What's the point of Demo Day? (Was: Re: [NTLUG:Discuss] Linux Demo Day 99)

[Kendall Clark]

>>>>> "MadHat" == MadHat  <madhat at unspecific.com> writes:

    MadHat> But I don't think it is the right image for Linux.  You
    MadHat> don't want people to think you have to be a "hacker" to
    MadHat> use it.  That is the point, or at least that is what I
    MadHat> understood the Linux Demo Day is supposed to be about,
    MadHat> show it off to those who wouldn't normally be able to see
    MadHat> it.

I actually agree with MadHat on this. I think Linux has gotten very
good, maybe maximal, penetration in the 'advanced user' segment of the 
market.

My understanding of Demo Day is to take Linux precisely to the people
that don't know about it yet or, if they do, they have the wrong
perception: i.e., that it's *only* for advanced users.

I think the Best Buy/Fry's kind of location is a good idea, but rather 
than doing this '24 hour game from scratch' thing, we should set up
some really tricked out boxes from VA Linux with Gnome and KDE and all 
the 'normal' user kinds of apps, connected to the Net, if possible,
with lots and lots of these apps, open at once, doing stuff, and NOT
crashing! That will get the average users attention.

The 24 Hour Game thing is a good idea too, it just seems better done
as a NTLUG meeting, for which we can do all the press stuff.

I'd prefer to see NTLUG use Demo Day to reach out to a different kind
of user; it is that kind of user, by the way, that's been joining
NTLUG at an average of 50 per month (!) since about February of this
year. Our growth market, and Linux's in general, I think, is in this
segment of the computer-using population.

Best,

Kendall Clark

PS--I fear the average reaction to the 24 Hour Game thing will be,
'gee, that's neat; I *knew* Linux wasn't for me; it's for smart
programmers.'