On 7/23/07, Josef Lowder wrote: > > . > On Mon, 23 Jul 2007, Alan Dayley wrote > > PLUG is as viable and useful as we PLUGgers make it. > > > PLUG meeting attendance, in my view, has been at a plateau for > > several years now. There is a core group that "mostly always" > > attends a given meeting with a few new people each month that > > usually don't come again. I wish there was a way to make the > > meetings more attended. > > While I am more sporadic than regular in attending the East > side meeting, I am usually glad that I attended whenever I have. > There is something comforting about just knowing that the meetings > are there and available, and seeing familiar faces there. I must > admit that I kind of like the small group "feel," though I agree > that it would be great if the attendance could be increased. I'm > kind of on both sides of that consideration. ;)) > > There are several things that I believe might be helpful to > encourage more attendance and repeat attendance by newcomers. > > #1. Whatever happened to the idea of printing some PLUG brochures? > I recently saw an ad for www.CopyWorldInc.com offering 5,000 > flyers printed in full color on both sides for $99. Seems like > that should be do-able. I'd be willing to chip in something to > get something like that, and I'm sure others would as well. > I'm sure we could find some good places to distribute them and > we could all have some available to give away. > > #2. I wish that everybody would wear a name tag at the meetings. > Perhaps with name and favorite distros on the tags. I am still > unable to connect a name with a face on many of the group, both > regulars and visitors. > > #3. As well as the "presentations" (which are always great to > have), why not create a little spontaneous "show and tell" segment > in each meeting to invite and encourage two or three plug members > at each meeting to share a little something that they have learned or > found helpful recently (strictly voluntary, of course - no pressure!) > > #4. Then how about starting a little "directory" of short plug > member "bios" (with photos) on the plug website? That way every > new person could get better acquainted with regulars and in that > way feel more a part of the group and would thus be more inclined > to keep coming back. > > #5. How about having a little questions/comments/feedback form > available at the meetings so everyone could have an opportunity > to express whatever might be on their mind, and one of the meeting > hosts/coordinators/moderators could look through those during the > meeting and perhaps respond. > > > I always find them valuable and even occasionally "seminar" quality > > in their content and presentation. Others obviously don't feel that > way. > > I think most people would agree that the meetings usually do have > some worthwhile value and sometimes are even of near-seminar quality. > > > Think about it. Here we have a metro-area of millions with easily tens > > of thousands working with or using Linux/FS/OSS every day. And total > > monthly attendance to all PLUG meetings (just add up the number of > > people at each meeting) is about 60-70? Does anyone else think that > > is low? > > This is an excellent point. I'll bet there are hundreds of Linux > enthusiasts and potential Linux users who would be very interested > in attending the meetings and becoming part of PLUG if they only > knew about it. Just getting some distribution on a PLUG brochure > should be a good way to get the word out. > > Has the steering committee ever considered putting a sandwich board > out on the street whenever and wherever a PLUG meeting is in progress? > Who knows, we might even get some drop-in visitors. The sign could > just say "LINUX meeting -- 7-9 pm tonight -- stop in anytime." > > > But, then, many are not "meeting people" so, we do what the group wants > > to do. And we will continue to have meetings, if I have any say in the > > matter. If for no other reason than my own selfish enjoyment of them. > > I think the meetings will continue to be valuable forever ... > > > Our email lists are the very best! > > I totally agree and am very thankful for them. > > > --------------------------------------------------- > PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us > To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change your mail settings: > http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > [...] ad for www.CopyWorldInc.com offering 5,000 > flyers printed in full color on both sides for $99. Seems like > that should be do-able. I'd be willing to chip in something to > get something like that, [...] Here is the URL for that: http://www.copyworldinc.com/printing_product_catalog/flyer_printing.asp?gkw=1 I think you only get that price ( $99) if the flyers are very small. The web page (see above link) says 3 by 4, and I think that means inches. For 4 by 6 it is more like $169.00 ... and I am not sure about 8.5 by 11. OTOH, we might be able to get by with one-sided, (vs. "printed in full color on both sides") > I'd be willing to chip in something to [...] It is also possible that some funding might be forthcoming (either for SW Freedom Day, or for some other worthy PLUG causes) from a source like the Phoenix Chapter ACM. It has a bank account, but almost no members (except for me), and very few activities. (lately). Talk about "dying out"... LUGs are alive and well, compared to the Phoenix Chapter ACM. [well, some LUGs at least... like PLUG]. -- Mike Schwartz Glendale AZ schwartz@acm.org Mike.L.Schwartz@gmail.com