Re: [SLUG] Video Sales to Support SLUG

["Oscar Plameras" <oscarp@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Matthew Palmer"
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2003 2:05 PM
Subject: Re: [SLUG] Video Sales to Support SLUG
>
> > If the rules of the game are advertised in advance to give a sense of
> > predictability, relevance, confidence, and guidance perhaps  more
> > speakers will be encouraged.
>
> Or scared away by the formalities... <g>
>
> I don't think that a 'talks policy' document will help or hinder, but a
long
> list of talk acceptance process will probably scare a few people away.
>

As it is few SLUGgers are volunteering. Is it not time to modify the
process?

'Talks policy' as suggested is a statement by SLUG that encompasses the
rules as well  as guidance for talk proponents. With guidance as to what
topics to cover may stimulate the mind and the spirit.  Maybe a token of
encouragement like a piece of CD, an O'Reilly book of interest, a gift
voucher,
a bottle of red wine, etc.


> > Looking thru mailing list there is a demand for large variety of topics,
> > demanded by first time to more advanced linux users.
>
> Now *that* might be a useful addition to either the SLUG website or a
> periodic posting to the list by some interested party (care to volunteer
to
> maintain it, Oscar?) listing things that have been requested but not
talked
> about (perhaps, once the filming gets underway, the list of topics can be
> hyperlinked to the recording of the talk as they get presented).
>

The Committee decides this, and it is easy to get mailing-list-users to add
their preferences to the list of topics. And if it is really required for a
maintainer, I have no objection for me to start the ball rolling.

> > Topics like,
> >
> > 1. Installing My First Linux OS
> >     a. What and Who motivated my Linux Interest.
> >     b. When and Where did I first get this Interest.
> >     c. Why am I interested in Linux.
> >     d. What Hardware Configuration did I use.
> >     e. The installation steps I did.
> >     f. The problems I encountered and how I resolved them.
> >     g. What do I use Linux for
> >     h. What do I think of Linux, now that I have used it.
> >     i. Etc.
>
> Would that talk be presented by a newbie?  I think the chances of finding
a
> newbie willing to get up and talk at a gathering of geeks is pretty low.
A
> few of those parts, however, could be presented to newbies by an
experienced
> Linux user (a, b, c, d, and g, probably).
>

The talk topic above is just an example. And it is appropriate to get
experienced
as well as beginner linux user to do this. The only difference is that
experienced
users may have done their first install months or years before, whilst the
beginner user may have done his,  weeks or months before. The experienced
user
may have used pc386 with Yggdrasil/linux v0.98 and the beginner user may
have
used pc-pentiumIV with linux RedHat 9. There are always something to learn
from each other.

My idea of giving a talk is for the speaker to share his experiences as well
as to put
to test, validate, and enhance his/her knowledge obtained out from his
experiences for
his benefit and others.

The speaker in a technical environment does not assume he knows everything.
I think intending speakers who are scared away are those who believed that
to be a
speaker one needs to know everything. This is not the case. Of course, this
does
not mean that there are  speakers who are not experts in their  field of
talk.

> >    To my mind this is interesting for curious and intending
> >     linux users. This will get them some perspective of what
> >     they will be confronted with.
> >
> > 2. Building My First IP Network.
> > 3. Configuring My First IP Firewall
> > 4. Installing PHP4
> > 5. Installing MySQL
> > 6. Building Internet Service Provider Business - Case Study.
> > 7. I am using RedHat - Why ?
> > 8. Programming Smalltalk for Beginners (Advanced Programmers)
> > 9. XFree86 - Installation and Configuration.
> > 10. Backup and Data Security
> > 11. Installing and Configuring Apache
> > 12. Python Experiences of a Beginner
> > 13. and the list could go on.
>
> Sounds like you've got a list going already.  Perhaps keeping it
maintained
> from the topics discussed on the ML, and either posting it to SLUG, say,
> once a month, or getting somewhere prominent on the website would
encourage
> talkers.  I know that's how I did my first few talks - someone on the ML
> (not SLUG, but ShefLUG) said "I want to know about this, I wish someone
> would do a talk" and I thought "I know about that" and went for it.
>

I totally agree. Topics with popular interest and demand should be addressed
by
speakers from time to time even if these topics are less elegant than
others.