What about post-installfest support?

[David J Patrick]

Walter Dnes wrote:

>  So a Windows user comes to our installfest, and gets some version of
>linux going.  What do they do when they run into a problem?
>
This is THE question ! Even if the install goes flawlessly (unlikely) a
fresh n00b is going to run into things they don't understand; things
that (if they have nowhere to turn) will make them crazy !

>  Can we
>offer some sort of support?
>
If we can't, we're not doing them any favours !

>  Maybe not house-calls, but perhaps a combo
>of a new-user support list and limited phone support for new-users who
>suddenly find they can't get online.
>
We MUST be able to offer them several options;

1) FTFM - a new users guide (pamphlet ?) that explains, how to use man
pages/ info, gives links to websites with beginner help.

2) community - directions to mailing lists, lugs and helpful volunteers.

3) real live support network - a reasonably priced (not free) option to
get the answers you need NOW.

>  The worst PR for linux is people
>who've tried linux, and given up because of "trvial" problems *THAT THEY
>COULD NOT SOLVE*.
>  
>
.. with no one to turn to, and all their M$xperts shrugging and shaking
their heads.

>    other groups.  In Gentoo linux, the answer id "gpasswd".
>[snip]
>  - PCI modems will *NOT* work under Gentoo as ttyS0..ttyS3.
>
Thats why we're not going to recommend Gentoo for n00bs, right ;-) ?

These are important questions, and if unanswered, suggest to me that we
might be hasty, in reformatting their hard drives, and kicking them out
of the nest.

djp
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