Help me presenting FSF,linux,ubuntu next week at a contest.

[Sycron]

So, i have no more than 50minutes to show people from my town, and from many countries the benefits of free software, how it perform on old hardware, what can do, how secure is, an what is the free software foundation. This have to be a bit detailed and it should NEVER be something booring...

The linux impression depends on me, and i don't want to screw up.

I wish to start with a presentation of FSF.
Then show up what can do my 486DX2 66Mhz with my own linux. (yes, there should be a good point why the software should be open source)
Would be a good point to show also how will perform on 630Mhz, intel 915GMA (64MB PCI Express) (eeepc). :)

[Keyper7]

For starters, what level of technical knowledge do the people you're going to present to have?

The first advices I can give, regardless of the answer to the question above, is:

1) Don't do or say anything that might give the slightest impression that you're a zealot, fanatical or simply a fanboy. Avoid generalizations like "Windows is less secure", "There are no virus for Linux" or "Ubuntu is easier to use". Respect people's choices to use other OS'es.

2) At the same time, try to dismantle some common generalizations about FOSS/Linux/Ubuntu. Examples:

"Linux looks ugly and outdated" => show compiz
"in Linux you have to use the terminal all the time" => show the Ubuntu GUIs.
"you get what you pay for, so Linux must suck" => mention that Canonical is a for-profit company that relies on other ways of profiting from software other than simply selling it (support for companies)
etc.

3) Be objective. Focus on practical advantages of freedom and open-sourceness and forget about philosophies and morals. Repositories (distro developer-approved packages which are always installed in a consistent way) are a good example of advantages of open-source. Niche-oriented forks (ex: Flock is a fork of Firefox optimized for social networking) are a good example of advantages of freedom.

4) Admit without reluctance the real disavantages (there's no point in being defensive and ignoring reality), but mention what's being done to solve 'em. Yes, there is less hardware support than Windows, but big players like nvidia, ati and atheros support Linux and the tendency is to grow (show something impressive like plugging a USB printer and it being detected automagically). Yes, Ubuntu does not come with DVD/MP3 playback but there is licensing issues involved and this can be solved by companies pre-installing Ubuntu paying licensing fees, like Dell does. Yes, there are less games for Linux, but little-by-little the major game manufactures are starting to make more Linux ports of their state-of-the-art games. Etc. Etc. Etc.

5) Try to minimize the fear of trying. Mention LiveCDs, Wubi and dual-booting. Offer yourself (or other Linux users you know) to help. Mention the newbie-friendliness of the Ubuntu forums. Show the insane amount of Ubuntu-related guides and howtos you can find in Google. And more importantly, mention that your mileage may vary and one FOSS/Linux/Ubuntu experience, be it bad or good, does not symbolize all experiences.

6) Mention that free software is not necessarily free of charge, and sometimes the payment must be made in the form of contributions. Show how easy it is to use Launchpad and non-techies can contribute (translations, documentation). And don't forget to mention that one should not file a bug report and forget about it: contributing involves a compromise (giving logs, backtraces, testing proposed packages, etc.). Ask the question: does a person who is not paying anything and not contributing anything have the right to demand that everything works?

[Archmage]

I think you should also show how it looks on a good PC.

[billgoldberg]

So, i have no more than 50minutes to show people from my town, and from many countries the benefits of free software, how it perform on old hardware, what can do, how secure is, an what is the free software foundation. This have to be a bit detailed and it should NEVER be something booring...

The linux impression depends on me, and i don't want to screw up.

I wish to start with a presentation of FSF.
Then show up what can do my 486DX2 66Mhz with my own linux. (yes, there should be a good point why the software should be open source)
Would be a good point to show also how will perform on 630Mhz, intel 915GMA (64MB PCI Express) (eeepc). :)

Maybe put some ancient computer there (64mb ram, ....) and put fluxbox on it.

Then let people see that on old hardware linux still flies.

[Sycron]

How do I build a very basic linux with only networking,kernel,busybox,AMP ?

[barbedsaber]

Explain wine
Get someone playing games behind you (maybe a bit much)
DONT FORGET REPOS!

[Sycron]

For starters, what level of technical knowledge do the people you're going to present to have?

The first advices I can give, regardless of the answer to the question above, is:

1) Don't do or say anything that might give the slightest impression that you're a zealot, fanatical or simply a fanboy. Avoid generalizations like "Windows is less secure", "There are no virus for Linux" or "Ubuntu is easier to use". Respect people's choices to use other OS'es.

2) At the same time, try to dismantle some common generalizations about FOSS/Linux/Ubuntu. Examples:

"Linux looks ugly and outdated" => show compiz
"in Linux you have to use the terminal all the time" => show the Ubuntu GUIs.
"you get what you pay for, so Linux must suck" => mention that Canonical is a for-profit company that relies on other ways of profiting from software other than simply selling it (support for companies)
etc.

3) Be objective. Focus on practical advantages of freedom and open-sourceness and forget about philosophies and morals. Repositories (distro developer-approved packages which are always installed in a consistent way) are a good example of advantages of open-source. Niche-oriented forks (ex: Flock is a fork of Firefox optimized for social networking) are a good example of advantages of freedom.

4) Admit without reluctance the real disavantages (there's no point in being defensive and ignoring reality), but mention what's being done to solve 'em. Yes, there is less hardware support than Windows, but big players like nvidia, ati and atheros support Linux and the tendency is to grow (show something impressive like plugging a USB printer and it being detected automagically). Yes, Ubuntu does not come with DVD/MP3 playback but there is licensing issues involved and this can be solved by companies pre-installing Ubuntu paying licensing fees, like Dell does. Yes, there are less games for Linux, but little-by-little the major game manufactures are starting to make more Linux ports of their state-of-the-art games. Etc. Etc. Etc.

5) Try to minimize the fear of trying. Mention LiveCDs, Wubi and dual-booting. Offer yourself (or other Linux users you know) to help. Mention the newbie-friendliness of the Ubuntu forums. Show the insane amount of Ubuntu-related guides and howtos you can find in Google. And more importantly, mention that your mileage may vary and one FOSS/Linux/Ubuntu experience, be it bad or good, does not symbolize all experiences.

6) Mention that free software is not necessarily free of charge, and sometimes the payment must be made in the form of contributions. Show how easy it is to use Launchpad and non-techies can contribute (translations, documentation). And don't forget to mention that one should not file a bug report and forget about it: contributing involves a compromise (giving logs, backtraces, testing proposed packages, etc.). Ask the question: does a person who is not paying anything and not contributing anything have the right to demand that everything works?

Really thanks for you reply , it is very usefull.
I'm just a kid and I sometimes can act in a wrong way withowt even knowing... so can you give me more things like that

"Linux looks ugly and outdated" => show compiz
"in Linux you have to use the terminal all the time" => show the Ubuntu GUIs.
"you get what you pay for, so Linux must suck" => mention that Canonical is a for-profit company that relies on other ways of profiting from software other than simply selling it (support for companies)
etc.

I would really like to say MORE about canonical, repositories but i dont know what to say. Also if you would be the public would you like a presentation of a 486 66Mhz running a html webserver&ftpserver ?

[themissinglink1]

Depending on the technical awareness of your audience; I would ensure that they understand what an operating system is and that there are alternatives to windows. It may seem silly but many average joe users think that a pc and windows are the same thing. Maybe explaining that an OS performs all the tasks that a computer does and that these can be done on different operating systems is a good starting place.

Demonstrating things that people use everyday like email, web, IM, picture editing and office applications; reitarating that these also work with windows using friends/colleagues is more important to most than how to use the terminal.

However Ubuntu/Linux is NOT windows and this must be made clear. There are differences and people will have problems using it and these cant be ignored. BUT pointing them in the direction of the forums, making them aware of the documentation and ease of installation are plus points that can help a new user.

If this is a presentation try doing it on openoffice and telling them that is what you used.... try making it as eye catching as possible this will help to show your audience the capability of an opensource alternative to msoffice that they will all have used.

I agree that some compiz eye candy would pull in users however these effects are not perfect and cant be used on all machines.... I think its a good idea but discretion is needed.

I think it is important to relay the opensource idea; to show that these applications are free but people put a lot of time and effort into these projects and an appreciation of there work may be a good idea.

Most importantly I think is do not scare off your audience with your own possible over excitement (not best worded but...), instead present the facts that matter to people and demonstrate the areas that linux excels and the areas that need improvement.

This all depends all the level of technical awareness of your audience but I hope that helped a little

Chris

[Sycron]

There are pro's from all over the world... i'm just a n00b... I think i'll get intimidate..

How about that 486 ? will people being interesting to see it running a webserver ?

[bashveank]

So are there going to be rather technical people there, or just an average person that runs WinXP on his Dell for checking email?
If the former, than capitalize on the way that Linux has evolved over the years, and is fabulously useful on older hardware and such. If the latter, than just stick to a basic introduction of Linux, cause most people have never heard of it. Talk about how the GPL enables Linux to be a much more secure OS, and also show off some basic Linux apps like Songbird, Firefox, Brassero, and, most importantly, SYNAPTIC. The repos are most definitely the killer app.

And for a technical crowd, a demo of a webserver would be a good idea, but definitely not to the general public, they don't care.

[hessiess]

How do I build a very basic linux with only networking,kernel,busybox,AMP ?

use a distro like arch, only install what you want.

[cardinals_fan]

Avoid sweeping generalizations such as "Linux is more secure", "Linux is faster", "Ubuntu is easy". Instead, list specific advantages such as:

* the ease of installing with a package manager
* lack of DRM (I know, most people don't care about free-as-in-speech. However, very few enjoy "phoning home" to Microsoft)
* less memory use vs. Vista
* willingness of developers to listen to community input (Brainstorm, etc.)
* with live CDs and Wubi, it's easy and almost risk-free to try

...and a few disadvantages:

* not all hardware is supported
* some software, such as Office, CAD stuff, and most big games aren't supported

...and the big fact to remember: LINUX IS NOT WINDOWS. Windows may be better for many in your audience, but the only way for them to know is to give Linux a shot.

EDIT

A few more thoughts:

* It's fine to mention WINE, but don't make too much out of it. In general, it's ALWAYS better to run apps on the OS they were made for.
* If it's a more technical crowd, show off the server capabilities of Linux.
* You seriously need to reconsider the idea of creating your own distro by next week. Stick with something that exists.
* Demonstrate on both older and newer hardware.
* Show how you use Linux in your daily life.
* I know it's not Linux, but NetBSD would run great on that 486DX2 66Mhz.
* Show the customization possible with Linux. Let people see different window managers, themes, etc.
* The amount will vary depending on your audience (more for techies, less for others), but spend a moment with the command line, showing how the CLI can help handle certain tasks quickly and easily.
* Don't push. Some people will simply be better off using Windows. The goal is to expose them to Linux, not to convert them.

[stinger30au]

be sure to mention that with Linux you can make pc's that do run slow on other operating systems run ok with Linux.

also mention that you may have to buy drivers to make your hardware work correctly.

example. i own a Canon i865 inket printer. the drivers with CUPS will let me print but i cant clean the heads. to get the printer working 100% i bought "Turbo Print (http://www.turboprint.de/english.html)"

also mention that there is some awesome free software available to let you create documents for the business environment like open office, koffice, abiword

you may also want to mention that there is somehard ware that is currently not supported like some wirless card and network adaptors and other assorted hardware, but support for these is coming.

be honest with them, dont hide anything

[smartboyathome]

Can you state what this contest your doing this for is? Also, you should explain both the goods and the bads, since if you only state the benefits it will sound like your only giving half the story. Have you learned how to write persuasive essays yet? If so, then you should apply that same basic concept to your paper's layout, but make it more neutral by looking at it from more than one perspective (ie, look at it from the power user's perspective as well as the general user's perspective). Explain that it may not work with every piece of hardware, and that the software on Linux might not have the same feature set as their proprietary counterparts, as well as that it can't run all windows programs yet.

[Sycron]

Have you learned how to write persuasive essays yet?
No!

2)Can I show GIMP for 2-3minutes ? Also i will present evolution mail (but i dont know... it will took time to show it works... i mean filling all those inputs with ID's passwords will be booring for public....) firefox , pidgin, openofice, transmission,brasero.

Also please help me understanding Wine , i mean i'm not able to explain right now how works wine. I know his name it's comming from Wine Is Not an Emulator ... but how it works ? 3)And what i can say about the repos,synaptic ?

Also, i don't know how to start. I want to be a little different.

I really appreciat your thanks. This community rocks.

It would be awesome to mention that MS fanboys come here to ask question but i don't know how to do that.
1)I almost forgot . what GTK theme i showl use ? It's fine the default ?
4)I'll play a little but not too much (booring reason) with the terminal , but what i can do with it ? (it have to be an interesting task...)

5)Can someone give me a profile for ccsm ? It have to be business like, not kiddie...

[hessiess]

Also please help me understanding Wine , i mean i'm not able to explain right now how works wine. I know his name it's comming from Wine Is Not an Emulator ... but how it works ?

wine is a comparability layer, it converts windows API calls into Linux API calls. its not an emulator because it dosent emulate the hardware, so it wont run on non x86 architectures.

[Nepherte]

I'd mention wine but very briefly, or even not. They might get the wrong idea that linux works the same way as Windows does. You should stress that it isn't similar to Windows and works in a different way.

[Sycron]

I'd mention wine but very briefly, or even not. They might get the wrong idea that linux works the same way as Windows does. You should stress that it isn't similar to Windows and works in a different way.

Good point, thanks.

[Sycron]

1)Can I show GIMP for 2-3minutes ? Also i will present evolution mail (but i dont know... it will took time to show it works... i mean filling all those inputs with ID's passwords will be booring for public....) firefox , pidgin, openofice, transmission,brasero.

2)And what i can say about the repos,synaptic ?

Also, i don't know how to start. I want to be a little different.

It would be awesome to mention that MS fanboys come here to ask question but i don't know how to do that.

3)I almost forgot . what GTK theme i showl use ? It's fine the default ?
4)I'll play a little but not too much (booring reason) with the terminal , but what i can do with it ? (it have to be an interesting task...)

5)Can someone give me a profile for ccsm ? It have to be business like, not kiddie...

[Nepherte]

2) Talk about how to install software in ubuntu -> synaptic > where does synaptic get its software from (internet or cd repositories!)? Then you get to repositories automatically -> very safe to install software from the repositories as they are maintained by the ubuntu developers.

5) This is subjected to my personal opinion. Although compiz looks very neat with all those effects, I'd focus on functionality rather than looks. Just mention you can get several beautiful looks, show them and close the subject. Who cares if you can write in fire on your screen (cfr. compiz fire plugin) if it doesn't help you using your computer?

[Keyper7]

Can I show GIMP for 2-3minutes ?

I'd recommend showing the program itself for no more than a few seconds and proceed to showing some images that illustrate what you can do with it: gimp art repository (http://www.gimptalk.com/forum/gimp-digital-artwork-f37.html-sid=a31f8363da1f9d5153a62876066d1876).


Also i will present evolution mail (but i dont know... it will took time to show it works... i mean filling all those inputs with ID's passwords will be booring for public....)

If you think that just show a preset mailbox and skip that parts that require login.


firefox, pidgin, openofice, transmission, brasero

You have very little time, so be careful. I'd recommend no more than a few seconds for each, enough to mention what each one is.


And what i can say about the repos,synaptic ?

How easy they are to use and how they make your life easier. That's the best selling point.

Take phpmyadmin for example (warning: might be an example too techinical for non-web developers), it's a powerful web-based MySQL admin app. If you want to install it, you go to synaptic, search for phpmyadmin and check it to install it. Then synaptic automatically detects that phpmyadmin won't work without apache and php and installes those elements automatically. Also, everything's being pulled from official repositiries, they are packages verified and signed by Canonical employees, so there's practically no risk of malicious software in this process.


I almost forgot . what GTK theme i showl use ? It's fine the default ?

I'd recommend against the default. Very few people think the default theme is beautiful. I suggest presetting three themes: a vista-clone theme, a OSX-clone theme and a beautiful original theme (the default Ubuntu Studio theme is great, for example). Show how easy it is to swap between them and mention the great advantage of freedom: CHOICE.

"You think the Vista theme is the most beautiful theme you've ever seen? Fine, then use it in Linux, it's easy!"


I'll play a little but not too much (booring reason) with the terminal , but what i can do with it ? (it have to be an interesting task...)

Use apt-get and take advantage of using the TAB key to autocomplete. Give a short demonstration and show how quick it is to use apt-get through the terminal, compared to opening synaptic, checking checkboxes, etc.


Can someone give me a profile for ccsm ? It have to be business like, not kiddie...

Make your own, it's not difficult. Start by disabling everything but the obviously essential ones (moving windows, resizing windows, etc.). Then proceed to activating the ones that can easily be shown to be useful (scaling, zoom, etc.). And then, if you want, add those that some people might find to be useful (desktop wall, transparency control...)

[Sycron]

It's OK to show Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex Alpha 3 ? If something goes wrong I can say that it's the latest version and it may be a bit buggy and right after the contest i'll fill the BUG to launchpad. And with this occasion I can show how simple is to fill a BUG ...

Maybe some people wont be so sure that the signature of the packages can't be falsified. How I can convince them ?

[Nepherte]

It's OK to show Ubuntu Intrepid Ibex Alpha 3 ? If something goes wrong I can say that it's the latest version and it may be a bit buggy and right after the contest I'll fill the BUG to launchpad. And with this occasion I can show how simple is to fill a BUG ...
I advise against it. First of all, it's an alpha (as in alpha becomes before beta) release as you stated. Second, although there are bugs, even in hardy, a bug impression is hardly erasable from someone's experience whether you file in a bug report or not. Third, I don't think the occasional user would file in a bug report or use launchpad. It's a little 'too far away' for a normal user.


Maybe some people wont be so sure that the signature of the packages can't be falsified. How I can convince them ?
Repositories are authenticated with gpg keys and can't be falsified until someone finds out how they can factorize a very large number into prime numbers (a very hot research topic ;))

[Keyper7]

Repositories are authenticated with gpg keys and can't be falsified until someone finds out how they can factorize a very large number into prime numbers

(or finds out that the number of possibilities is not that big (http://www.metasploit.com/users/hdm/tools/debian-openssl/))

[Sycron]

I've read about midora and microsoft on a romanian website news... IT IS VERY UGLY WHAT IS HAPPENING :( ... al n00bs are sticked with widows XP (They say it's the best) , Vista sucks ... and they sayd that they've heard "Linux is the best" in a negative way... like the FUD.

Now I know what i'll expect at that contest :( ...

[Nepherte]

(or finds out that the number of possibilities is not that big (http://www.metasploit.com/users/hdm/tools/debian-openssl/))
Bugs are unfortunate, but 'alas' inherit to human kind.

[cardinals_fan]

Bugs are unfortunate, but 'alas' inherit to human kind.
Especially when packages are altered and not left vanilla...

(Sorry, I'm a Slackware user :))

[J.T.]

If you do a slide-show type presentation, don't put too much on each slide. It's better to just put the key points on them and explain in detail. Don't read the slides word for word, and don't read them off the screen. People will be watching the screen instead of listening to you, and they will get bored and lose focus. Most of all, speak clearly and at a volume that will allow everyone to hear without blasting their ears. Also make eye contact. Use the word "you" at least ten times as much as you use the word "I". This helps to get the audience involved. Be prepared. Learn as much about the audience as possible before the presentation. What is their demographic? Age range, education level, career types, size of the group, size of the location, equipment available (sound system, projector, etc.),power availability, lighting. Practice your presentation in front of other people to get their opinions and to make it go smoother in the end.

[Sycron]

If you do a slide-show type presentation, don't put too much on each slide. It's better to just put the key points on them and explain in detail. Don't read the slides word for word, and don't read them off the screen. People will be watching the screen instead of listening to you, and they will get bored and lose focus. Most of all, speak clearly and at a volume that will allow everyone to hear without blasting their ears. Also make eye contact. Use the word "you" at least ten times as much as you use the word "I". This helps to get the audience involved. Be prepared. Learn as much about the audience as possible before the presentation. What is their demographic? Age range, education level, career types, size of the group, size of the location, equipment available (sound system, projector, etc.),power availability, lighting. Practice your presentation in front of other people to get their opinions and to make it go smoother in the end.

It's not a slide presentation , it's live :). It would be a bit hard since when i'm gonna use the keyboard I have to be with the *** in front of their eyes... only if i'm not sitting down on left||right of the videoprojector.

[J.T.]

Then just pay attention to the parts after the slide info.

"Most of all, speak clearly and at a volume that will allow everyone to hear without blasting their ears. Also make eye contact. Use the word "you" at least ten times as much as you use the word "I". This helps to get the audience involved. Be prepared. Learn as much about the audience as possible before the presentation. What is their demographic? Age range, education level, career types, size of the group, size of the location, equipment available (sound system, projector, etc.),power availability, lighting. Practice your presentation in front of other people to get their opinions and to make it go smoother in the end."

[Sycron]

Then just pay attention to the parts after the slide info.

"Most of all, speak clearly and at a volume that will allow everyone to hear without blasting their ears. Also make eye contact. Use the word "you" at least ten times as much as you use the word "I". This helps to get the audience involved. Be prepared. Learn as much about the audience as possible before the presentation. What is their demographic? Age range, education level, career types, size of the group, size of the location, equipment available (sound system, projector, etc.),power availability, lighting. Practice your presentation in front of other people to get their opinions and to make it go smoother in the end."

Much people from over there will be pro's & business man's. :|

[Sycron]

Less that 3 days until contest. CRITICAL TIME! . I'm a newb and I need every suggestion that you can give me (how to speak, how do I control myself when someone give's me a undersired question,etc)

I have to write on paper what i'm gonna say. But how do I do I learn it without forget it ?

What I'm gonna do if i'm get stuck ?

How do I start my speech ? Can you give me some points,titles that I can detail them by myself ?

Thank you VERY much.

[mehaga]

Less that 3 days until contest. CRITICAL TIME! . I'm a newb and I need every suggestion that you can give me (how to speak, how do I control myself when someone give's me a undersired question,etc)

I have to write on paper what i'm gonna say. But how do I do I learn it without forget it ?

What I'm gonna do if i'm get stuck ?

How do I start my speech ? Can you give me some points,titles that I can detail them by myself ?

Thank you VERY much.

After other people provided so much help (which makes me proud of being a member of this community, honestly), I can't add much but I'll try...

STOP thinking/saying you are a newb:). If you keep that feeling of being a noob inside you, you will probably fail at the presentation (and possibly elsewhere in life :)).
That also answers your question of how to speak, how to control yourself... You have to have self-confidence. Therefore, talk about stuff you know, you've worked with and you like in Linux/Ubuntu. Have in mind that you can't possibly say everything about it and nobody is expecting you to.
You don't need other people to tell you that you like Synaptic, I'm sure. Then, you need to find out why YOU like it, and share it with other people at that presentation. That way, you will not have to struggle to gain self-confidence.
Also, don't pretend to know stuff that you don't. If you are asked a question you can't answer, simply say you don't know.

I hope this helps at least a little. The best of luck and self-confidence at the presentation :)

EDIT: Don't reinvent the wheel, try some of these or google for more: http://www.ubuntu.com/products/whatisubuntu/804features/, https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Presentations

[Ub1476]

Less that 3 days until contest. CRITICAL TIME! . I'm a newb and I need every suggestion that you can give me (how to speak, how do I control myself when someone give's me a undersired question,etc)

I have to write on paper what i'm gonna say. But how do I do I learn it without forget it ?

What I'm gonna do if i'm get stuck ?

How do I start my speech ? Can you give me some points,titles that I can detail them by myself ?

Thank you VERY much.

IF you write it down, you're very likely to remember it. However, you can have notes, but do speak freely. Speak what you know, not what you try to remember. I don't think you're gonna get stuck, as long as you remember the keywords for what you are gonna talk about.

If someone says something stupid, it's probably a bit truth in it, so agree with the person, but tell them/him that it's more like this and that.

I suggest you start your speech with an intro (of course). Don't start with "Linux is ...", but something that describes what Linux is, what it does, before you tell Linux is it. I guess someone can say better, I don't want to give too much for advice which I'm not too sure about. :)

[Keyper7]

Less that 3 days until contest. CRITICAL TIME! . I'm a newb and I need every suggestion that you can give me (how to speak, how do I control myself when someone give's me a undersired question,etc)

I have to write on paper what i'm gonna say. But how do I do I learn it without forget it ?

What I'm gonna do if i'm get stuck ?

How do I start my speech ? Can you give me some points,titles that I can detail them by myself ?

Thank you VERY much.

Rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals. It's the best advice I can give.

I recommend starting by making clear that the presentation's purpose is not evangelizing or preaching, but presenting a choice a minimizing the fear of trying it.

Why someone would try FOSS/Linux/Ubuntu if he's perfectly happy with Windows? For the same reason you tried a chicken burger for the first time, even though you were perfectly happy with meat burgers: because you might find out that you like it even more, and you will never know before giving it a shot with an open mind.

(open mind = do not expect chicken to taste like meat, it does not)

As for undesired questions, just be honest. If you don't know the answer, just say so. If it's a subjective question whose answer depends mostly on opinions, just say so and give yours. Nothing is more irritating than a guy who doesn't know the answer and instead of admitting it tries to work around and give half-answers.

[Sycron]

Why someone would try FOSS/Linux/Ubuntu if he's perfectly happy with Windows? For the same reason you tried a chicken burger for the first time, even though you were perfectly happy with meat burgers: because you might find out that you like it even more, and you will never know before giving it a shot with an open mind.

Very nice, i'll start with it...
It's OK to say. "Hi, i'm .. and today i'm gonna show you what linux in the way it is. First of all why someone would try FOSS/Linux/Ubuntu ...." ?


STOP thinking/saying you are a newb. If you keep that feeling of being a noob inside you, you will probably fail at the presentation (and possibly elsewhere in life ).
Do you know The Secret ?

[themissinglink1]

I suggest not learning a speech but revising information that you want to convey. There is nothing worse than a speech that seems like the speaker is reciting something that they have no passion about. Speak freely.... when i present i use cards with keywords in order, so i know how to start the next topic. Practise in a mirror..... seriously:) Your expressions and nuances that you may not notice will be picked up by an audience so most importantly relax. Its not the mistakes that are important....o everyone makes mistakes but its how you make up for them. Know your stuff and you wont go wrong. GOOD LUCK!

[Keyper7]

So, how was it?

[Sycron]

Very bad. :| I mean i couldn't arrive there.

Next year I'll do my best. I have the time and the skill to show up what ubuntu can.