[ubuntu-us-mn] Update on ShipIt request

[Kyle Tonn]

Hey everyone. I think I have a unique perspective as I work with politicians for my day job (and play with Ubuntu at night). I agree with the other responses that sending the State Legislature ShipIt CD's is not the route to go right now. I think a better route to go would be to "lobby" for open standards.

1) Send information about open standards, and how Ubuntu and other FOSS fits into them.
2) Explain the benefits they have for their constituents (especially struggling school districts).
3) Set up meetings with legislators and bring your laptop to show them that free Ubuntu is every bit as good as a Windows machine in a classroom.
4) Encourage them to make a resolution (resolutions are non-binding) in support of the use of more open standards in the State Government.

I am open to more suggestions. Just send them to Tony.

--
Kyle Tonn
Maple Grove, MN


--- On Wed, 5/7/08, Tony Yarusso <tonyyarusso at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Tony Yarusso <tonyyarusso at gmail.com>
> Subject: [ubuntu-us-mn] Update on ShipIt request
> To: ubuntu-us-mn at lists.ubuntu.com
> Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 3:53 AM
> In line with the idea of getting local politicians more
> aware of Ubuntu and
> open source, I placed a request at
> https://shipit.ubuntu.com/ a few weeks
> back for 214 official pressed CDs of 8.04 - one for every
> member of the
> state legislature, the governor, and our congressional
> delegation.
> Unfortunately, due to the limited resources available
> ShipIt was only able
> to grant 50 CDs.  The way I see it, this leaves us three
> options for this
> project:
> 
> 1.)  All of you place your own requests on the ShipIt web
> site and get two
> friends to do the same.  The size of my request was unusual
> because it was
> on behalf of the team - you will likely only be able to
> request one CD
> apiece, hence needing friends to help out.  If we can get
> an additional 164
> CDs approved (one for and two for friends of every person
> on this list
> should do it), we'll be set.
> 
> 2.)  Purchase CDs from the Canonical web store.  For our
> remainder with
> shipping this would run $303.30.  If people can come up
> with that cash as a
> group, great - that will be far more efficient, but I know
> most people don't
> have a great deal of extra laying around.  I may need to
> investigate one of
> those online group contribution thingamajigs though to try
> stuff like this.
> I am currently leaning towards ChipIn.com because while it
> uses flash, it
> also doesn't take any fees or commission.  Suggestions
> welcome.
> 
> 3.)  Do home-burned CDs and attempt to make up for it with
> a really good
> explanatory letter accompanying them.
> 
> Given that this will be our first impression with this
> group, that they have
> very little prior exposure to this particular sector, and
> that they also
> happen to be influential people, I think it's important
> that we put our best
> foot forward and make a professional impression, which
> requires official
> pressed CDs, among other things.  Thus, I think we should
> try to pursue some
> combination of #1 and #2 if possible.
> 
> Please look at and add names to
> https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MinnesotaTeam/Political as we get
> going on this.
> 
> -- 
> Tony Yarusso
> http://tonyyarusso.com/-- 
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