[Menai-LUG] Re: [Northwales] RE: Northwales Digest, Vol 138, Issue 9

(portmanteau reply - thanks for all the thoughts so far!)

On Sunday 25 February 2007 16:30, Michael A Orton wrote:
> I thought it would be good to compare the price of using existing PCs and
<snip>
> This will be an issue and it would also show that any DOs/Windows file
> could be opened, edited, saved as any Windows or Linux format.
<snip>
> You could also network the computers to show that there were no problems
> having both VISTA and Linux on the same network.
<snip>

Yes, on reflection these are actually valid points, and may be a good argum=
ent=20
for having an "interoperability" demo area.

On Monday 26 February 2007 23:39, giorgos karagiozopoulos wrote:
> First of all my opinion is that if we want to promote linux beyond the non
> profit area we are doing in the wrong way .First step is to gather all the
> interested people an meet face to face.Brainstorming without face to face
> contact is not effective.

I agree, but I've always found that it's better to brainstorm on the basis =
of=20
a few facts or suggestions.  A meeting sometime in March would be a good=20
idea, I think.

> Second you muste what kind of raw materials you=20
> have and their interest area.third is the most hard thing to do the market
> research.
<snip>

Good point.  The problem is that although there are quite a few news accoun=
ts=20
on individual companies or governments adopting FLOSS (free/libre/open-sour=
ce=20
software), there is very little information relating to regions.  So the on=
ly=20
way to get info for North Wales is to do a survey, and that in itself costs=
=20
money.  (I also tend to think you get rather dubious information in any cas=
e,=20
depending on how you ask the questions.  For instance, if you ask, "Would y=
ou=20
be interested in lowering the cost and downtime associated with viruses and=
=20
security problems?", you'll get info that "supports" Linux.  But if you ask=
=20
"Do you feel that decreasing the cost and downtime associated with viruses=
=20
and security problems is worth the training costs and possible downtime=20
associated with learning a new OS?", you'll get info that "supports"=20
Microsoft Windows.)  I'm not sure how you square this circle, and in fact=20
that was one of the aims of this meeting/seminar - people can't really make=
=20
sensible choices if they don't know what choices exist.  If we can=20
demonstrate what is possible, we might get a few people to start looking=20
beyond the marketing ads.

> I attach some usefull adresses to strength your position.

Thanks!

On Tuesday 27 February 2007 18:27, Richard Smedley wrote:
> Similar events aimed at introducing businesses to software freedom
> have been organised in S Yorks. Here the local Business Link got
> involved, which meant the event was well-publicised to small
> and medium-sized local businesses :-)

Yes, I think that's essential.  It may be that we need to approach them wit=
h=20
some fairly concrete ideas first before they will feel the desire to be=20
involved, though.

> The first year they had Georg Greve and Jeremy Allison speaking =3Do)

Cool!  People like that could either give a very general but authoritative=
=20
introduction to a topic, or a detailed nuts-and-bolts talk for enthusiasts.

> > > So I suppose I'm soliciting responses on whether I should (a) do
> > > nothing, (b) go for small meeting, or (c) go for larger meeting.
>
> I like (c) best ;-)

Yes - it's a challenge, isn't it? :-)

> Talking of FOSDEM, where were you this year?

Hehe.  My Iron Chancellor sets strict limits on my Linux budget, and vireme=
nt=20
is frowned upon!   I'm half-thinking of the Linux Audio thing in Berlin in=
=20
March (http://www.kgw.tu-berlin.de/~lac2007/index.shtml), so I skipped FOSD=
EM=20
this year.  Sound apps in Linux are developing quite nicely now, and it mig=
ht=20
be a good way of getting up to speed on that.  And of course, it would give=
=20
some ideas for the multimedia track ... :-)

> > > - stands to be free, but donations accepted;
> > > - 4 presentation tracks: business (deployment, office stuff,
> > > servers), multimedia (edutainment, games, music, etc), home (office
> > > suites, email, internet, etc), Welsh (software in Welsh, how to get
> > > more of it, etc);
>
> Do you think a home track is needed?
> There are advantages to keeping a pure business focus, although I feel
> social enterprise should be a _clear_ part of this :-)

Hmm.  You may be right - anything relevant could be split into the business=
 or=20
multimedia tracks, and that would certainly be one less thing to think abou=
t.

> > > - all screens to be running Linux;
>
> I'll take that as $YOUR_FAVOURITE_FREE_OS

Michael's points above about interoperability may mean that a couple of err=
ant=20
legacy boxes get in :-(  Apart from those, any flavour of Linux, yes, but=20
would extending to any FLOSS OS lose focus and confuse those attending=20
(especially if they're business types)?   Just for curiosity, has anyone on=
=20
these lists looked at/used Haiku, Symphony, OpenSolaris, or any other FLOSS=
=20
OS? =20

> > > - basic (ie no stuff like RAID, or 3D drivers) installations done
> > > for ?Ubuntu and ?openSUSE, at a fee of =A310.
>
> With Intel graphics, 3D and Beryl on Debian is pretty trivial :-)

Hehe.  :-)  A demo would be great, but I'm just a bit concerned about how=20
robust they would be for any "ordinary" installs, and 3D stuff does sometim=
es=20
need a bit of tweaking, expecially for ATI.

> > > How about free to charities, social entrepreneurs etc, but a (small)
> > > charge for businesses?
>
> If the event becomes expensive to run, I'm happy as a
> social entrepreneur to pay for a stand.

Thanks.  We need more detailed pricing info first, really.

> Again, a clear business focus would work well. It would
> need to be a very different sort of event for home users.

I think this is probably the crucial "base" decision.  Focussing on=20
businesses/ social enterprises/education would make it easier to organise=20
(less spread to cover).  But the numbers are going to be smaller (though=20
possibly more influential), therefore the charge would need to be higher. =
=20
Having the hoi poloi would give more of a buzz, you might attract a wider=20
range of stands, and from a publicity point of view you would get a bigger=
=20
bang for the buck.  Any views/rationales on this would be welcome.

=2D-=20
Pob hwyl / Best wishes

Kevin Donnelly

www.kyfieithu.co.uk - KDE yn Gymraeg
www.klebran.org.uk - Gwirydd gramadeg rhydd i'r Gymraeg
www.eurfa.org.uk - Geiriadur rhydd i'r Gymraeg
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