On Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 08:32:52AM +0100, Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier wrote:

On Sat, Feb 23, 2008 at 3:45 AM, Kevin Dupuy wrote:

...

Hello everyone.

So I've been working on a new project, the openSUSE Local User Groups. The idea is to have local groups of openSUSE to help each other, and help introduce openSUSE to their area.

This is a great idea.

[...] Only provided that it is done with great care, diplomacy and sensitivity, so that it is clear that any new openSUSE local group is not perceived as being set up in a way that detracts from or splits from already established Linux User Groups. -- ======================== Roger Whittaker roger@disruptive.org.uk http://disruptive.org.uk ======================== --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org

On Feb 24, 2008, at 2:18 AM, Roger Whittaker wrote:

Only provided that it is done with great care, diplomacy and sensitivity, so that it is clear that any new openSUSE local group is not perceived as being set up in a way that detracts from or splits from already established Linux User Groups.

Exactly. Which is why I'm treading lightly with this. However, other distros, especially Ubuntu, has done this successfully. -- Kevin "Yo" Dupuy | Linux Project Mail: Hope for America: Ron Paul for President --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 Martin Schlander schrieb: | Søndag den 24. Februar 2008 23:10:19 skrev Kevin Dupuy: |> On Feb 24, 2008, at 2:18 AM, Roger Whittaker wrote: |>> Only provided that it is done with great care, diplomacy and |>> sensitivity, so that it is clear that any new openSUSE local group is |>> not perceived as being set up in a way that detracts from or splits |>> from already established Linux User Groups. |> Exactly. Which is why I'm treading lightly with this. However, other |> distros, especially Ubuntu, has done this successfully. | | Being a board member of a LUG (the old-fashioned distro agnostic kind) myself, | I'm not particularly pleased with the Ubuntu LoCos. I don't think this | fragmentation is good for LUGs, GNU/Linux promotion effort, or really | anything else for that matter. United we stand, divided we fall. | | Hence I don't think local openSUSE LUGs are a particularly good idea. Also, | presently openSUSE has far less users than Ubuntu, and often also less | enthusiastic and active ones, so I have doubts whether it would be succesful | in many places at all. | | However it might make sense to form some sort of national committees, to | ensure that special national circumstances are addressed by openSUSE. For | example in Denmark there are certain special services and things that "must" | work (as easily as possible) for openSUSE to be able to compete (national | television streaming, home banking java applets, national digital signature, | etc.). I guess other countries also have special national things | that "everyone" uses - maybe it's more complex for larger countries, dunno. | --------------------------------------------------------------------- | To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org | For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org | | | I fully agree with Martin except that there is something like a national committee needed. In most European countries the software that is essential is often closed source and only available for Microsoft operating systems (e.g. Elster in Germany which every company _must_ use). So it just would be a pointless waste of time. If there are LUGs, they need to be distro independent and to be blunt: I am happy not to be part of a conspiratorial LUG which sole purpose is to spread Linux or even a particular distribution. This whole OS thing should never ever be turned into a religious like thing with religious like structures. I personally gain by getting involved in projects that give something back to me, making good contacts with nice people with brains. I win nothing by having the biggest userbase (the opposite is the case IMHO). LUGs are okey, if they support the people who are willing to learn. LUGs are not to be used as a marketing tool. I know I would not have to take part in a LUG, but I don't want to be put to work for a big company for nothing. I just hope I am not the only one with this mindset. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v2.0.4-svn0 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFHwtwHaQ44ga2xxAoRAszBAJ4zMKeq5vePq8YNTp4aZq/YYXJMTQCbBaBU 6n7mtp/46mP++9X2QwheCnA= =/aqO -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org

On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 4:28 PM, Per Jessen wrote:

Martin Schlander wrote:

...

Being a board member of a LUG (the old-fashioned distro agnostic kind) myself, I'm not particularly pleased with the Ubuntu LoCos. I don't think this fragmentation is good for LUGs, GNU/Linux promotion effort, or really anything else for that matter. United we stand, divided we fall.

Yep, couldn't agree more. I think a SIG as part of a local LUG (as Zonker suggested) is by far the better approach - if one is needed at all.

I do think we need some sort of local presence, whether specifically as a openSUSE local group, or SIG with LUGs, or something else -- for one thing, it'd be good to have regional groups that could represent openSUSE at regional shows that have booths for each project, etc. and also as a focal point for openSUSE users who are already in an area -- for instance, I do like the idea of having regional release parties for openSUSE -- assuming I'm not on the road when 11.0 is released, I'd like to have a release get-together near where I live (the Tampa area in Florida), and that would be easier to coordinate if there was an existing local group. It would also be good to have local contacts to ship DVDs or CDs (and t-shirts, stickers, etc.) to in bulk to distribute at LUG meetings or other events. In some cases, regional groups might also be able to act as central points of coordination for localization efforts -- IIRC we support 52 languages right now, but we could always improve there. Ideally, any local groups would act in concert with their LUGs or be part of the LUG itself. That is, of course, assuming there *is* a LUG in the area. I also agree with the educational idea -- It would be really nice, I think, to have openSUSE users in a given region who are willing to either have installfests or assist local users in using openSUSE, or perhaps helping people become openSUSE contributors. This is, for me, about finding ways to get existing openSUSE users and contributors together in person, and finding ways to expose more people to Linux and openSUSE. I'm not at all interested in any sort of "openSUSE vs. Distro X" situation -- but I am deeply interested in using the resources we have to encourage more people to use Linux, and to make it easier and more fun to use openSUSE -- and I think part of that is having some kind of regional presence. Also, I want to know who to look up to go for food & drinks with when I'm in a given region. ;-) Best, Zonker -- Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier openSUSE Community Manager jzb@zonker.net http://zonker.opensuse.org/ http://www.dissociatedpress.net/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org

Mandag den 25. Februar 2008 17:11:49 skrev Alberto Passalacqua:

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Also, presently openSUSE has far less users than Ubuntu, and often also less enthusiastic and active ones, so I have doubts whether it would be succesful in many places at all.

Hehe. We should find a cure for the lack of enthusiasm of openSUSE users ;-)

How?.. by making it brown and creating the impression that God saves little African children from hunger and AIDS when you use it? :-) Actually I regret my wording, I don't think openSUSE users are less enthusiastic. I just think they tend to be enthusiastic in a more introverted kind of way. (Not me though) :-) --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org

On Feb 24, 2008, at 1:32 AM, Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier wrote:

On Sat, Feb 23, 2008 at 3:45 AM, Kevin Dupuy wrote:

...

Hello everyone.

So I've been working on a new project, the openSUSE Local User Groups. The idea is to have local groups of openSUSE to help each other, and help introduce openSUSE to their area.

This is a great idea.

...

So what I'd like to do is that I know we do have openSUSE user communities already in some areas, so I'd like to hear from them about this project. Also I definitely want some help with this.

Absolutely. This is something that we really need to do, so I'd be happy to talk with you about whatever I can do to help. Where are you based? Will you be able to start a group up in your area?

How many openSUSE users do we have in the Tampa, Florida area? I'd love to get a group going in the Tampa Bay area.

Do we already have any openSUSE-specific groups?

...

What I'd like for this to come to is a place where people can meet face to face, and promote the 11.0 release, get 11.0 release parties organized and other things.

I'd love to have some 11.0 parties, and also localized promotional efforts around the release so we can really start pushing a new user effort with that release.

-- Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier openSUSE Community Manager jzb@zonker.net http://zonker.opensuse.org/ http://www.dissociatedpress.net/

I'm in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. http://en.opensuse.org/Local_User_Groups/openSUSE_Users_Louisiana I believe there are some openSUSE groups already, which is who I'd like to hear from since they have some insight in how to do this already. I'm working on some nice openSUSE promotional material (like posters, images, web banners) that can be customized for Local User Group areas. -- Kevin "Yo" Dupuy | Project Mail: Hope for America: Ron Paul for President --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org

On Sunday February 24 2008 22:28:06 Kevin Dupuy wrote:

3. Local Groups will need promotional material. One kind is fliers that can be printed to paper that give info about openSUSE, and can be developed by the Local Group themselves. I am working on a couple of printable fliers that can be edited by the local groups to give their name and meeting information. (Which reminds me: where is a good place to host SVGs that can be downloaded off of the wiki?)

Another type is openSUSE itself. If a local group wants to have an "install-fest" or other event that they want to hand out openSUSE at, burning so many discs could be a difficult, timely, and expensive job. Does Novell offer getting openSUSE discs (for a fee, even) at bulk rates (thinking like 30 or so)?

AFAIK you can request some openSUSE t-shirts, PromoDVDs[1], stickers, pins, and caps. Try to mail marketing@opensuse.org. Last year I requested openSUSE promo stuff for ENOS 2007[2] and get them in no time :-) [1] http://en.opensuse.org/PromoDVD [2] http://en.opensuse.org/Events/ENOS -- Regards, Carlos Gonçalves --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org

On Feb 25, 2008, at 7:58 AM, Martin Lasarsch wrote:

On Monday 25 February 2008 00:23:59 Carlos Gonçalves wrote:

...

On Sunday February 24 2008 22:28:06 Kevin Dupuy wrote:

...

3. Local Groups will need promotional material. One kind is fliers that can be printed to paper that give info about openSUSE, and can be developed by the Local Group themselves. I am working on a couple of printable fliers that can be edited by the local groups to give their name and meeting information. (Which reminds me: where is a good place to host SVGs that can be downloaded off of the wiki?)

Another type is openSUSE itself. If a local group wants to have an "install-fest" or other event that they want to hand out openSUSE at, burning so many discs could be a difficult, timely, and expensive job. Does Novell offer getting openSUSE discs (for a fee, even) at bulk rates (thinking like 30 or so)?

AFAIK you can request some openSUSE t-shirts, PromoDVDs[1], stickers, pins, and caps. Try to mail marketing@opensuse.org. Last year I requested openSUSE promo stuff for ENOS 2007[2] and get them in no time :-)

Yes, we try to support that, if we have stuff to give away. Atm i have "only" DVDs. -- with kind regards,

Martin Lasarsch, Core Services SUSE LINUX Products GmbH, Maxfeldstr. 5 90409 Nürnberg GF: Markus Rex, HRB 16746 (AG Nürnberg) martin.lasarsch@suse.de - http://www.opensuse.org --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org

DVDs are probably the best to give away at meetings and such (since it has both desktop environments). Kevin "Yo" Dupuy | Linux Mail: Hope for America: Ron Paul for President --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-project+help@opensuse.org