Advocacy for LUG's in Their Communities?

~-zman-~ asks: "How should Linux User Groups advocate Linux/free software in their community. Obviously, meetings and 'installfests' are good ideas, but my group has been pondering public service announcements and LUG radio. What do you guys think?" Interesting thought. If Microsoft can have TV commercials, why can't LUGs make radio announcements. Click below and share your thoughts, and suggestions.

Distro handouts

[Indomitus]

We've been thinking a bit about this very question in the New Mexico LUG (www.nmlug.org [nmlug.org]). One thing that we do is we have a repository of blank CDRs available for people to get different distros burned onto to try for free. The CDRs are donated by LUG members and since a few of the LUG members work at ISPs around Albuquerque we keep the CDs at our various places of employment for people to come get without having to wait for LUG meetings. This allows people to play with different Linux (also *BSD) distros without having to shell out for the box versions and it spreads good will about the LUG at the same time. We've also been working on labels telling where the discs come from and encouraging people to hand the CDs over to others when they're done.

Maybe somebody at one of the big linux.(com|org) sites might be willing to compile a page from the various suggestions/comments on this topic?

Solutions and Outcomes

[1DeepThought]

I thnik the most important thing is when you get the chance to talk to people talk to them in terms of outcomes and solutions. Don't tell them that Apache on RH 6.1 can serve 100 page views per second (*completely made up example*). Tell them that they can vastly improve their service to their customers by being faster and more available. If they are an induividual don't tell them they will have greater uptime. Tell them that Linux / BSD doesn't crash as often thus they will get more done.

Many techos, myself included make the mistake of talking tech details and all people want to hear is what it can do for them. I think this is one of the most important things we can do.

? "Patience is a virtue, afforded those with nothing better to do." - I don't remember

Press the flesh and kiss the babies.

[perigeeV]

Your local library system is a start. They'll usually give you a space for seminars/installs, and may even put up a signboard if you prove you're not a one-night-stand.
Your newspaper almost always has a local clubs and events section. Try to get into the business insert too. The medium size and up metro areas also have a fair number of "alternative" newspapers. Hit them hard. You get big space for your dollar, and the readership is usually part of your target audience.(Oh my, I'm starting to sound like a marketting droid!)
I have no comment on my whereabouts during the following activities...

• Go to CompUSA, open notepad on as many boxen as you can, and type appropriate anti-Microsoft-tax-Linux-rules messages.
• Put your LUG's phone/contact on the back of all the shrinkwrap OS's.
• Crash your NT-loving brother's computers every chance you get so that he won't loan you RAM anymore.
  

Start with your connections...

[eap]

What I did was contact the local high school's (which happens to be the hs I attended way back when) computer instructor and set up a demonstration for their students. Our lug, the Univ. of Southern Miss LUG (orca.st.usm.edu/~rniess/usmlug.html), installed linux on a spare server they had so their students could use it.

The instructor (who also happens to be the school district's webmaster) appreciated us helping them out, and has asked us to aid with a linux project at the district's central office. Public schools usually like to have visitors from the community work with them, so try that if any of your members have connections.

As far as meeting places go, our other local lug meets at the Books a Million bookstore in the coffee shop. They can bring in machines for demos, and the managers like the extra business.

true community action

[rodentia]

Something I've been rolling around in my head for a few months is perhaps applicable here. I am concerned about the penetration of personal computing in disadvantaged communities, among people of color, new immigrant communities, etc. The tech have/have-not divide is a real one and a real problem.

My thought was to get some grant/foundation money together and begin working with the few agencies and services involved in recycling computer hardware, contributing to their efforts and handing out boxes with Linux pre-installed. Perhaps even doing some ultra-newbie classes, getting free ISP service, how to find help.

Linux makes old gear new, is an astounding tool for learning both the history and the current state of computing and extremely powerful development tools are freely available.

Admittedly, a majority of these machines will end up stacked next to a dumpster somewhere, but the cost is negligible and the potential gain represented by the 10% who would actually learn something, get interested, go further, is immense.

Idea Pool

[jo2y]

Some things I'd like to see happen with my lug are LUG business cards, a book club at the local Barnes and Noble, a newsserver with a lug heirarchy.

One business priciple that applies here is it costs 100 times as much if you lost a customer than it does to keep one.

If you just switch some words in there, and maybe I'm not phrasing it exactly correct, but the idea is that your current members are the best advocates. If you can keep them, happy and enthusiastic about Linux and the LUG, then they will tell their friends and do the job for you.

I'm wondering if someone should talk to Kara, the lug coordinators from linux.com and see about setting up a repository of things that lugs have done and what works and doesn't work. Something in a searchable format, so you can search for ideas that take less than X amount of time to prepare, cost less than Y, and is suited for people with Z level of experience.