Ubuntu Presentation - Thoughts and comments

[JosephMarc]

Hi,
We're from the lebanese loco team and came here for assistance(seeing that there is no general loco forum, if this section is inappropriate, mods please move this).
Our goal is to get people to know more about ubuntu in our country(where technological retardation is rampant) , so that people can decide which alternative to opt for. The following presentation is aimed at both high-school and university audiences.

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Part I: Ubuntu born from the word 'Open Source'

1. Defining the word Ubuntu; Explaining the slogan Linux For Human Beings:
   • A short brief about GNU/Linux & UNIX and what is a distribution in Linux.
   • After that going through what is open source, without open source Mac OS X wouldn't be here.

• B. Delivering The "Free Software Promise"
  • The Economics Are Different:
    • - Available globally, free of charge
    • - Free security updates for a predictable period
    • - Real commercial support available from many companies
  • The Culture Is Different
    • - Community governance and structures
    • - Open to all participants, at all levels ( How you can see Ubuntu used by Enterprises at the same time by normal users, no "Enterprise editions" etc. Trusted by everyone )
    • - Transparency

Part II: Software in Ubuntu

• Software stability, making the system more stable
• Explaining what is packages - Giving some credit for Debian and GNU/Linux
• Ubuntu comes with every software you need preinstalled(Web browsing,IM,Office suite and so on )
  • - It's up to you to choose which app suits you the best, depending on your preferences features you require
• Listing the alternatives ( OpenOffice.org = Microsoft office ) and so on
• Ease of installation and management and how all software comes from one repository

Part III: Comparison of Windows & Ubuntu

• Reminding people of Windows
• How it won the marketing battle ( because there was no user-friendly linux which Ubuntu now offers, FUD, monopoly... )
• Advantages/Disadvantages over Windows (Speed/Security/Stability)/(Compatibility)
• How you should do maintenance for Windows as if you're maintaining a car, from scanning for viruses, running defrag, and how Ubuntu runs on a more minimal system and so on...
• $150 for an OS ?!
• How commercial licensing is annoying & piracy consequences

Part IV: Certifications: Ubuntu is the answer, not the alternative one

• How Ubuntu is used by Dell,HP & IBM, and backed up by cannonical/
• Used in Major companies for there servers & some for their desktops
• Promising a bright future for Ubuntu
• Encouraging to contribute
• How to get Ubuntu ( Interested audience will get an Ubuntu CD )

Finally we let users feel it practically, by showing off compiz for example and other stuff.

***

For the original post with all suggestions see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LebanonTeam/Presentations

This presentation is also going to be translated in French and be edited as a censored version with no microsoft mention whatsoever(Only way to get accepted in some establishments).

Any suggestions and advices on getting things up and running are welcome.

Best regards
JosephMarc(speaking in the name of the leb loco team)

[wilee-nilee]

I think your messages are good but in the end it comes down to people feeling comfortable with the operating system. Personally I would shy away from any finger pointing as to what or who is better, I think Linux speaks for itself quite well it just takes a little time to understand how it works. If you try to give the the complete history of Debian and Linux---etc I suspect a lot of people will be overwhelmed by this information. Good Job on trying to give an area of the world that is so stereotyped in the media a different choice or alternatives, we are all human beings and should have the equality that is inherent in this ideal. I think that that tendency of equating the dichotomy of good and evil applied to operating systems is not a good way of informing people. there is always a huge gray area between these two opposing ideals. I am a primarily a Linux user that is where I started, but I run into needing to know how to use windows and apple at times in areas outside of my personal use, like in business, school---etc. So I have a legal copy of Xp on a new netbook so that I can travel with ease.

[JosephMarc]

Hi wilee-nilee,
Thank you for supporting us in our endeavor, we hope to achieve a great deal with this presentation.
First of all, we want to introduce ubuntu to the public, so yes I agree that it all has to do with the end user getting the hang of it in the end, but how can they do so without even knowing what ubuntu is?
Second, we are looking to suit the average Joe's needs, with ubuntu you can browse the web with relative security out of the box and chat with your friend exactly as in windows, so the big question here is why the average Joe should pay 150$ for an OS?And piracy should also be refuted by both windows and ubuntu advocates(IMHO). The answer?Ubuntu.
You also misunderstood the primary goal of the windows/ubuntu comparison, we want to give users a reason to try out Ubuntu, and the best way to do so is to list what ubuntu has to offer that windows doesn't, this is no preaching or fanboyism, we also intend to inform the audience of ubuntu disadvantages(such as compatibility).
I would also appreciate if you could give us specific feedback on the presentation, what do you think we should add/remove/merge?

Thank you for your interest
JosephMarc

[wilee-nilee]

Once again I think that it is really admirable to help the people of this region, some of the nicest genuine people I know are from the area. I can't really give you a really good dissertation of where it should be different, I think you are all on the right track. The problems with MS software are not so much the software but the users probably not being informed on the social engineering, phishing---etc. I watched several people I know just go on with regular use of their computers that were infected as if they were just used to it, until the computers were unusable, and lucky for them we have a computer science major friend who is willing to fix their computers for free, otherwise the 2 hour job on one alone to clean it at the going rate of 100$ per hour was outside of the users budget, they didn't even have a good AV setup as limiting as they are. As a Linux user mainly If I see anything that looks strange I fix it fortunately it is never the usual suspects in the MS world. I guess really I would just watch for the glazed eye look of over informing people with stuff that is hard to understand and hard to follow or remember. If you can give people a set of documents to refer to within the information setting and for reference afterward this seems like a good way of doing things. Good luck I wish you all the best in this endeavor.