linuxword update

[Darren Benham]

On Mon, Feb 22, 1999 at 11:55:46PM -0800, G. Crimp wrote:
> 	I think it would be good to have a machine available to show an
> installation, but I don't think we can count on doing a demo.  My experience
> from a couple of shows up here is that it is next to impossible to do demos
> for even a small group.  Too much noise, too many distractions especially on
> a monitor that is crowded as soon as you get two heads in front of it.  Most
> people are going to want to talk and hear why they should use what we're
> offering.
> 
> 	Some really catchy stuff running on X couldn't hurt, but likely will
> serve more to show after the passer-by has been hooked in.  I think we will
> attract more people by being open and welcoming than from anything we might
> have showing on a monitor (except maybe for the geeks who can figure out its
> significance immediately).  Apparently passers-by decide in some
> ridiculously short interval (I think it is less than three seconds), from
> the moment they set eyes on a booth, if they are going to stop and talk.
> 
> 	In the overall sea of colour from fancy booths and back drops,
> monitors are pretty insignificant.  We should probably be thinking as much
> about how we present ourselves and what we will promote about Debian, as
> much as what we will have on the boxes.  Might seem rather silly, but we
> have found that something as simple (and backbreak tireing at the end of a
> long day) as making sure not to have our backs turned to the aisle and
> making eye contact got us more people than fancy stuff on boxes.
> 
> 	As for what to have on the glass once they are in, I will defer to
> the rest of you.  I am as yet only a wanna-be-geek, and not bleeding edge. 
> You people probably know much more cool stuff than I.
> 
> 	Gerald

I have to agree with Gerald.  Getting together some presentation stuff that's
verbage... what are we as a  group going to talk about?  Push?  I'm not sure
we can count on "demos" that are more than "a quick look" into the system
- or - unless we have a person doing a "demo" that's ongoing.  When he gets
to the end, he starts over and he relies on other people around him to
actually interact with the visitors