Alabama Lugfest

[crane]

The Alabama lugfest planning is underway.
Current Info:
Date: Aug. 11, 2007 (Sat)
Place: UAB (Still Open to better place if we find one)
Time: All Day
Now, we could still use some help. First please go by barcamp.org/AlabamaLugFest2007 (http://barcamp.org/AlabamaLugFest2007) and add yourself to the list if you plan to join us. Also add yourself if you want to help.
Current things we are needing help with.

Finding Sponsors
We need people to give presentations
Help with set-up
attendees!

The presentations can be on any topic of your choice.
If you know anyone who may be interested in sponsoring please let me know.
And most important remember, attendees are what power this whole thing. We want a large turn-out. I will be there representing Ubuntu and the Alabama Team, please join me!

More information to come.

[crane]

Just a -bump- to help remind everyone. If you would like to attend please post here and let us know.

[crane]

OK, The Date has been changed to Sept 22 2007. We are wanting people to step up and offer to do a presentation on whatever subject they like. We are shooting for a minimum of 10 presentation for the show. (we already have about 5 -6)

Also if anyone wants to help or knows an interested sponsor please let us know.
If you are interested in coming please go to the link in the first post and add yourself on that page. We are going to do the LugFest in a barcamp style.
Remember attendees are what drives this. Let us know if your planning on attending!

Thanks

[michaelramm]

OK, the LUGfest is NEXT WEEKEND!!!

I am going to try to come up to B'ham for a little of it. Do we have any plans set? I have never been to one before, so I don't know what to expect.

Michael

[MerlinsLair]

Wouldn't mind helping out but for starters, I work Saturdays and am still a n00b when it comes to Ubuntu or Linux in general. Still in the learning phase. :)

However, if I can be of help in some other way, let me know. I'll try to do what I can. :guitar:

[crane]

Thanks to everyone that showed up. Sadly I was unable to make it due to some personal/family issues. I here it was a lot of fun. I think someone got some pics so i will try to post them on the wiki or in flickr when I get a get them.
We will be starting on planning the next one before to long, and I urge everyone to help out if they can.
Don;t forget we are working on a Southeast Linux Fest as well. I will keep everyone posted.

[WillieDaPimp]

I attended the LUGfest and was personally disappointed with what I saw. I didn't expect anything to be perfect, but when some one says you're not running linux unless your running 'Slackware' than that is a major turn off to newbies. I brought along a friend who has just started dabbling in linux and another friend who has never tried linux. Comments that were made under one guys breath as he walked by about me having a "child's desktop" was certainly uncalled for and the comment about if you don't run slackware than you're not running linux was absurd. I've ran Slackware, LFS, Gentoo, FreeBSD, Debian, Red Hat, Fedora, Mandriva, Ubuntu, and many others. I know from personal experience that you ARE running linux if you are running a distro other than slackware. Being an advocate for your distro of choice is great, and you should advocate your distro, but to be that big of an idiot to say something about "if it ain't slackware it ain't linux" is just ridiculous. Me and my friends decided not to come back after the lunch break. Now, that said not everyone there said something like that. One man made the slackware comment and another completely different man made the "child's desktop" comment. Most of the guys there were very polite and helpful. The presentations that we did hear were not exactly what I was into. Mostly networking stuff, and I'm a programmer. But they were informative and well thought out. The guys there for the most part were a nice bunch, but a few rotten apples will spoil the whole tree. I've said this before in forums, chats, and blogs, and I'll say it again.

IF WE ARE TO WIN OVER NEW USERS, YOU CAN NOT BE ARROGANT AND CAN NOT DEGRADE OTHERS.

We will never win the desktop wars with an arrogant attitude and degradation of others. I would have stayed all day long had it not been for the few that made those comments. My friend that has never used linux was very discouraged to even try it after that, and it took alot out of me trying to convince him that we (as in linux users) aren't all like that. Anyway, my point is, think before you speak, lets try to bring in new users and teach them instead of run them off. Maybe next year will be a little better.

[crane]

I would like to offer an apology for what was said. I can only hope that what was said was intended to be a joke and was just delivered/taken wrong.
I can't imagine anyone in the B'ham Lug making such comments. But, there were other lugs present and an few out of town people as well.
I will pass on that the remarks were made because I feel the same as you. Linux is Linux, a certain distro does not make you a linux user or not.
I hope your friends do not let the actions of some effect their ideas on the whole. Maybe we should have an install fest when Gutsy comes out and we can help them see that Ubuntu is Linux and not to difficult.
I am sorry I did not make it, I would have loved to have met you guys.

[WillieDaPimp]

Thanks for the apology. I have convinced my friend that has never used linux to give it a try and to attend a local lug in Dallas, TX. He was just here visiting. My other friend has linux already on his three systems at home and NOW they are all running Ubuntu. I had to convince him to scrap Mandriva. The guys at the lugfest convinced him more than I did, cause he told me they all gave him bad looks when he mentioned the fact that he was running Mandriva. Anyway, he now has Fiesty on all his systems and I am now getting him to delve deeper into all sorts of linux endeavors. I even helped him download and compile E17, which is my WM of choice, but anyway I knew that it must have been someone from another LUG or someone making a joking comment. The thing about it is we have to think about our comments before we make them, cause what you think of as a joke, somebody else might take to heart. We can't afford to run potential linux users back to MS.

P.S. A Gutsy installfest.....hmm sounds fun :)

[crane]

Well, from what I gather, I believe this may be a case of a joke being delivered/received the wrong way. I know the 2 slack guys there and I promise if they made a comment about slack being the only true linux then it was a joke. These guys are really helpful and great people.
Please let your friend know that nothing said was meant to be hateful or mean. Hope to see you guys at the install fest!

Peace