[Haifux] W2L + Installation party?

[Ohad Lutzky]

On Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 5:18 PM, Orr Dunkelman <orr.dunkelman at gmail.com>wrote:

> Hi,
>
> On Wed, Sep 17, 2008 at 1:30 PM, Dave Roi <davidroi at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I believe instaparties are still needed, just with more focus on post
> > install configuration and usage instructions.
>
> I think a good answer to whether these are needed or not is the
> attendance in the last few ones. I haven't been to the last one (where
> Moshik Afia has arrived), but I've been to many before, and the last
> three I've attended were more populated with installers than
> installees. Yes. We are talking about less than 20 installation the
> whole day (or even less).


Agreed.

>
> In case an instaparty does happen:
>
> > I suggest focusing on installing all the cool packages that are needed
> but
> > aren't installed by default like setting up the dial up connections to
> their
> > ISPs, codecs, fonts, rar, ace, etc..
> most people do not use dial-up these days.
> moreover, if you'll get many people, you won't have time for that.
> If you'll get a few - what's the point in the whole event?


Two more points:
1. Dial-up (and by this I mean DSL and cablemodem) configurations are in
wide use today, and are a prime source of problems (cablemodem especially)
for new users. However, an ordinary instaparty is useless for this, as it
would have a simple router&DHCP-autoconfig based setup which works
out-of-the-box. Moreover, the previous instaparty had no internet access *at
all*. At the very least, a wi-fi router should be present so wireless cards
can be tested. If any help is to be given in an instaparty regarding DSL and
(again, especially) cablemodem connections, such a connection must be
available in the instaparty, or the whole thing is pointless.

> Show them the fun stuff, the cool music players like amarok and Listen,
> After installation? This should be the deal-maker that leads people to
> install. But they will need to use openoffice as well...


Why not just have a SiL lecture titled "fun stuff in Linux" to show this
stuff off? It does wonders for adoptation (especially glitzy 3D desktop
effects).


> > How about a few stations on the side for people to play Nexuiz against
> each
> > other? :-)
>
> LAN party!


This goes well with my "hands-on" suggestion.

>
>
> > I say lectures aren't needed, just have lots of veterans going around
> > helping people.
>
> Should we have lectures on other days?


One additional point - almost all of the linux adoptation I've seen in the
Technion works like this: People see it, use it for a course, avoid it for a
(geometrically distributed) while, then decide to install it (by themselves.
All of the adopters I've seen are perfectly capable of performing a google
search for the distribution they've seen, burning an ISO, and hitting "next"
a couple of times). They seek a guru (or ask on the forums) for some help,
are given a pointer in the general direction, and are happy. Sometimes they
come seeking more help for tougher issues (laptop doesn't enter
suspend-to-RAM properly, cablemodem issues, or they decided to go to a
bleeding-edge version, broke a few things, and are interested in knowing how
to fix them without going back to a stable version). I move that
instaparties, at least in the Technion context, are obsolete.

-- 
Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only animal that
is struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to
be.
- William Hazlitt

Ohad Lutzky
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