Advocacy for LUG's in Their Communities?

~-zman-~ asks: "How should Linux User Groups advocate Linux/free software in their community. Obviously, meetings and 'installfests' are good ideas, but my group has been pondering public service announcements and LUG radio. What do you guys think?" Interesting thought. If Microsoft can have TV commercials, why can't LUGs make radio announcements. Click below and share your thoughts, and suggestions.

Comments

Distro handouts

[Indomitus]

We've been thinking a bit about this very question in the New Mexico LUG (www.nmlug.org). One thing that we do is we have a repository of blank CDRs available for people to get different distros burned onto to try for free. The CDRs are donated by LUG members and since a few of the LUG members work at ISPs around Albuquerque we keep the CDs at our various places of employment for people to come get without having to wait for LUG meetings. This allows people to play with different Linux (also *BSD) distros without having to shell out for the box versions and it spreads good will about the LUG at the same time. We've also been working on labels telling where the discs come from and encouraging people to hand the CDs over to others when they're done.

Maybe somebody at one of the big linux.(com|org) sites might be willing to compile a page from the various suggestions/comments on this topic?

Press the flesh and kiss the babies.

[perigeeV]

Your local library system is a start. They'll usually give you a space for seminars/installs, and may even put up a signboard if you prove you're not a one-night-stand.
Your newspaper almost always has a local clubs and events section. Try to get into the business insert too. The medium size and up metro areas also have a fair number of "alternative" newspapers. Hit them hard. You get big space for your dollar, and the readership is usually part of your target audience.(Oh my, I'm starting to sound like a marketting droid!)
I have no comment on my whereabouts during the following activities...

• Go to CompUSA, open notepad on as many boxen as you can, and type appropriate anti-Microsoft-tax-Linux-rules messages.
• Put your LUG's phone/contact on the back of all the shrinkwrap OS's.
• Crash your NT-loving brother's computers every chance you get so that he won't loan you RAM anymore.