Marieke Thayer wrote: > gossamer axe wrote: >.. >>.. Most computer users want to get >> flash >> working with their web browser, be able to view videos their friends send >> them, download pictures from their digital camera, get their usb scanner >> working, upload music to their mp3 player, rip/encode their own CDs, >> burn >> CDs/DVDs and how to fix minor problems when things go wrong. It may seem >> trivial to the guru's in the group, but most users don't do much more >> than >> what I've stated above...
What's the best way of collecting ideas like the above? Probably it needs to be dynamic -- "..most users want (today)..". Something like tagging, I suppose. Old fashioned ways like suggestion forms, don't seem to work very well, how do we get the new fashioned ways working? A kiosk at meetings and installfests? Still need some web programming (I suppose), to make the UI as intuitive and painless as possible. .. >> .. I also believe that advertising the >> meetings in non-computer publications might help attendance. .. > I agree with Judy, but maybe you have the tools to keep everybody happy. > I found the group through That Technical bookstore, when they suggested > an installfest that was there. What if you kept the meetings more or > less as they are with an occasional talk aimed at beginners, added help > for beginners learning linux to installfests and advertised them more. > You could even add a short talk to an installfest like Basic Linux > Backups or Basic Linux Security or Putting Together a .profile.You could > try to get beginners signed up for the Newbie's list and post some notes > there a couple days later. > > The advertising is the key thing. The Reader is free advertising, but it > hasn't helped much with recruiting new morris dancers. Somebody has to > pay attention and put the advertisement into the Reader about a week and > a half before the installfest. This can be done online and you may even > get an online ad too. The general rule is to get the ad in before the > end of Friday Business Hours for the following Thursday. You only get > one ad per event on the Thursday immediately before the event. You could > even put the talk title into the ad. > "occasional talk aimed at beginners" -- we do try, but need to keep reminding ourselves of suitable topics and encouraging presentation-volunteers to consider those topics. See my remarks above about collecting ideas (and keeping them current). "added help for beginners" -- we can use some fresh thinking here! We have tried writing a book[1], providing a website[2a] and wiki[2b], running lists[3], and installfests[4] with varying success. I have a feeling that what's lacking includes focus, mission, continuity, and (most important) a champion (or a pair?) to take charge. I guess, this is an expected problem with volunteer orgs ... what should we do about it? [1] http://www.kernel-panic.org/Members/pacneil/beginner Problems: hard to do on a volunteer basis; incomplete, out-of-date, hard to skim, not as good as "real" books, .. [2a] http://www.kernel-panic.org [2a] http://www.kernel-panic.org/wiki/ Problems: mostly same as for note 1 above. disorganization, weak search tool, lacking in navigational and cross-reference aids, largely unpolished [3] http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo (especially -newbie, but also -main) Success: pretty decent record of providing individual help (I think) Problems: needs to capture solutions to a FAQ and/or database [4] http://www.kernel-panic.org/wiki/Installfest Success: seems generally effective, and popular but declining Problems: could use more publicity, more helper-dwarves, capturing of problem resolution Regards, ..jim -- KPLUG-List@kernel-panic.org http://www.kernel-panic.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/kplug-list
