[ILUG-Cochin.org] Awesome Meeting !!!

[Sameer Mohamed Thahir]

Hello vikhrakula,

First of all thanks for your wonderful feedback on the meeting. Indeed 
we are always looking
for this kind of feedback. :)

I fully agree with you on the fact that the new users need to be given 
the most importance.
I havent heard about the unwritten rule, so would not comment on that. :)
I agree to you on the points that factors like codec issues etc.. would 
definitely make them switch back.

Yes its definitely true that people sit on Installations done by someone 
who knows more and then
they dont know how to get around. The basic issue here is how to teach a 
new user or give him some
information in the most effective manner, so atleast he can do 
somethings on his own. Installing
a GNU/Linux Distro is very good, but teaching them how to use it 
effectively is more important.

Freedom values are the most important but they are useless until they 
are put to practical use.

About segregating users, I guess in this meeting, we had a session for 
new users and the agenda for
those who were interested.

And as far as the last 6 months are concerned, for all the agenda topics 
and technical presentations,
we have had an equilibrium between the topics for both new users and 
advanced users.
If you look at the following technical presentations done for the last 6 
months

Learning the GNU - Why and How (Accessing help in Free Software)
Openoffice introduction
Gambas Introduction
Gimp in daily use
Multimedia on Gnu/Linux
A tour of the Gnome Desktop
Creating Malayalam Documents with Latex and Openoffice

As you can see only Latex and Gambas stand out as maybe not really for 
the new users.
But both the months we had other presentations on Openoffice apart from 
these.

Hence there is definitely the idea to attract more new users and help  
them migrate
ASAP to fully Free platforms.

In fact I had a plan before receiving your mail to conduct a GNU/Linux 
Installation
and basic configuration session with a extensive Q&A session,
for the complete meeting for the next month.

Once again thanks for the wonderful response.

I hope this thread turns out be an exciting one with feedback from other 
people too. :)

Thank You

Regards
Sameer Mohamed Thahir




vikhrakula at asianetindia.com wrote:
>
> It was indeed an awesome meeting in terms of turnout. But there has to 
> be something more to it that can give more to noob gnu/linux users who 
> wants to migrate completely ASAP to fully freedom platforms. The 
> unwritten rule is that if a guy/gal uses linux for atleast a month or 
> so, there is no looking back(i frankly don't know why!). But this 
> fragile period of partial migration is the times when people get fed 
> up on one thing or the other(like codec problem or something else) and 
> goes back to windows. Most people just sit on the new linux 
> installation done by local linux guru because they don't know how to 
> get around.I have seen this phenomenon over and over again. Its 
> appreciable that in most meetings the concept of freedom is raised 
> again and again but usability matters! I guess the ilug meeting needs 
> to segregate mainstream gnu/linux users and noobs. The fixed topic of 
> the day can be raised in "mainstream linux users" group and "teething 
> problems and hit-the-road running" issues can be ironed out with 
> noobs. If all the guys are clubbed into one and a one-size-fits-all 
> approach will eventually scare noobs away from the meeting, if there 
> is nothing on the table for them. Don't get me wrong..i am not gunning 
> for elitism or something..but for example..a new guy drops in to the 
> meeting to check it out..and finds topic "shell scripting" or "into to 
> gtk/qt in C" ..wat will be the effect...
>
> *"SHOCK AND AWE"*
>
> it definitely didnt work in Iraq ;-)
>
> *Just my thoughts..*
>
>
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>
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