Re: [Dfey-nw-discuss] Intro

[Tim Dobson]

Paul Sutton wrote:
> Hi
>
> this is my first post, I am Paul, aged 33, currently in the south west,
> I found this group after chatting on #teenlinux (added a link from my
> website a while back, so i still auto connect to their irc channel as I
> asked if this was ok with them first.

Hi Paul, Sounds good. Just out of interest, what's your handle? :)

> Looking at the groups home page, I agree what is being said, I arrange
> meetings for the devon and cornwall Linux user group, but do so with
> young people and people with young children in mind, on the basis a
> venue such as a pub is fine if you are old enough to go in, but excludes
>  people under 18,  not to mention the cost of any non alcoholic drinks
> are pretty expensive,

I've found people feeling a bit intimidated by the whole affair to be 
the main issues but I think this discussion probably merits a different 
thread, see comment below.

> Right now one of the Members of the devon & cornwall lug is finishing
> off a Linux based LTSP network for a community centre in Exeter, so that
> will be used by young people up there,

Cool :) sounds good!

> Just wondered if there was a similar group to your self in the South
> West you knew about,  if there is perhaps I or the dclug can help
> promote it to any young people, rather than just promoting the lug.  As
> that a group for young people run by young people may generate a
> different level of interest ?

This is very interesting. I know of quite a number of technically 
inclinded young people in the *rough* geographical area of the South 
West and I think that setting up DFEY-SW or DFEY-DC or something would 
be a really good idea.

As far as I know, DFEY-NW is the only group of it's kind, though I would 
love to see more young people seting up their own groups near them.

The closest things I know of to DFEY-NW are Sheffield University Free 
Software Society and Warwick GLUG... That doesn't mean nothing else 
exists, but I dont think there are any IRL groups which are 
geographically orientated like us... I think there are some helpful 
links on the DFEY-NW wiki to what we know of...

> A quick question.
>
> Is it ok to link to your site from my own site at www.zleap,net ?

Can't see any reason why not! :) Feel free to link us or plug us in most 
places (within reason!)

> I may do a link to the North west ubuntu wiki,  from the south west wiki
> page so if you can get a link from there, also (it looks like it could
> do with someone to add some content),  the wiki teams may actually link
> together, as right now there are no links between the teams

Go for it. I hang out on some of the ubuntu irc channels about younger 
people and i have seen some coolt hings happen with Ubuntu..

> Anyway I will probably ask you for some advice etc, on how to get OSS
> into schools and how best the lug and other groups can enguage with
> young people, I am currently volunteering as a mentor in a primary
> school, so not directly involved but I am trying to push OSS as an
> alternative.

Haha. We *may* not be the best people to ask for advice on how to get 
FOSS into schools - I wonder if you are aware of schoolsforge - schools 
forge.org.uk - who are a group of people who tend to work from the top 
down - talking to governors, sysadmins, FOSS education specialists etc.

We tend to interact more on a student to student basis or a student to 
teacher but issues such as how to make LUGs more friendly to young 
people is a very good question... feel free to start a thread on that :)

> thanks for your time

No Problem, sorry it's taken so long to get reply, times are busy at the 
moment!

Tim

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www.tdobson.net
----
If each of us have one object, and we exchange them, then each of us
still has one object.
If each of us have one idea, and we exchange them, then each of us now
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