[ubuntu-za] Fwd: Ubuntu Hours Feedback

[Raoul Snyman]

FYI. In case anyone has a bit of time and wants to start up an Ubuntu 
Hour.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [loco-contacts] Ubuntu Hours Feedback
Date: 10/05/2015 07:11
 From: "Elizabeth K. Joseph"
To: "Ubuntu local community team (LoCo) contacts"

On Wed, May 6, 2015 at 12:55 PM, Svetlana Belkin <belkinsa at ubuntu.com> 
wrote:
> To those who have ran Ubuntu Hours in their LoCo's, I would like hear 
> your
> feedback.  I want to know what has worked and what hasn't work. Also, I
> would like to hear how can they be improved for other LoCo's.

I've been hosting one in San Francisco for almost 5 years. We shoot
for hosting them monthly on the second Wednesday. Some feedback:

1. I set low expectations as far as turnout. Sometimes there are just
two of us there, sometimes there are ten or more. We regularly get
random people dropping by to say they happen to use Ubuntu too. But
whether it's 2 or 10 we don't lose momentum. We still have a nice time
chatting and it doesn't take much work to organize, so why not? If I'm
alone, I'll catch up on email and still have a nice cup of tea, it's
ok :)

2. I prepare some talking points. Skim through the Ubuntu Weekly
Newsletter or a site like OMG! Ubuntu! to see what the latest news in
Ubuntu is and be prepared to talk about it. It's easy to have a few
people show up and a lull in conversation occur once the usual "so,
what do you do with Ubuntu?" pleasantries are over, so it's good to
have some topic to discuss.

3. At least every other month I pair it with a local Debian Dinner. In
Berkeley the Ubuntu Hour is sometimes *during* the Berkeley Linux
Users Group meeting. Having something other than a casual Ubuntu Hour
for folks to come to does help increase the likelihood that people
will show up to a coffee shop if it's otherwise out of their way.

4. A member of our team printed up signs for me to use on the table so
people know who we are and aren't afraid to approach us to ask what
we're doing, see:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pleia2/16318775950/sizes/l As you can
see from that picture, we also give away books, one of our members
participates in some of the publisher User Group programs like:
http://www.informit.com/user_groups/ and http://ug.oreilly.com

In general, we have met some interesting people at Ubuntu Hours and as
the host I've learned a lot about how people are using Ubuntu that I
wouldn't otherwise know without a face to face meeting. I like to
think we've helped people know that there are locals they can chat
with if they run into problems with their system, and by consistently
hosting meetings they know they can rely upon that support.

The hardest part is being that person who will show up on a regular
basis. I now have two people who I can ask to host if I'm unavailable,
but it took a long time to find and rely upon those people, I really
had to commit to doing it for a long time. I had hoped it would take
on a life of its own beyond me, but that hasn't really been the case
so far.


-- 
Raoul Snyman
e: raoul at snyman.info
Please note that my e-mail address has changed!