[HLUG] Software Freedom Day / possible new smaller events

[Ann Tether]

This is a great idea and if I was around and not on holiday I would be 
happy to help.. maybe then people would realise that it is not just men 
that are geeky.. ha ha. I can get a couple of hours out of my laptop 
with Manjaro on and about the same with my little EasyNote with Sparky 
Linux (Debian based) on. A few fliers etc would not cost much to produce 
with say a simple guide to installing Linux and maybe explain that 
windows users could use a Virtual Machine to try stuff out.

Ann


On 18/08/16 12:59, Julian Robbins via Herefordshire wrote:
> Hi
>
> I'm emailing from a nearly sunny Newquay on holiday with my family.
>
> Just to updat everyone on SFD. At out last meeting in July we decided
> unfortunately that we didnt quite have enough folk who could provide input
> on the day and with the behind the scenes preparation and publicity and
> that it would be better to try contacting other local lug groups to see if
> they were happy to team up with us to put on an event.
>
> I contacted the Powys LUG who are quite active nowadays and although there
> eas some initial interest from them I did not hear anything further. So as
> time has moved on we will not be able  to put on an event this time for SFD
> unfortunately..
>
> But i had an idea .. At the regular Friday Market in Leominster which is
> always quite busy you can get a stall as a non profit / voluntary group
> with the cover etc for a special rate of just £10 for the day. Often
> voluntary groups do take a stall as its a good way to get to talk to the
> public about your group whether it is the local credit union or historical
> society.
>
> I think it might be a good idea to try somethong like this. It has low
> upfront organisation requurements ie publicity as folk come to you.
> Likewise as its on 10 till 4 you dont need many people to man your stall
> perhaps only 2 or three at a time so we dont need as many folk as at SFD.
>
> On the other hand as the stall is smaller you won't be able to show so much
> off on computers probably only two or three demonstrating on the stall.
>
> Of course we can still do some publicity but the burden is greatly reduced
> as the footfall is high.
>
> I think these days the general piblic is aware of Linux and Open Source but
> still has an outdated view of it ie its hard to install (untrue) not many
> apps (untrue) or you need the cmd line a lot (untrue).
>
> We would have to put up some well designed banners to try avoid looking
> like a bunch of geeks hidfled round our laptops to get folk interested on
> seeing what we're doing . but we can do that.😀
>
> Likewise the market runs all year round so we dont have to be ready in a
> rush so we can make sure we can put on a professional looking stand when it
> suits us.
>
> I'd like to thonk what others think .. Crap idea or great one ?
>
> Please reply with your thoughts
>
> Julian
> Ps Next lug meeting is next week when we can discuss further.ill post more
> detsils nearer the time but it will be at the Courtyard in Hereford
> (assumong theyre open in August that is )