Rick Carlson wrote:
Gee... Meetings oriented towards newbies with a bunch of seasoned
experienced KPLUG guys standing around with nothing to do?
I wonder how they got to be seasoned and experienced?
I am sure no one helped explain things to them when they were starting
out. Their experience and knowledge probably popped fully formed into
their heads one day while they were busy standing around making fun of
people who were not as smart as they were.
I was referring to the time during the newbie presentation. It is
preferred that we don't talk while the presenter is talking. So we get a
bunch of experienced guys sitting there for an hour being bored. I don't
mind it so much as I am willing to wait through it to help the newbies
when the kibitzing time comes.
Or, just a thought here, maybe you would get more people interested in
attending if they actually felt welcome? You know, radical things like
actually listening to what they say instead of dismissing out of hand
what they try to contribute. It is great to be in an exclusive club but
I don't think anyone is dismissing anything out of hand. There seems to
be little point in trying what we tried before which didn't work.
Maybe you need to turn your perspective around. There are people who are
teaching computers and Linux in schools and non-traditional venues.
Got any names? We would love to help them. I reached out to Jordan Zebor
at San Diego school district (sandi.net) who was supposedly trying to
teach Linux a few times and never heard back from him. We also set up an
LTSP lab at Hickman elementary school but none of the teachers aside
from our sponsor there were interested in using it and as soon as he
left so did the lab.
These are sources of people who have shown an above average interest in
Linux. How many of those Instructors are telling their students about
KPLUG and encouraging them to get involved? How many KPLUG members are
doing that instructing? Why aren't those students beating down the doors
to join KPLUG?
Because the students have most of the support they need online and from
their classmates. Going to actual physical meetings just isn't cool
anymore in the age of the internet. I believe that is the point that
started off this whole sub-thread.
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