Project : Outreach

[Debbie]

I love this idea, I live in the CT area as well. One thing that we need to take into account is that for Cogan Fairs there is usually some kind of a vendor fee. Although I'm pretty sure he's not in charge anymore, I used to know Mr. Cogan-- maybe well enough to ask for permission to setup a table. I have 1-3 computers I could bring as demos. Let me know.

I first posted about Cogan Fairs on the Projects Page, so some people may have missed the original message. There is a vendor fee for regular vendors, but they are offering a free table to promote Linux. I guess they feel that because people will be volunteering and not making a profit, they will not charge for it. It is one standard size table, I think about six feet long, but I am not sure. The next show is in New Haven on June 9th. Do you plan to go?

[Razzl]

I would like to go to New Haven if I can just to meet you all and be of whatever help I can, though it's starting to look like Debbie with the discs and you guys with the hardware are really essential for doing this travelling road show. Groton is actually more my territory, but without all the accessories I don't think it worth trying to set anything up this time around...

[Debbie]

Great! What I have found is needed most are more people, just to be there, talking to the customers and answering questions that I cannot answer. The show starts at ten o'clock, and they would like us to be there no later than 9:45. I will look forward to meeting you and the others.

I agree that it is too short of a notice to try to put something together for Groton this time around, but it would be nice to eventually find someone who lives close enough to each of the shows. Don't forget that if we generate enough interest, more people may join this group and help out. I actually found this LoCo through someone who stopped at the table at the Meriden show. I don't know if he is a member or just knew about it.

[pmasiar]

I got my SASE back - with only 4 little stickers for 2 stamps, it is almost quarter per sticker! Anyone knows about bulk stickers: where to order and how much may cost to print?

Also, I was thinking how people can find this forum. Forum number makes for meaningless URL. Headings and titles are cryptic. IMHO it is not obvious to look in "other discussions > LoCo Team" - definitely bad ontology. It is not enougt to make LoCo red: LoCo teams needs be top-level heading, fully spelled "Local Communities" othervise new people will have hard time to find it. While doing these changes, drop all the breadcrumb crap ("The Ubuntu Forum Community > Other Community Discussions"), it should be straightforward:

"Ubuntu Forums > Local Communities Forums > United States LoCo Teams > Connecticut Team", and sorted by alphabet. How the hell are states sorted? By founder's shoe size?

Of course old ossified structures - cannot happen. Sad.

Is somewhere a forum to post this suggestion?

[Debbie]

Whenever I plan to have a table at one of the Cogan Fairs, I need to send a message notifying them of my intention. I sent the request for New Haven last week, but have not yet received a reply. As some of you may know I have been away from home and email this week. I just sent another request from a public library. I am assuming it will be okay, but if for some reason it is not okay or I do not receive a reply, I don't want to make people drive to New Haven for nothing. So, I plan to check my email sometime late tonight, and if I am NOT going to New Haven, I will post a message to this forum before Saturday morning. I'm sorry about the confusion.

[Debbie]

I got an answer. The Linux table in New Haven tomorrow is good to go. I hope to see some of you there. I will bring my CDs. Anyone else can bring whatever you have---CDs, computer, handouts, etc., or just your smiling faces ready to answer questions. We should be able to get this better organized in time.

[Dragonbite]

I got an answer. The Linux table in New Haven tomorrow is good to go. I hope to see some of you there. I will bring my CDs. Anyone else can bring whatever you have---CDs, computer, handouts, etc., or just your smiling faces ready to answer questions. We should be able to get this better organized in time.

Great! Sorry could not make it but I look forward to hearing everybody's experience!

[Debbie]

Great! Sorry could not make it but I look forward to hearing everybody's experience!

It looks like "everybody" is Me, Myself, and I. I don't know what happened to the other people who said they might come, if they made other plans or got lost on the way. I would really like to turn this little project over to the group, so other people can attend the shows I cannot, but it will be helpful if someone could go to at least one show with me first, to get to know the routine.

Well, the day was slow for the whole show. They say summer is usually their slowest time of the year anyway. A few people stopped by to chat, and I handed out nine CDs. One person said he would send me an email telling about his experience using the Ubuntu CD. I will wait and see if he does. So many people seem to be just too busy with their day to day lives to have time for anything else.

The next shows listed on Cogan's site are July 21 and 22. I don't know if or when they are planning any more for June.

[Razzl]

We all owe a big thank-you to Debbie for taking this on and putting in the sitting time. There were really only 3 of us by the end who were seriously wanting to go and I got knocked out by the usual Saturday morning phone calls from friends needing this and that. Pmasiar got his info late and if he's willing to bring his equipment to another show we'll have to do a better job of arranging to help him with it.

In the end people need to meet each other and be willing to help each other face to face, so the sooner some of us can get acquainted the firmer the commitments will be.

In any event, Debbie gets a few brownie points in heaven for doing the deed and we will all need to back her up better in the future...

[Debbie]

I never was a brownie, but thanks for the points anyway. I started going to the shows a few months ago, before I heard of this group, so it was no big deal to go by myself. My own schedule has been horrendous lately, so I can understand people finding it difficult to carve out some time for one more project.

I cannot go to the Meriden show because I always have to work on Saturdays, except for last weekend when I was on vacation, so now I am looking at Enfield on July 22nd. That is about an hour drive each way for me (total c. $14.00 gas at today's prices ). I don't know if any of you live close enough to that one to want to go.