on second thought, Doug has a point about discussion in a forum being a good record. I hereby retract my suggestion. :P
John Hebert --- John Hebert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I'd like to meet on-line for an hour or two. Let's > set > up a time over the weekend. > > John Hebert > > --- cmb <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Y'all wanna meet in the #brlug chat room and bandy > > about some ideas? > > Tonight? Tommorrow? > > > > Doug Riddle wrote: > > > Hello All: > > > > > > First, IMHO, we need to remember that the focus > > here is Open Source, > > > not strictly Linux. > > > > > > IMHO, we should not limit our offering to 5 CDs, > > but offer a fairly > > > wide selection. We also need not place the > entire > > selection in every > > > Library. Librarians already have a system for > > ordering items from > > > other branches which they do not have at their > > branch. I was > > > thinking of a system whereby we keep a good > > offering fairly well > > > updated at the central Library, and offer a > basic > > list for the branch > > > libraries. In that basic offering we could > supply > > (for instance): > > > > > > 1) Cross Platform Office Suite (to aim at their > > windows weak spot) > > > 2) Open Source firewalls and other widgets to > > protect PCs > > > 3) A Beginner distribution like Mandrake 8.2, or > > Lindows > > > 4) An intermediate distribution such as RedHat > (no > > offence to the > > > Redhat-philes) > > > 5) An advanced distribution such as Debian or > > FreeBSD > > > 6) A networking CD with Howtos and examples for > > SAMBA, CUPS and > > > Linneighborhood perhaps. > > > > > > In the Main Library offering, keep a slightly > > larger set of > > > distributions, or at least more recent > > distributions, more office > > > suites, games, Squid, and other firewalls, email > > and browsers, more > > > documentation, and a set of development tools. > > > > > > I really do not think we should let our own > > filters stop any > > > interested users from experimenting. I do think > > we need to make > > > clear from the outset what kind of local support > > they will find for > > > the various and sundry OS's and applications. > > > > > > In short, I do not think we should leave Joe > User > > out of the picture, > > > but we are not likely to attract him unless he > is > > actively looking to > > > abandon MS for reasons of his own. The > teenagers, > > the older folks, > > > and the curious looking for help from the > library > > are our customers. > > > When I first heard about Linux and Open Source, > I > > went down to the > > > Library. This was way back in the 1980's. I > got > > a big blank stare. > > > After rambling enough, I was directed to LSU. I > > was a student at > > > LSU. I had gone to the public library looking > for > > something really > > > OPEN. VAX and VMS were not open. There was > > nothing for Intel, and I > > > gave up for a few years. I would like to remedy > > that. I think > > > Highschool kids whose parents are buying a new > PC > > might have designs > > > on the old one. I think it would be perfect if > > they knew they could > > > go down to the library and check out two or > three > > Operating systems, > > > complete with free software and play around. Or > > simply try some Open > > > Source software on the old tired PC. > > > > > > Doug Riddle > > > > > > --- Mnemonic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > >>-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > > >>Hash: SHA1 > > >> > > >>I checked out http://rute.sourceforge.net. As I > > was looking around > > >>I started > > >>to think about an individual with whom I work. > He > > is not willing > > >>to give > > >>Linux a try because he says he does not want to > > face another steep > > >>learning > > >>curve. Considering this, I think that what has > > been suggested is > > >>exactly > > >>what I want, but not necessarily what everyone > > wants. That is, > > >>most people > > >>want to turn on their computers and have them > > function at such a > > >>level that > > >>operation is intuitive. I do not think they want > > to spend an > > >>inordinate > > >>amount of time learning how to use their > expensive > > box of metal and > > >>plastic. > > >> > > >>Let's say that I am Joe General Public...if my > > computer is not > > >>broken and I > > >>am able to do everything I need to do with it, > why > > in the world > > >>would I want > > >>to try something like an alternate operating > > system. What the heck > > >>is an > > >>operating system? How do I even find out that > > such an animal > > >>exists? > > >>Education/awareness is paramount to the success > of > > this project. > > >> > > >>- -K > > >> > > >>On Friday 19 July 2002 14:15, you wrote: > > >> > > >>>I still think that it would be a huge > disservice > > to the users to > > >> > > >>give > > >> > > >>>them a hacked, unsupported outside of BRLUG > > distribution of > > >> > > >>Linux. > > >> > > >>>Giving out a Debian or Red Hat or Mandrake > would > > leave open their > > >>>options for support. CDs are cheap. Trying to > > shoehorn a bunch of > > >> > > >>mixed > > >> > > >>>software wouldn't have any benefit, unless you > > abandon the idea > > >> > > >>of > > >> > > >>>creating a custom distribution and offer an > > "add-on" CD of > > >> > > >>software that > > >> > > >>>the distribution doesn't currently have, such > as > > OpenOffice, > > >> > > >>nVidia > > >> > > >>>drivers (or scripts to obtain, build, and > install > > them if > > >> > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better http://health.yahoo.com
