What's the point of Demo Day? (Was: Re: [NTLUG:Discuss] Linux Demo Day 99)

[newsseeker]

I agree with both of you.  I really think the best type of a demo we
could show is to literally have a Linux Box with a Window Manager showing
alongside a Windox 9x/NT box, and we are literally showing that for every
application that is included with a standard Windows package, there is an
equivalent Window Manager app on the Linux Box (KDE would work very well
here although I think showing how easily the Window Manager can be
switched would also impress people).

And group, please, let's not keep emphasizing the 'Linux isn't ready for
primetime'.  If there are people like me around, they'll take offence at
that (in my case, I've been running Linux exclusively for over a year
using KDE, Gnome, or Motif Window Managers on an account by account
basis....so telling me that Linux isn't ready makes me wonder what is
considered 'ready' since I can and am doing everything I can from a stock
Windows Install on my 'not ready' Linux box).  I would think, if you are
the normal person not knowing anything about Linux, and you heard "Linux
isn't ready....", they'd tend to look, say its interesting, and they'll
consider it when its ready (maybe).  I'm not saying lie, but on the other
hand don't go overboard in the negative direction either.

--nwskr


Kendall Clark wrote:

> I actually agree with MadHat on this. I think Linux has gotten very
> good, maybe maximal, penetration in the 'advanced user' segment of the
> market.
>
> My understanding of Demo Day is to take Linux precisely to the people
> that don't know about it yet or, if they do, they have the wrong
> perception: i.e., that it's *only* for advanced users.
>
> I think the Best Buy/Fry's kind of location is a good idea, but rather
> than doing this '24 hour game from scratch' thing, we should set up
> some really tricked out boxes from VA Linux with Gnome and KDE and all
> the 'normal' user kinds of apps, connected to the Net, if possible,
> with lots and lots of these apps, open at once, doing stuff, and NOT
> crashing! That will get the average users attention.
>
> The 24 Hour Game thing is a good idea too, it just seems better done
> as a NTLUG meeting, for which we can do all the press stuff.
>
> I'd prefer to see NTLUG use Demo Day to reach out to a different kind
> of user; it is that kind of user, by the way, that's been joining
> NTLUG at an average of 50 per month (!) since about February of this
> year. Our growth market, and Linux's in general, I think, is in this
> segment of the computer-using population.
>
> Best,
>
> Kendall Clark
>
> PS--I fear the average reaction to the 24 Hour Game thing will be,
> 'gee, that's neat; I *knew* Linux wasn't for me; it's for smart
> programmers.'
>
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