[LUGOS-ORG] [Fwd: Improving attendance at Linux Users Groups]

[Bostjan Janezic]

---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Improving attendance at Linux Users Groups
From:    "Andraz Sraka" <XXXXX at aufbix.org>
Date:    Sat, June 13, 2009 21:24
To:      XXX at lugos.si
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zanimivo in dokaj resnicno, bi rekel :)


http://everythingsysadmin.com/2009/06/improving-attendance-at-linux.html

Someone once asked me what improvements they could make to their Linux
Users Group (LUG).  New people came but never returned.

Two things I observed.

1.  New people didn't feel welcome.  Suggestion: Go out of your way to
make new people feel welcome.  Have a designated person show up early
and just say "hi" to everyone that walks in.  Most of us are introverts
and would be turned off by someone that tries to make small-talk, but
just hearing someone say "hi" is great.  Have good signs on the doors so
people know where to go.  Nothing makes new people feel unwanted like a
lack of being told where your meeting is.  I once went to a meeting (not
a LUG, but the issue is the same) only to discover that the web site
listed the address, but not the specific room... or which building.
There were no signs telling me where to go.  Ugh.

2.  If you have a Q&A session, the moderator should never answer the
questions.  People come to share and everyone wants their turn to show
off.  A big mistake I see is that the moderator will answer each
question then look around and say, "Does anyone else have anything to
add?"  Nobody answers.  Gee, I wonder why.  Well, the moderator just
expressed their dominance and anything else would be an affront to the
leader.  Folks, this is an open source movement.  We all have power and
knowledge and good stuff to day.  If you are the moderator, be the last
person to speak. Sure you know the perfect answer, in fact I bet you
have 5 points you'd like to make.  However, so do other people in the
audience.  Get them to say the answer.  Let a couple people speak.
After 3-4 people speak it is likely that 4 of the 5 points you wanted to
make have been made already.  Now you can chime in with your 5th point.
Everyone else got their chance to shine and your 5 points were made.
You'll still look brilliant for having a 5th point that nobody else
thought of, but you won't look overbearing.

Those are the top 2 problems I've seen.

-- 
BOFH excuse #263:

It's stuck in the Web.
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