Re: Installfests (WAS: Re: [ossig] FOSS Meet)

[Colin Charles <byte@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 2004-11-05 at 16:12 +0800, Nah Soo Hoe wrote:

> I am still not very convinced of the value of install fests here locally.  
> My perception of install fest had always been that the user who brings her 
> machine along to be installed with Linux _will_definitely_ run into some 
> problems when she tries to use it at home later.  So unless the user is 
> someone who is used to getting answers herself from manuals, 
> documentation, ml and the Internet etc. or there is some form of local 
> support structure e.g. local user groups where she can turn to for help 
> and who is willing to help her, she will probably end up frustrated and 
> with a poor opinion of Linux and OSS.  Mind you, this user will probably 
> also face problems if she were using MS-Windows but she will find that it 
> will be easier for her to share her problems with others around her e.g. 
> family members, relatives, neighbours, colleagues etc.    

Agreed. Is MYOSS or OSSIG not a user group? Can't the MNCC stand by
behind their open source SIG? Or has all quietness broke lose ;-)

This is also a good opportunity for support companies to come into the
play. Reasonable support rates might be useful here too

For the record though, I've had a system at home running just to provide
e-mail, surfing the Net and typing simple documents for the past few
years, with no issues. Dialup TMNet account. Machine in question is a
Celeron 466 with 64MB of RAM running Red Hat Linux 8.0. User in
question? My grandma :0)

Nothing has broken since, though I fear she may get rooted on the Net;
its dialup, so it hasn't worried me much. Am carrying back a 256mb stick
of RAM, and will pop FC3 there the next time I'm around

> Another issue will be that the user will probaly be an existing MS-Windows 
> user who wants to try out this thingy called Linux which she had heard so 
> much of.  So her expectation in all likelihood will be for the Linux 
> system to behave just like her MS-Windows system which as we know is 
> usually not the case and indeed should not be the case.  

Ubuntu and Fedora Core 3. Have you seen how well GNOME works towards the
user? Simple interface, plug in USB thumb drive and it auto-detects,
etc... its mighty friendly

I know many are turned off by Red Hat/Fedora, but folk might want to
give it a whirl, and you'd certainly be impressed. Sure, there's no MP3
support or DVD decoding by default, but thats both Ubuntu/FC

> Of course install fests can be useful for making people aware of Linux and 
> OSS and demonstrating to the general public the features of Linux and OSS. 
>  In this case then the emphasis should be more on the education, demos and 
> awareness activities.  The installation part will be more of a "gimmicky" 
> thing to grab people's attention.

Ala OSS-101. And people paid RM50 (or RM100?) to come to it... This was
minus the installfest. Anyone know the impact that OSS-101 had on the
community?

> I must admit that I have never participated in an install fest myself 
> before and what I said above is based on what I perceive things to be.  So 
> what is the actual experience on this?  Also I am keen to know from others 
> who had done install fests locally before what is the local experience?  

Here, we've seen users come back to install-fests, not because they've
broken their computer, but because they wanted new upgrades

Its generally successful. But the dynamics here and there are different.
Here, the moment you're at an install fest, you become a member of the
local linux user group. You join the list. All members are inivited to
user group meetings - held once a month - at an auditorium, that seats
~220 folk (its usually 60-70% full, or greater). Here members learn cool
new things and stuff. Before and after the meeting are sessions for
dinner, and the meeting lasts for about 2.5 hours - so there are two
talks on the beginner and advanced stream. In addition to e-mail and a
monthly meet, there's also an IRC channel

To make it more enticing for people to come, there are giveaways - maybe
a book, some linux distro on a CD, or a penguin. All helped by rand()
and a seat number

Can ossig take the heat from end-users? Can ossig organise monthly
meetings? Oh, did I mention, the meetings are _free_. People love to
come to free events, esp. when there's a chance to get a free gift -
dinner is pay your own, and you get to ask questions and get them
answered
-- 
Colin Charles, byte@aeon.com.my
http://www.bytebot.net/
"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, 
then you win." -- Mohandas Gandhi


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