On Tue, 22 Feb 2000, Jerry wrote:
> My suggestion is to open the doors at 9 AM so that people can wander about
> the lab with a few of us explaining applications, installs, networking,
> etc, so that they can have a feel for what the speakers are saying. And if
> we can get vendors to display, then they can also wander around the booths
> or whatever a vendor can setup.
This would be great, especially if we have a large turnout with varied
times of arrival.
What happens if we have a low turn out? We should be prepared for this
possibility. We don't want people standing around bored; that'll chase the
VARs away faster then anything. The VARs could be off making money somewhere
in that case.
Ideas? I think we might be able to handle this simply by keeping things
flexible and selectively opening/closing sections of the show to meet demand,
but I really don't know.
What happens if we get slammed with lots of people? (I really can't think
of anything here -- just turn 'em away at the door?)
> Speakers should be spaced at like 10:30 - 11:30, 1:00-2:00, and 3:00-4:00,
> thus allowing for breaks and more wandering, with the labs and vendors
> open till 5 or so.
5 PM may be too late for a Saturday. Or 10:30 AM too early.
We don't want to get carried away. This will work best if your average
attendee doesn't have to spend all day there. A half-day event may well be
better off for a first try.
I think an hour is Way Too Long for your average presentation. 30 - 45
minutes would be much better. If someone has an incredibly good, knock 'em
dead in their seats show, maybe, but an hour of talking about cash registers
running Linux is going to bore people to death.
Remember, these are business suits, not Linux enthusiasts. We (or at least,
I) could spend all day listening to Linux evangelism. These people won't.
> I am trying to understand the agenda because the magazine press release
> deadlines are very near. I have a few weeks for newspapers and the TV
> stations, but the business magazines have long lead times.
We don't have to commit to an entire agenda right away. We can point them
to the website and grow the website as we flesh things out. (Yes, I know the
website ain't up yet -- see the end of this message.)
That being said, here are the major elements I think we can include. I'm
giving catchy titles here so we can get a handle on what we want to call them.
If someone wants more/less/different items (or titles), speak now.
- "What is Linux" (general presentation by LUGer(s))
- "Linux: Real Use in Real Business" (case studies/keynotes)
- "Linux Demonstrations" (specific demos by LUGers)
- "Try Linux Yourself"
- "Got Support?" (VARs, ISVs, etc.)
Breakdown follows ("abbreviations" in parenthesis).
"What Is Linux" (WIL)
---------------------
Strange as it may seem to us, of the 260 million people in the USA, most of
them still really don't know what Linux is. We should have a brief (30 mins
or so) presentation on What Linux Is and What It Can Do For You. This is a
general, high-level, non-technical, business-oriented presentation. Beowulf
clusters and programming lingo do not impress. Low TCO, good ROI, high
reliability, and Apache market share do impress.
This should be a presentation we can do over and over again, so early birds
and late comers alike can catch it. A specific presentation should be
presented by a single person, for continuity. (But different people can do it
at different times, so we don't wear any one person out.)
We can thrash out what specific aspects to include in a separate thread,
assuming people like this idea and we want to go with it.
"Linux: Real Use in Real Business" (REAL)
-----------------------------------------
These are what we have been calling "keynotes", although they are more like
case studies. These are people like (e.g.) Burlington Coat Factory or Virtual
Airways, who have successfully used Linux to run a significant aspect of their
business. These are great: They function as proof points. They demonstrate
that Linux really does mean business.
We need to get some sort of idea on who is going to be there. Asking for a
"firm commitment" is perhaps a bit early, but something beyond a note on a dry
erase board is needed. Penciled in at least, erasable pen if possible. :-)
We need to figure out what our "What is Linux" presentation will cover, and
let then know, so they don't over duplicate things. We should take care of
the run-of-the-mill "Linux is a free OS..." stuff; let them talk about their
*unique* things.
Then, once they have a rough idea of what they will be talking about, we
need to hear from them about it, so we can spread the word.
"Linux Demonstrations" (DEMOS)
------------------------------
These are smaller demonstrations run by maybe one to three people,
demonstrating a particular aspect of Linux that would mean something to a
business person. These would be smaller, more interactive, more up-close
things. Suggestions:
Interoperability with Windows: Have a Linux server (just a box with lights),
a Linux workstation (full X11 GUI with KDE) and a Win32 workstation. Someone
creates a document in MS Tu^H^HWord on the Windoze box, saves it to the Linux
server. Linux luser opens it in $APPLICATION, it looks the same. If
$APPLICATION is "StarOffice", we can also demo it as being the same on Linux
and Windows. Demonstrate Netscape -- also the same on both. Show someone
using a GUI email reader on the Linux workstation; show someone else reading
email via MS Lookout on Win32, but via IMAP to Linux server. You get the
idea.
Linux Applications: Lots of GUI. KDE. GNOME. Gnumeric. Applixware. The
GIMP. Star Office/K Office/GNOME Office/Corel Office/Whatever Office. Lots
of flashy graphics. "Look at the bright shiny GUI!" Shameless style over
substance promotion here, but be ready to demonstrate substance if need be.
"Try Linux Yourself" (TLY)
--------------------------
We already have a lab full of Linux workstations. Load them up with a
variety of software and let people loose on them. Have some LUGers in there
to answer questions and point things out.
"Got Support?" (SUPPORT)
------------------------
(The title is a play on the "Got Milk?" ads, of course. Anyone have a font
that looks like the one the American Dairy Council uses?)
Third-party support is critical to small and medium sized businesses.
These folks often cannot afford to grow their own sysadmin; they have to
borrow their VAR's. So we get VARs (Value Added Resellers), ISVs (Independent
Software Vendors), and the like there to prove that they are ready to support
businesses if they choose to go the Linux route. All we need are some tables,
power outlets, and outside interest. The first two are done -- what about the
third?
> Do we have a count of how many and who has volunteered to assist with
> demos, and such, and the applications we think are what we want to show?
I'll volunteer to do anything I can the day of the event, and also in
practices leading up to it. I can contribute material to WIL and to Demos.
I can get any software we want up and running in the lab for TLY, if it is
free or handed to me.
> I have Taos, Inc offering to sponsor us with food (snacks and drinks)...
Excellent! By "sponsor", do they mean "pay for it all", or "pay for some"
of it?
> I think each chapter of GNHLUG should have a table with a rep signing up
> people from their area for new members ( it has been suggested we contact
> the Maine group to ask them if thye would like to have a table as well).
This may be overkill. A single table for LUG sign-ups, where the marks
indicate the LUG they are close to, may be more appropriate. Comments?
> Ben Scott, do you have a list of people and applications that were
> discussed to show?
All I've heard so far is a few office suites (StarOffice, Applixware, Corel
WP, Abiword). I'm going to start a separate thread on gnhlug-org to query
what applications people think are good.
> Ben, will you work with me to make a special page on the GNHLUG site for
> an LBUD agenda page and tie your form to it? I think every chapter that
> has a site should link to the form page as well.
I'll have this done, or a damn good excuse as to why it's not, by 2359 EST
Wednesday, or the beer at the next SLUG/LBS meeting is on me.
Press on! :-)
--
Ben Scott <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
| "He who fights monsters should see to it that in the process he himself |
| does not become a monster." -- Frederick Wilhelm Nietzsche |
