"As of March, we have 37 financial members. This represents a decline
from 51 members twelve months ago. I suspect that this is merely due to
inadequate promotion on our part. A challenge we currently face is
presenting a good reason to become a member. Other than voting rights
and a warm and fuzzy feeling, the benefit is admittedly minimal."
I don't know if this is the place to raise this, but as a new member I
can think of two things that might help:
1. Make it possible to obtain and renew membership online -- or even by
snailmail -- rather than having to physically attend a meeting (right
now, for instance, I'm not a member because I don't get into town when
the meetings are on).
2. Take advantage of the increasing interest in Linux on the desktop by
setting up an Applications SIG and/or focussing on applications at some
events. I'm a great fan of Linux and a full-time user, and I want it to
succeed as much as anyone, but my interest in programming is virtually
nil. As a home user there's no need for me to know about security, I
really don't want to build or fix my own computer, and I spent the first
five years of my career in computing getting as far away from the
command line as possible. So most of the talks and events scheduled by
SLUG hold no interest for me.
What would I like to see? For starters:
* New and upgraded applications demonstrated and discussed
* Distros compared and evaluated
* Using Linux with various peripherals -- scanners, printers, tablets,
multiple screens
* Bash programming techniques -- but keeping it simple
* OpenOffice techniques and macros
* GIMP, Inkscape, Scribus techniques
* Occasional discussions of games and multimedia software
* Giveaways? Door prizes of distro DVDs? Free or discounted technical
assistance to members? SLUG wallpapers and themes?
I don't want to alienate the technical gurus, but I suspect that over
the next five years or so there will be increasing numbers of people in
the same situation that I am. So if you are looking for ways to promote
SLUG, that's my two cents' worth. Right now it all seems very technical
and insular.
Jon.
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