[Infopoint] InfoPoints pay off

[Tony Whitmore]

David Goodwin wrote:

> We (WolvesLUG) tend to sell CDs for approx £1 each - even the shipit
> ubuntu ones... for the following reasons :
> 
> - Most people don't believe "free" is good
> - It discourages people taking a million and one cds and then using them
> as beer mats or just throwing them away.
> - It allows us to invest in burning our own cds (cd+case+sleeve) for
> e.g. knoppix etc.

Yes, we charge £2 for Knoppix / The OpenCD in jewel cases [1] and £3 for
 the Ubuntu twin-packs. We reckon our costs are about £1 per CD we make
(we've been fortunate in donations of CDs and jewel cases) but we don't
have the same arrangement with the computer fair organisers down here
and have to cover the costs of the table too.

> So far, I believe we have broken even - obviously the ubuntu ones in the
> paper wallet sell _very_ well (they look slicker than home made stuff).

Well, we incurred most of our costs setting up for the first one - we
were about £60 out of pocket after the first one. We've nibbled away at
it since then and have even been able to invest in things like the
signs: [2]

> We've met a few interested people at Wolverhampton computer fairs, but
> afaik none have actually turned up to LUG meetings yet - but they could
> be lurking on a list, or it could just be my poor memory at fault (I'm
> terrible with faces/names). We always give them the URL of the lug and
> talk about the mailing list/curry meetings etc anyway.

One of the things we've seen is people who are Linux users or who have
played with Linux but weren't aware of the LUG community. "I tried Linux
but couldn't really get on with it" is quite common - something that
we're then able to respond to with the offer of support at a meeting. We
tend to suggest the meetings first as a lot of people aren't familiar
with the concept of mailing lists. Because we have monthly bring-a-box
meetings we are nearly always able to advertise the next meeting at the
InfoPoint.

Of course everyone goes away with a flyer giving details of the LUG and
Free Software equivalents of propriatory products.

> (Sounds like Hants LUG is larger than Wolves!)

FWIW, we have about 200 registered members ATM.

Tony

[1] http://www.hants.lug.org.uk/gallery/InfoPoint_03_2005/img_2092
[2] http://www.hants.lug.org.uk/gallery/InfoPoint_05_2005/img_2405