Re: critics about our presence at LinuxTag 2004

Hi,

> - the "hacking" area wasn't avaible on the first days, so much Debian
> folks was sitting around at our booth, so visitors (if they weren't to
> afraid too come to our booth) didn't know whom to ask questions.

Now that you mention it: Something that really annoyed me last year (I
didn't go this year, but I doubt this has changed) was the rude tone in
which the people that were not on their shift were asked to leave, even
while they were talking to visitors.

Not a permanent solution, but workable: Have a *visible* hacking/hanging
out area where people can gather. Yes, visitors may happen to ask those
people some questions, but I think it is more important to show that
Debian is after all a community effort. Hiding everyone who is not
"official" is not a solution.

> - Another part of the problem was, that people were sitting in the back,
> showing visitors their back, and one showed them (while wearing a to
> short shirt and bending forwards to hack on his notebook) parts of his
> body, which didn't saw the sun recently.

Better chairs (i.e. ones that don't let you see through)?

I think it is sort of unavoidable to have people look into a monitor
that can be seen by the visitors and not have them turn their back to
the visitors. It can be trained, but... :-)

Again, separating the booth into an "official" and a "hacking" part may
help here, as may projecting stuff that you show to visitors onto a side
wall rather than the back wall (Yes, two beamers. One to catch
attention, one to demonstrate things).

> - If you are at the booth, and female visitors come to you, don't stare
> at their breasts (or at least don't dislocate to do so).

Duh. Nothing to say about that. At least I didn't hear about Debian
people offering them money, as some M$ people did a few years ago.

> - If you want to give away flyers, don't bring your printer (we won't
> have always place for that), and start printing them.

Having an own printer is IMO a necessity. Basically, it sucks when you
have pointed a visitor that had a concrete question to a web page that
answers it and you need to scribble down the URL; printing stuff out at
the booth helps a lot here. Printing flyers is something different, yes.

> - If you had a long night, it might be that you get very sleepy at the
> booth, where the air often does not contain much oxygen. But please
> don't sit at the booth, head on the table. Luckily you weren't
> snoring.

Yes, the "hanging out" area needs beanbag chairs.

> Possible solution: Get a storeroom like last year, or bring your personal
> stuff to the hacking area (hopefully there will be one).

Storeroom.

   Simon

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