[TriLUG] article: N&O Home Users Leap to Linux

[Lee Heavlin]

My experience with newspaper writers is that they are very receptive to a
background paper full of facts, but written like a newspaper article.  Add
eye-catching, human interest photos.  The editor often will accept it and
run with the item as a feature.  If passed to a reporter with an invitation
to a meeting, you may get a revised story using your input, his new
thoughts, and his byline.

Have used this method successfully with the Durham Herald.  The editor took
the story and photos and gave us a 3/4 page article (covering a charity).

The InstallFest could be TriLUG's story.  Focus on the desktop user and
"Home Users Leap to Linux."  Things that caught my attention at the last
InstallFest were:

1. A kid and his dad building a new box for gaming
2. People traveling great distances to participate
3. Helpfulness of the TriLUG group
4. Friendly, festive event.
5. Local business providing equipment (monitors) for event.

 Focus on the emerging desktop Linux.  Cover the humble beginnings in Chapel
Hill five years ago.  Compare that to standing room only meetings now.  If
the Steering Committee prepared material covering the Summer InstallFest,
with pictures, it should get the material to the Durham Herald and N&O at
least two weeks before the event.  Include News Channel 14 and WRAL.  Both
thirst for material.

Having a major Linux player providing support (product) would be helpful.
Since Red Hat is moving toward enterprise, they may not be an InstallFest
option.  SuSE?  IBM?

-----Original Message-----
From: trilug-bounces at trilug.org [mailto:trilug-bounces at trilug.org]On
Behalf Of Mark Fowle
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 12:45 PM
To: Triangle Linux Users Group discussion list
Subject: Re: [TriLUG] article: N&O Home Users Leap to Linux


Considering I mentioned TriLug more than once during the interview - so
did my wife.... I was hoping that it would have made the side-bar as
well.

Mark

On Wed, 2003-11-19 at 12:34, Scott Lundgren wrote:
> Home users leap to Linux
> Security problems, costs make Microsoft less appealing
> http://newsobserver.com/business/story/3034938p-2777326c.html
>
> Surprisingly, for having passed it's 5th b'day and being mentioned in the
> nationally published LinuxWorld mag, TriLUG is not explicitly listed in
the
> Resources side bar. The steering committe might want to mention these
points
> methinks, the writer's contact info is at the bottom of the article.
>
> - SL
--
Mark Fowle
mark at thefowles.com