[H-GEN] Re: Training newbies was Support to change Humbug'sconstitution.

[Johann Kwiatkowski]

[ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and  ]
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Well you could almost do both, make it a semi-commercial opportunity for anyone
who is willing to offer linux services as well as promoting Humbug and the
ideas there.
The reason I say this is because I do on a part-time basis computer
installation for Harvey Norman, (i.e Joe Bloggs buys a computer system and
Harvey Norman pay form me to come in, setup printer, internet and whatever else
they bought)

Now, I know most of their technicians know very little about linux, yet they
sell some of the linux distros, (Mandrake and Corel, maybe Redhat)  yet they
offer no support for the customer after they have bought the software.  And as
I found out last weekend, they have no idea who to recommend. (I was called out
to help a person with an install who got stuck and had no idea how to fix it. I
only got the job as my father is a salesman at the store this guy bought his
Mandrake software from  and dad knew that I used linux). Otherwise I think this
guy would have been quite stuck. (interestinly enough, he was studying
proramming at some training centre and he noticed that the guys who had linux
at home where more advanced that the others, thats why he was bought it).

So, maybe a representative of Humbug should contact some of the larger computer
stores and tell them about the support etc that Humbug can offer.  Especially
since the average person who buys from Harvey Norman has little computer
experience in general.

Well just a thought on one way of promoting Humbug,

cheers

Johann


Russell Mathews wrote:

> [ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and  ]
> [ Unix-related topics.  Please observe the list's charter.           ]
> [ Worthwhile understanding: http://www.humbug.org.au/netiquette.html ]
>
>         I am pleased to see some ideas of this nature.  I think this
> should be an aspect of Humbug rather than a commercial opportunity.  Try
> to make it a commercial opportunity, and it will go nowhere.  It could be
> run in conjunction with usual Humbug meetings; a part of the room set
> aside for this purpose.  I am sure we all will gain benefit of having more
> people usefully using Linux.  If more people knew this was happening at
> Humbug meeting (on an organised basis), I am sure we would have much
> greater attendances.  It is the general philosophy of free source code; by
> our assisting the process to move at a faster rate, we too are pulled
> along and there are far more oppportunities.  Just by there being more
> activity, everyone gains a little spin off from it.
>         It will give a greater opportunity for more people to display what
> they know.  It is a well known and accepted fact that in any
> lesson/teaching situation, it is the teacher who learns the most.
>         I thought the purpose of Humbug and Linux was to increase the
> importance/acceptance of Unix/Linux and to increase its market
> penetration. There would be no better way of achieving that than by doing
> this through Humbug.
>
> Russell Mathews.
>
> On Wed, 6 Dec 2000, MARK VENZ wrote:
>
> > [ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and  ]
> > [ Unix-related topics.  Please observe the list's charter.           ]
> > [ Worthwhile understanding: http://www.humbug.org.au/netiquette.html ]
> >
> > I'd be intrested in attending seminars/programs especially from 2 on, and
> > I could probably convince the treasurer (mine not Govt/soceity) to find
> > the cash ($25 -$50).
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > On Wed, 6 Dec 2000, Frank Brand wrote:
> >
> > > [ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and  ]
> > > [ Unix-related topics.  Please observe the list's charter.           ]
> > > [ Worthwhile understanding: http://www.humbug.org.au/netiquette.html ]
> > >
> > > Raymond Smith wrote:
> > >
> > > >
> > > > True. I for one would like to see the education programs, etc, for
> > > > newbies.
> > >
> > >
> > > I have actually been looking at doing this on a fee for service basis. I
> > > think that there is enuff interest in Linux to do it. I think that
> > > groups like Humbug could do it but unless they are absolutely and
> > > totally committed it will just not happen. There is always some work or
> > > assignment or weekend away to intervene. People (ie customer type
> > > people) want certainty and continuity so I think there is a commercial
> > > opportunity there. Just not at the $3,000 plus price tag that Red Hat
> > > want to put on it. Maybe 25 to 50 people a session at $25 to $50 per
> > > head. Say a few hours session on installing and running Linux with a
> > > light meal or something. It really needs some organisation committed to
> > > bringing it together and being responsible for co-ordination. These are
> > > all top of the head figures and no real mathematics, logic or marketing
> > > has gone into it at all. Just a thought. I could see a series:-
> > >
> > > 1. Beginners...installing, running, the simple dos-> unix conversion
> > > stuff. Maybe participants get the appropriate CD and install it on their
> > > computer and get shown a few things.
> > >
> > > 2. Configuring.
> > >
> > > 3. Networking etc.
> > >
> > > 4. Specialties -for example...databases, various packages...Sun Office
> > > etc....programming maybe...Apache...PHP etc etc. This could grow
> > > indefinitely depending on demand.
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
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> >
>
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*Johann Kwiatkowski                                Spot The Dog Graphics *
*email: johann at spot-the-dog.com              http://www.spot-the-dog.com *
*P.O. Box 311, Helensvale                                                *
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