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Thread: Promoting Linux through School?

  1. #1
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    Promoting Linux through School?

    Over the past summer I've been talking to people and gotten expierence as well as working and setting up the club I'll be having over the upcoming school year (high school).

    The thing is that many people are too scared to even tryLinux or in this case Ubuntu. I've heard lots of "friends" complain about their computers being a slug ( malware...what else?)... One of my friends suggested to try Ubuntu and see if they liked it or not. Immediately , they were like in some state of fear and then making claims that Linux isn't compatible and that it's too hard to use.
    Not to mention , several people referred me to as one of those "church people who try to convert you into their religion" ( that's rather harsh from my opinion and I've gotten frustrated from such feedback)

    Main point : Considering from that experience , that would be a typical HS student? Due to the fact that everyone is so used to Windows , they fear change and anything different.

    Me and one of my friends got onto Linux mainly because of boredom and that we wanted to try something different.

    So the situation is that I'm making a school club that's promoting Linux and open-source (but at the same time giving users choice to use both Windows or Linux since I'm not anti-Microsoft). I've asked people about what they think of it...they all say that it's gonna probably just immediately fail. ( Thing is that there's no other tech club at school )

    Here's a brochure I made that me and my friend would be distributing on "Club Day 2007"
    they're 2 pictures of front and back of the brochure.
    So basically what would be good ways into getting people into linux w/o the impression of them thinking we're like "church people"?

  2. #2
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    Re: Promoting Linux through School?

    Hmm, it's quite hard to promote linux, becouse people are so used to windows (as you alredy noticed).. I thing that good way of promoting linux are install parties.. People are sceptic but probably curios enough to come to see what's happeining They are usualy thrilled after turning on compiz and deskotop efects.. After the demonstration share some cd's and offcourse, explain that they can boot it in live mode without actually installing the OS. This will give them time of getting used to new system.. But the number of "converted ones" will still probably be quite small, peoples are simply too pasive..

  3. #3
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    Re: Promoting Linux through School?

    I always like to point out that Ubuntu has gotten Top 100 products for 2006 and 2007 from PC Magazine. Only one other operating system has ever made it into the Top 100, and that was Mac OS X. Also, point out the dual boot capabilities
    Impari Systems, Inc
    http://www.imparisystems.com

  4. #4
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    Re: Promoting Linux through School?

    The best way i've found to get people to try linux is to let them install vista

  5. #5
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    Re: Promoting Linux through School?

    Quote Originally Posted by rzrgenesys187 View Post
    The best way i've found to get people to try linux is to let them install vista
    LOL! to true!

    I got onto Ubuntu out of boredom as well and lack of software stimulation in my engineering course. The best way found to get people onto Ubuntu was to introduce them to the idea of hundreds of free software packages, do cool things with Ubuntu and tell them about it.

    A lot of my friends can't afford vista and when I brought my laptop to varsity and showed them Beryl and Compiz on my Ubuntu machine running matlab they where very impressed. also, the free algebraic system and IDE's got them interested. Though we are electrical engineers and geeks by default - so it might have been easier for me to interest my friends in a new toy than it would be to interest highschool kids.

    Anyway - show them that you can play games on linux, that stuff is free and that Ubuntu is cool to work with and VERY customizable and thee'll come over to the brown side. Don't try and convert them - rather make them see the limits of windows for them selves. I have had many a person that are hapy with windows, I've also had a couple of very ignorent people come acros my path. If the people are open minded and you are relaxed about the whole thing, the people that should convert will and the people that shouldn't won't.

    It's better that way, if you force some one to try Ubuntu they are gonna try and XP-fy it and it'll just frustrate them.

    Anyway, I like the front of the brochure, thought he back imediatly screams TECHY and that might scare people off. Keep it basic and noobish?

    Further I think your doing a great thing!

    Cheers,

    Rudolf
    My philosophy in life: If it's not broken, tweak it 'till it breaks.

  6. #6
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    Re: Promoting Linux through School?

    You can try focusing more in compiz-fusion/beryl and many open source programs, look for the funnier to use that you can find. Install parties are a good idea too.

  7. #7
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    Re: Promoting Linux through School?

    Quote Originally Posted by por100pre1 View Post
    You can try focusing more in compiz-fusion/beryl and many open source programs, look for the funnier to use that you can find. Install parties are a good idea too.
    I'm thinking of doing that but with Install Fests...I can't think of any good locaton with internet access (school's internet is like worse than dial-up even though it's T1 shared among the whole district)

    update 1: today I got an advisor to comply (he was somewhat eager too ) with LXS...

    Now I just wonder about one thing....we have a daily bulletin that allows us to put 3 lines worth of stuff to 'advertise' our club...however , i'm having a sorta hard time trying to figure out what works best with 'joe-average' besides no mal-ware...( i also want to include some stuff like learning how to build a comp. since i suppose it's 'cool' for us high schoolers )
    Last edited by t3chb0y; September 12th, 2007 at 09:21 AM.

  8. #8
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    Re: Promoting Linux through School?

    I'll be honest, I am on the fence myself. So I know how the others feel. I think that Linux is a good system from the different distros I tried out but for me to tear away from Windows right away is hard to do. I do understand the advantages and disadvantages of Linox but I am stuck in the middle waiting for a hard sell. I'm not saying that I am not willing to try Linux. Like in previous threads I've read, I'm in fear of voiding any warranty I have if I install Linux. Tjhats where my problem lies right now.

  9. #9
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    Re: Promoting Linux through School?

    Quote Originally Posted by RedAFlame570 View Post
    I'll be honest, I am on the fence myself. So I know how the others feel. I think that Linux is a good system from the different distros I tried out but for me to tear away from Windows right away is hard to do. I do understand the advantages and disadvantages of Linox but I am stuck in the middle waiting for a hard sell. I'm not saying that I am not willing to try Linux. Like in previous threads I've read, I'm in fear of voiding any warranty I have if I install Linux. Tjhats where my problem lies right now.
    Warranty is voided with Linux ?

    If it was a hardware failure of any kind ..the manufacturer should be able to cover it regardless...

  10. #10
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    Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn

    Re: Promoting Linux through School?

    how about using the ubuntu hype, the ubuntu club
    or use those penguin cg movies.

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