
Linux/different Linux versions that would be suitable for use in charity
administration work?

e.g. which Linux system is easiest to install/use for non-techies (as most
charity workers are)
alternatives to MS Office - I've had a quick look at OpenOffice on windows
which works though it struggles with some of my MS Word Docs, messing up
formatting where I have used tables and textboxes)
a database system that is as easy to use as Access (i.e. no need to know SQL
to build/query tables).
graphics packages
web dev. software - is there a descent GUI HTML editor (preferably that
doesn't mess up the source code) something that office workers could easily
use to update text and perhaps add images to a ready built web site)?
How would a Linux machine fit in to a mainly MS office - is there a utility
to read MS files in Linux apps and vice versa?

Let me know if that sounds of interest.

Kindest Regards
  - Angie

P.S. I am interested in the LUG (having dabbled in Unix and Linux in the
past) - I've had a quick look at the website which hasn't been updated for a
while - is it still Duncan Gauld I contact for info on the group?

WebTrust Angela Somerville Project Co-ordinator Tel. (01382) 305709
WebTrust.org.uk 10 Constitution Rd. Dundee DD1 1LL
http://www.WebTrust.org.uk/ WebTrust.org.uk. Scottish Company number:
209520. Scottish Charity Number: SC 030401.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Colin Brough" <Colin.Brough at blueyonder.co.uk>
To: <admin at webtrust.org.uk>
Sent: Tuesday, October 21, 2003 10:15 AM
Subject: Volunteering computer expertise


> Hi
>
> Came across your website through the Dundee Voluntary Action
> Newsletter. I am currently a Church of Scotland minister in Dundee
> (parish is Fintry), but my first degree is in Computer Science and I
> worked for a few years in computing. I am also a member of the local
> Linux User Group.
>
> At a recent meeting of the LUG, we were talking about projects that
> members of the LUG could get involved in, and one of the suggestions
> was to offer our expertise to local charities... now, given the nature
> of the group, the expertise is in Linux, and so the most obvious
> applications would be configuring servers to serve a small office
> network, or perhaps putting Linux on older hardware to get a
> reasonable desktop that wouldn't cope with Windows XP. There is also a
> fair amount of general expertise, for instance in website design,
> typically using Linux tools - Apache, perl, etc.
>
> We'd be interested in talking through whether there was any cross-over
> between what you are wanting to do and what can help with. E-mail or
> phone (01382 458 629) are fine.
>
> What I suspect will happen is that if I think there might be something
> viable, I'll tell the rest of the folk in the LUG at our next meeting
> (first Monday in the month, usually), and take things from there.
>
> Cheers
>
> Colin
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> Colin Brough                             Colin.Brough at blueyonder.co.uk

----- End forwarded message -----


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Colin Brough                             Colin.Brough at blueyonder.co.uk