[Gllug] Open Source for beginners

[Bernard Peek]

Chris Bell wrote:
> On Fri 25 Jan, Bernard Peek wrote:
>   
>
>   
>> I can't see the council funding anything unless you can demonstrate some 
>> local support. You could probably kick things off by
>> arranging to do a talk on FOSS in Ealing Library. Collect names of the 
>> people who attend so that you can show the council that there is 
>> interest in the area. Perhaps follow that up with an installfest.
>>
>> Unfortunately I don't live in Hanwell any more, so I doubt I'll be able 
>> to help much.
>>     
>
>    Agreed, but I do know a fair number of people in the L. B. Ealing area,
> and I have asked them to start pushing. I would also like to put posters in
> local libraries. I feel that once the ball starts rolling it will be
> difficult to stop. Unfortunately I am fighting a combination of almost total
> ignorance and indifference.
>
>   
That's pretty much what I would expect. So you need a strategy to deal 
with ignorance and indifference. If you can get around the indifference 
people will take notice and start to learn for themselves. What you need 
to do is to make your pitch relevant to the council. Quote chunks of the 
council's mission-statement. Tell them that Linux supports languages 
used by the immigrant communities. Tell them that Linux can help recycle 
older PCs for use by people who can't afford new ones. It's just like 
putting forward a business-case for a project. You have to tell them how 
it solves some of the problems that they already have.
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