Rob Beard wrote: > On 16/01/2009 12:31, David King wrote: > >> I know what you mean about the beard and sandals. Just look at a picture >> of Richard Stallman -- would you trust a man who looks like that to >> create your OS? >> >> > Why not, I trust him far more than the shy and retiring, > /softly/-/spoken/ CEO of Microsoft, /Steve/ "Sounds of Silence" /Ballmer > (okay I borrowed that bit from The Inquirer - > http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/680/1047680/ballmer-blames-pirates-for-poor-vista-sales)/ > > > >> Stallman has done much for the free software movement, and I respect him >> greatly (for his ideas), but for a newcomer who might see his picture, >> his lack of visits to the barber might well be very off-putting, and >> gives computing in general a kind of elitist hippy image that the >> average person in the street would do anything to avoid. >> >> > I agree with that. My other half was put off when I mentioned I wanted > the Linux Format Richard Stallman t-shirt. :-) > >> There is no reason why a person who is friendly with barbers should not >> also be good with Ubuntu or running a LUG. I have never been to a LUG, >> but mostly because I do not have the time, and their meetings take place >> in the evening, when I am working. >> >> >> > I remember when I went to my first LUG meet. I went on my own, not > knowing anyone and the first thing I saw was a couple of the LUG members > wearing Debian t-shirts and gave me the impression that anything other > than Debian wasn't accepted. Luckily I found another newbie to talk to > which put me a bit more at ease. I just think that it can be a little > off-putting sometimes when there are a bunch of geeky types who don't > mingle and introduce themselves to new visitors, they generally just > keep themselves to themselves. > > On the other hand I thought that the Ubuntu event in Swindon couldn't > have been more different with Dianne and a couple of the other > Ubuntu-UKers introducing themselves to new visitors and putting them at > ease. > >> Hopefully most people who want to use Ubuntu will see it and its users >> in a positive light (regardless of facial hair and footwear). >> >> >> > Hopefully. I always make a point of not wearing sandals when I go to a > LUG meet. Can't do much about the beard though, my other half wants me > to keep that (but it is trimmed, and not Richard Stallman style). > > Rob > > >> David King >> >> >> piskie wrote: >> >> >>> I didn't even know about it to be honest. Looked around for a local LUG >>> last year and didn't get far at the time so gave up, probably due to the >>> last time I looked - which was I hasten to add a long time ago - I found >>> one that was very 'beard and sandles' :) >>> >>> I won't be able to make this one - but once I get a bit of time, I'll >>> try to make the next soton one. >>> >>> piskie >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> > > > On the other hand, find a pic of Linus and he looks very respectable, so as we are promoting Linux rather than free software, then that could be a way forward.
Paul -- Paul Sutton www.zleap.net Support Open and ISO standard file formats e.g ISO 26300 odt http://www.oasis-open.org/home/index.php Next Linux User Group meet : Feb 7th : 3pm (TBC), Shoreline Cafe Paignton -- [email protected] https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-uk https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UKTeam/
