Maybe it would be a good idea to query the audience prior to each presentation, to assess their level of technical knowledge. We could prepare some slides that cover fundamental concepts and possibly skip those slides if the audience doesn't need them. My thinking was that each topic on the list would be a separate presentation. The audience for each topic could be different. For some topics (such as linux distros), it might be good to have multiple speakers, one for each sub-topic. Joel On Mon, 17 Dec 2001 uak at nerp.net wrote: > > I like this idea of a list of topics. Here is my added $.02: > > On Mon, 17 Dec 2001, Joel T Schneider wrote: > > - Define "Operating System". > - What _is_ Linux. Perhaps a very short historical perspective > inserted here. > > Perhaps focus on what a user will _see_. Show them what you are talking > about. When I first started out, I found it frustrating to have a group > of hovering geeks talk about their Distro preferences. Chose one > and just start from there. [Maybe don't even tell them (unless they ask) > about other Distros at first.] You all can fight about which one it would > be (RH), but introduce new things to your audience gradually. They will > already see "very different" things if you show them different Desktop > Environments. You can introduce them to "a version of Linux called [your > disputed disto goes here]." Stay above the kernel for now. :) > > > 1. Comparison of Linux Distributions (RedHat, Mandrake, SuSE, Debian, > > Slackware, ...) > > 2. Office Productivity Software (StarOffice, KOffice, AbiWord, OpenOffice, > > ...) > > 3. Desktop Environments (Gnome, KDE, WindowMaker, Sawmill, fvwm2, twm, > > ...) > > For some in this audience, you will have do define what a "server" is > before you go on to this topic. > > 4. Server Capabilities (web server, file server, print server, mail server > > database server -- Apache, Samba, Sendmail, Postfix, Postgresql, MySQL, > > InterBase/Firebird, ...) > > Can you speak of these topics in terms other than "Client," "Networking," > and "Server"? Maybe stick to their functions: > "You can print..." "You can search for things on the Internet..." > Forget ipchains/iptables... Think of the top three things that a user > wants to do. Show them how to do those three things, or even one of them, > and they will feel like they accomplished something. > > > 5. Client and Networking Capabilities (file and print services, web > > browsers, X, vnc, ipchains/iptables, ...) > > _________________________________________________________ > This depth is for another audience or the future of this audience. > > > 6. System Administration Overview (file system layout, webmin, linuxconf, > > vnc, ssh, distro specific tools, ...) > > You would spend all of your time defining what these terms mean, and no > one in the audience is programming. > > 7. Software Development (gcc, gdb, perl, python, java, CodeWarrior, > > NetBeans, Kylix/Delphi, ...) > > Again, what is Oracle, what is DB2, what is Sybase, what are IDEs?... > > 8. Commercial Software (Oracle, DB2, Sybase, games, IDEs, ...) > > > > It would also probably be a good idea to create a questionnaire for TCPC > > members that asks which linux topics they would be most interested in > > seeing for future presentations. > How do they know what Linux topics are out there? How about "Name three > things that you would like to know how to do, using a Linux > machine, that you do not know how to do yet?" > > uak > PS. This makes me imagine trying to teach a young kid violin by playing a > recording of Perlman playing some flashy technical piece and you look to > your student and say "See what you can do with your violin?!"