Meeting Details

• Date: Thursday, July 19, 2007

• Location: The Howard County Library's Central Branch in Columbia, MD.

• Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Agenda

• Install Fest

  • Collection of donations for refreshments
• Software Freedom Day activities planning
• Discuss the creation of committees/subteams.
• Reminder for team-members to add themselves to the wiki members list

Meeting Minutes

Note: I apologize to those whose names I've forgotten. Some suggestions are marked with names, others are unattributed. If you'd like your participation to be marked by name, just let me know and I'll make the necessary changes.

• Preparations for the install fest were discussed:
  • Chuck said that the room will be available at 9:30am, and we are to arrive at that time for setup. The exact location is currently unknown but will be announced shortly. The security guard will be expecting us and will let us in. The room is a computer lab and has a wired (and possibly wireless) internet connection.
  • Josh will create small signs to help attendees find the appropriate room.
  • Craig mentioned that team members should bring power strips, power cords, and other cables just in case installees show up with only a box. Any other equipment is welcome and may or may not be needed.
  • It was determined that creating user manuals was not feasible at this time and that official documentation would have to suffice.
  • Legal waivers were discussed. Because the team is not a legal entity, the waivers will have to include the names of the team members who are present at the install fest. These waivers will have to be signed by the installee prior to any work being done. If the installee refuses to sign, no work can be done.
  • Josh provided flyers to the team who were instructed to post flyers wherever possible.
  • Refreshments were also discussed.
    • Team members are encouraged to bring 2-liter bottles of soda. Chuck will provide cups and ice with a cooler.
    • The lunch situation will be determined on site and will likely involve ordering pizza.
  • Craig provided insightful criticism of the team's lack of organization and motivation and it was agreed that further install fests would require better organization. This lead into a discussion on the possible organizational structures that would better facilitate future team activities (see below).
• For software freedom day, the Maryland Team will be hosting an event that will involve an install fest and possibly presentations of open source software. The goal is to have Feisty CDs and OpenCDs (open source Windows applications) on hand.

  • Craig mentioned that we still have to register with SoftwareFreedomDay.org as an offical SFD2007 team.

  • The library will be providing old computers and monitors that the team will update and give away, preferably to a charity. More details to come soon.
• The team agreed that subteams or project teams were necessary and there was tentative agreement that these teams should consist of (at least), an install fest team, a presentations team, and a marketing team. Each team will have its own wiki page, and project leaders would delegate tasks to team members. Project leaders were not yet established.
• There were a number of interesting suggestions from team members about other projects:
  • Joel suggested that the team should provide presentations on the value of free software and open standards, and that such presentations could be given at a variety of venues. The team agreed that this was a good idea and that install fests alone would not significantly improve adoption rates. The purpose of such presentations would be to explain free and open source software, vendor lock-in, and how Ubuntu and other FOSS can help to solve these problems. These presentations could then be followed up with install fests and links to pages with more information. A project team will be created to explore this option.
  • It was suggested that the team should provide user-oriented training. For example, the team should host a training session for a specific topic based upon a schedule, and users wishing to receive training may attend the sessions they are interested in. At the end of each session the team could open the floor up to questions and provide support where necessary.
  • Chuck mentioned the possibility of hosting meetings and events in other parts of the state with the hope of generating enough interest for localized intrastate teams to develop and grow.
  • It suggested that the team could essentially "adopt" a non-profit group and provide them with Ubuntu installation and support. Chuck agreed that this was possible and asked for suggestions.