[kwlug-disc] "What Linux Distro Should I Use?"

[unsolicited]

Paul Nijjar wrote, On 05/05/2010 10:49 AM:
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> The other thing that I have come out of this long thread is that we
> can be better about being inviting. There is space at SJK that could
> be used for breakout groups. But I think Richard's idea is better: the
> MC could ask two questions: 
> 
> 0. Who here is new to Linux? Hands up!
> 1. Who here has been using linux for at least a year? Hands up!
> 2. People in group 0: identify somebody in group 1 and be their
> friend. Trade e-mails or Twitter handles or something. 
> 
> (And before you say "I've been using Linux for a year, but I'm no
> expert!": join the club. What? Did you think Linux was free? There's
> always a catch, and for us the catch is mentoring others the way we
> were -- or would have liked to be -- mentored.)
> 
> Richard has been good at identifying the newbies and making them feel
> welcome when he MCs meetings. The rest of us need to be better at
> this, or alternatively we should make Richard MC for life. 
> 
> The suggestions that Raul, unsolicited and others make have come up
> several times. If there is interest in doing pre-meeting stuff again I
> can arrange to open the space earlier than 6:30pm. (We can also stay
> later than 9pm as long as we are not ridiculous.)

FWIW, I have enough problems getting there by 7:00, I'd never be able 
to commit to getting there even earlier, to help out.

> If there is interest in doing some out-of-meeting Linux trainings (at
> The Working Centre or elsewhere) then contact me offlist. I will get
> together interested parties and they can make magic happen. I get the
> sense that there is quite a bit of interest in this, but I also get
> the sense that there is not yet enough momentum to make it happen.
> 
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All well said.

Paul - one of my problems here is we're all WAGing about the nature of
the help desired or required. Are you able to guess, suppose, or
extrapolate, the nature of the newcomers requiring help, their needs /
desires / whatever, to give us a sense of just what it is we're trying
to satisfy, for whom?