Linux World / Network World 2006

[Meng Cheah]

Evan Leibovitch wrote:
> Meng Cheah wrote:
> 
>> So if someone comes up to me and asks if I can suggest/recommend where 
>> he can purchase a PC with Linux installed, I can recommend 
>> www.sub500.com or Flipside Technology Services but not myself who may 
>> be in that business?
> 
> 
> If you are staffing the local user group tradeshow booth, you are 
> representing a community which may include others who also sell PCs with 
> Linux installed. The best possible answer (for the group, if not for 
> you) is "come to a meeting or ask on a mailing list and you'll find a 
> number of possible answers". That answer draws the person into the 
> community, which is the primary reason for having the LUG booth there. 
> Alternately, you can suggest one of the many companies who are 
> exhibiting PCs with Linux installed elsewhere at the show. That's being 
> helpful.
> 
> You can mention that you do the service yourself, and if the person's 
> interested you take their contact info and talk to them after the show. 
> Doing so gives you the benefit of the contact, while giving the 
> questioner some confidence that the TLUG booth wasn't overrun by people 
> looking to use it to sell their own wares.

Thanks, Evan. That was the reasoned reply I was hoping for.

> Thankfully, though, this scenario doesn't happen often. People don't 
> come to LUG booths looking to buy things (unless they're LUG-related 
> things like T-shirts or memberships). They're looking for information 
> about the community, how to get involved, and how to get help. 
> Occasionally they ask for recommendations for good local sources of 
> Linux-related stuff, hoping to get independent, unbiased opinions from 
> the community.  If the only answer they get from TLUG is "I recommend 
> me", we'll never see them again, and likely neither will you.
> 
>> What if he has neither the time or inclination to seek help from the 
>> community?
> If this is the case, why is he at the TLUG booth asking that question?

An example:
My ex-boss who has more money than he knows what to do it (his tastes 
are not extravagant; he's far from stupid) once drove his teenaged son 
45 minutes to a Linux show, accompanied him at the show and drove him 
back. He had and has no interest in Linux but he did buy a linux book 
for his son. His son then asked me to help him setup Linux on his PC. No 
money was involved. The son is now doing his MBA. :-)
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