[Lancaster] Taking the lug forwards.

[Ken Hough]

Max,

It might be helpful [[IF]] we could get the public library to understand 
what Linux and 'Open Source' is all about and that it's not 
cheap/tacky/unreliable.

I've tried explaining to friends about 'Open Source' v 
commercial/Microsoft options and they're just not able to take it on 
board. PCs have come to mean Microsoft Windows and anything else is at 
least unwise if not plain stupid. They cannot accept that if Linux is so 
good, it's not better known. Such is the power of long term advertising 
(brainwashing?)

I believe this is the biggest challenge.

Maybe we could usefully compile information:

-- about companies, government organisations and countries where Linux 
is making inroads

-- showing benefits of Linux over other alternatives

-- describing some of the tricks and financial incentives that Microsoft 
use to try to block Linux.

-- indicating how fast (with numbers?) Linux usage is growing worldwide

This information could be presented at Linux 'teachins', etc, but I 
doubt that, at this stage, library personnel could be persuaded to rock 
the Microsoft boat.

In my experience, you have to be lucky to find any library books about 
Linux. Even the main bookshop in Kendal has only a few and almost all 
are based on or are specifically about Red Hat. I did try to explain 
that there is more to Linux, The glazed look told me to stop.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I do find a good paper based book very 
helpful and have a few about Linux. However, it's likely to be difficult 
to persuade a potential newbie (or library) to spend £20 or £30 on a 
book about software that is eccentially free.

I hope that this doesn't sound too negative. I mean it to be a starting 
point for discussion.

Ken Hough

max wrote:
> Hi All
> 
> good to flag up the question of how to move forwards.
> 
> I'd be interested in advocacy stuff - perhaps get the public library to stock 
> some CDs (the open cd, perhaps some distros), and make sure they are kept up 
> to date (do a check every six months?). ditto books (their linux books are 
> sooo out of date). Any other ideas, anyone else interested?
> 
> max
> 
> On Wednesday 02 Jun 2004 9:08 am, Martyn Welch wrote:
> 
>>Hi All,
>>
>>The folly is beginning to really take shape, we now really need to concider
>>what to do next.
>>
>>Currently our webpage is a little sucky (I know cos I wrote it in about 15
>>minutes)! Something needs to be done about it. How about a project to write
>>and up-to-date standards compliant (XHTML 1.0 Transitional and CSS minimum)
>>website (as apposed to one page). I am going to badger Lug.org.uk again to
>>get access to there server to host there (currently our page is hosted on a
>>private box somewhere..) alternatively we need to source another reliable
>>(and pref. free) server.
>>
>>I kinda like the idea of using somthing like php-nuke so that we can
>>concentrate on the content rather than the layout, but I don't know of hand
>>which standards this uses.
>>
>>What do you guys think?
>>
>>Martyn
> 
> 
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