[Infopoint] Infopoint - lets make it happen!!

[Steve Parkes]

very selective snipping because I agree with tony on most things here 
anyway.

David Goodwin wrote:

> 
>>> - First, lets change the focus of the project slightly. We are rather
>>> to restricted to computer fairs. People may want to run Infopoints at
>>> sci-fi shows, shopping malls, universities and other places.
>>
> 
> Universities would be a good place - spread it amongst the young and 
> impressionable :)

When we started WolvesLUG we attempted to get students interested and 
failed.  Perhaps it's just because jono and myself are just so scary ;-)

> 
> Perhaps something as simple as leaving a table full of Breezy CDs would 
> suffice in a CompSci department with stickers on the back for the local 
> LUG(s). 

this is a good idea.  Getting students interested in anything when they 
are attempting to either get away from the place post lecture or hand in 
some work late unnoticed is difficult.  Posters, cards carrying more 
info and a few cd's in the right place will get to them when they want 
to see/hear the message.

>>
> 
> We definately do when we have done the Wolverhampton computer fair(s). I 
> think this is one reason why we've not done another lately as we're 
> trying to find a better venue, but we've not found it yet.

Not sure what other areas are like but the wolves fairs are far too 
cramped to make a good impression with a number of people
> 
>> But my experience of busy computer fairs is that there is less physical
>> room and the environment that is less condusive to this. Other venues -
>> libraries, community centres, universities and so on are possibly more
>> suitable, in a way, and represent potential new Linux users and some
>> very diverse audiences.
> 
> Yes; I recall someone posting on either SBLug or WolvesLUG about a stand 
> in a local library.

Mo in Kinver, perhaps someone needs to get him interested in Infopoint?


> 
> The Infopoints Katherine and I have done recently have normally had us, 
> and occassionally one or two other for a portion of the day. I'm not 
> sure if it's sustainable in this form, as spending an entire day at a 
> computer fair is quite tiring (and I doubt I'm the best ambassador for 
> the 'cause' with my great personality etc.
This is a local problem.  The same people are involved in these things 
time and time again.  Personally I have great difficulty getting out of 
being at home due to Tom's problems so I can't do most of the things I 
want to do.  Outside of Ron I can't think of many people in Wolves who 
find time regularly to do community things and Ron already has a full 
schedule with Scouts.

Perhaps we need a set of pages on the wiki where people can volunteer 
for local infopoint jobs.  I can certainly do things other than man the 
stalls.

As for personality I am not the right type either as I will rip peoples 
heads off for being dim.  Can we clone Kat?


> 
> Ubuntu CDs are free :)
> 

We should contact Conanical and ask for a bulk order of cd's to be sent 
to a region organiser every couple of months to make sure each region 
always has a supply of cd's.  I know they have a massive budget for this 
sort of thing and would rather know that the 100 cd's they send get used 
than send 10 to thousands of people who will bin most of them.

> See also http://infopoint.codepoets.co.uk
> 
> 
> I would, but that dodgy server isn't working at the moment. I'm willing 
> to provide the hosting for it if necessary.

can we do this?

we need to pool the resources in a place they are always accessible and 
as has been pointed out Angel hasn't been that assessable for the last 
few weeks.

>>> Lets also make contacts with the computer fairs to
>>> ensure the bridges are still there to book free tables. Tony is
>>> interested in BCF and I think Kat is interested in other fairs.
>>
> 
> Yes, we are. But, we're drifting back to talking to the semi converted. 
> I'm wondering if it's worth us turning up in the middle of 
> Walsall/Wolverhampton/Birmingham on a Saturday like those dodgy men who 
> sell radio controlled cars etc. I guess we'd need a banner like :
> 
> 'Secure your computer from viruses, ad-ware, spy-ware for FREE. Please 
> help yourself to a CD'
> 

love the idea, guerrilla marketing is a great technique and quite well 
suited to infopoints imho.

> 
> 
>> I think it does need some wider pushing. It will help raise the profile
>> of the project and provide some nice links to show prospective fair /
>> event organisers to convince them to give us tables. :) We should
>> perhaps be thinking about tables in .Org villages at Expos and actually
>> giving a pimping talk at LRL2006.
> 
> Indeed. The trouble is at a Linux expo you're talking to the converted; 
> and there was very little interest in it at LRL.

it depends on who we are targeting.

I see three core groups
   1) Linux Users to join as Advocates (LRL attempted to target these)
   2) Home Computer Users -> current(?) target at fairs
   3) Business Users -> added benefit of needed consultancy

group 1, seems to be more difficult than expected.  It seems people who 
are into advocacy are involved in a project already advocating KDE, 
GNOME or something else.  A better place to target these would probably 
be a LUG meetings.

group 2, seem stupid and don't have enough of a clue to understand what 
we are talking about.  These are the people I can't talk to without 
sounding either patronising or down right rude.  Probably due to AS

group 3, are a potential source of funds for infopoint pluggers. 
Convert them and you have a resource stream to make it worth your while. 
  Jono's lot can help convert these.

reaching group 1 have been covered, group 2 have been targeted at 
computer fairs with mixed results but it seems we have a concensus to 
target them directly in different places.
> 

>> The InfoPoint project is a worthy activity. It might not be the most
>> glamourous of passtimes and I suspect this is where it has faltered.
> 
> Likewise!

it's getting people interested in teh less glamourous of jobs that is 
important.  I'm not enough of a people person to be able to survive 
doing this part of the job but I am available to do some of the even 
less glam parts of the job behind the scenes ;-)

> 
> 
> Is it possible to have a web 
> based forum front end to a mailing list?
> 

it's a kludge that has been started in prehistory by members of 
wolveslug on several occasions.  the problem is the people with the 
skills to do the job hate mailing lists.

search the archive to see if we ever got threading working?

The ubuntu forums do (or at least did) this, perhaps we should get in 
touch with them about how they did this.

We could even start a newbies to linux list for the infopoint project 
and help these new faces find their feet before they feel strong enough 
to survive a lug.  Some arn't exactly that friendly unfortunatly.

If we start a newbie list I will look into hooking it up to a forum and 
rss feed so we can all subscribe in the format of choice.  Combined with 
a wiki we could build some excellent resources for advocacy and newbie 
projects combined.


> 
> Are there many people subscribed?

No,  idea?  Jono can you get admin access to someone on the infopoint 
project so we can check these things out?

sparkes