ubuntu club

[Abir]

hey guys im starting a ubuntu club at my university, i hope if u can provide mee with some pictures , posters any ideas, anything that might help. thank u in advance guys.

[Derek Djons]

hey guys im starting a ubuntu club at my university, i hope if u can provide mee with some pictures , posters any ideas, anything that might help. thank u in advance guys.

I've been thinking about such ideas too. Here in Utrecht, The Netherlands where I live there's nothing to little going on. Currently I'm working on a website to post all kinds of news and guides on in Dutch.

What are you planning creating such a club. The first thing is to setup good and clear goals. Most clubs, just excisting and doing thinks don't last long or add much quality.

[daynah]

I'm about to transfer to Berry College (berry.edu), a private school, and, well, they're not to tech savvy. I'm leaving a school where even in the non-online classes we take most of our tests online and turn in our assignments online and every class's syllabus is required to be on the same website... to a school that only has wireless in two buildings.

Oh, and they just mailed me a form to sign requiring me to use Windows XP, Microsoft Office, and Synaptic.

Yes, they can do that, it's a private school. And they are giving me Windows XP (I only had 2000) so it's not like I have to buy it, so I'm only mildly ticked. Try to think on the bright side. I can just dual boot, give windows, what, 10% partition, show the tech guy I have windows, and never look at it again.

I had been hoping for a while, though, to start a Linux Club on campus, and I wanted to know what you guys through about it. My old school, I'm already going to try to leave the legacy of one and hope it survives, but with my new school having made a pact with Microsoft, I dunno if I'll be able to start it.

A Linux Club that has a stock of cds for anyone to take, and club members will go to anyone's computer and "help" them install it (aka stand behind them and watch their gasping faces as their relise they can install it themselves) and be a physical source of help and, well, crankiness if anyone from the school tries to bully us for using Linux "in addition" to "using" microsoft.

I can hear me now, "Yes Mr. Tech Man, I've been using Windows, see? It's right there."

Anyway, most importantly, do you think it would be alright to start a Linux club on campus when the school has made a deal with microsoft? I don't want to start a club, affilerated or unaffilerated with the school, and then the school suddenly starts going "nuts" because we're helping people use microsoft less, which is why microsoft is paying them.

Also, if there's any other college or high school students here, have you thought of starting a linux club? Lots of clubs at colleges... don't do anything, and this is a club idea that actually would have activities to do and would look nice on resumes.

Please gimmie your thoughts on this!

(side note, at the very least I'll be ordering a stack of Ubuntu cds to give to the "Free Enterprise" club that's on campus )

[mscman]

If I were you, I would make sure to check with the administration before you go stepping on the University's feet. If it will get you in trouble because of deals with MS, it's probably not worth it. On the other hand, if you get the OK, I think it's a great idea. Luckily for me, Purdue University is very pro-Linux. Our Rosen Center for Advanced Computing runs many many Linux computers and clusters, and the lab that I work in uses dual-boot machines (XP and Debian.) As far as student organizations go, we have Purdue Linux User's Group (PLUG), which I am not yet a member of but looking into it.

Not sure if I was much help, but thought I would put my two cents in.

[Stormy Eyes]

Anyway, most importantly, do you think it would be alright to start a Linux club on campus when the school has made a deal with microsoft? I don't want to start a club, affilerated or unaffilerated with the school, and then the school suddenly starts going "nuts" because we're helping people use microsoft less, which is why microsoft is paying them.

Don't ask us, ask the people running Berry College. I'll say this much, though I'm not a lawyer: if Berry College takes federal funding, then you can nail them on First Amendment grounds if they try to give you **** for starting a LUG (Linux User Group) on campus. You might want to get in contact with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and the American Civil Liberties Union if you need legal help.

[John.Michael.Kane]

Anythings worth a shot atleast once. the most the school could do is tell you to cease and desist. plus it depends on how many students join your free software movement that could be a make or break deal too. if you have many who approve the use of open formats you may be able to pull it off. in any event good luck, and explain the software as best you can,and make it as fun as you can for those you talk with about it.



Just my thoughts...

[Efrain Valles]

well I was thinking about the same thing...
I wanna start a club and hand out some free CD's
maybe having a presentation at my local school ...
having posters printed shouldn't be too expensive...

get the artwork done and send them to a local print place (ask some graphic Designers around..)

it's good to know that we want to share this around...

[daynah]

I finally got in contact with someone who knew what linux was (another girl! yay!) and she said it was fine. The form that requires "Windows XP Pro" requires that if you use Windows you use XP Pro, it just says it... quite... baddly. She said there were about five people that she knows of who uses linux, but they all dual boot 'cause there's a few programs that some of the individual classes use that only work on Windows, but they'll give it to me for free.

So it sounds like I have an all clear.

I think a lot of people are afraid to try it out because they like getting a PERSON helping them, and hopefully having a club (even if we aren't as smart as you peeps on line) will help that feeling.

[aysiu]

Most schools will require administrative approval before a club can be formed (you probably need to write up a proposal and have it signed by a few people). Once it's approved, it's approved. If it's rejected, it's rejected.

There's nothing to stop you and your friends from handing out Ubuntu CDs, though, even if you're not an official, school-sponsored club.

[prizrak]

Well since everyone already gave you advice on how to start a club, Ima go for a different angle. Don't dual boot, it's a PITA you should install XP in something like VMware so that you can start it at will when you need it instead of rebooting.