[HLUG] Software Freedom Day / possible new smaller events

[Roy Meddings]

Hi Julian and Ann,

You gave me alot of help to start up and I've not been able to 
contribute back.

I think this is an excellant idea - I've been on a stall in leominster 
and there is alot of footfall usually - I will cough up the £10 for the 
stall, if you accept: only a newby still so maybe not be much help 
otherwise.

Roy


On 18/08/2016 15:00, Ann Tether via Herefordshire wrote:
> 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 )
>
>