Erez Hadad wrote:
OMG people. You sound like its time to close the shop and go home.
Noone wants to close the shop. But we need to find out why the sales go
down.
I didn't answer my own question, by the way: I have found myself coming
less, simply because I know much more about Linux than I did six years
ago. Guy's lecture about GTk opened my eyes to a tool I couldn't dream
of, at the time. But this has happened less and less, as time went by.
And let's face it, guys (and girls): This shop has been open for seven
years, and has kept more or less the same format. Time to open our eyes,
and realize that the world around us has changed? For example:
1. Linux and open source are not small and unknown movements anymore.
2. Most computer-competent people are not afraid of installing Linux
(technically).
3. The amount of information about Linux on the web has increased
dramatically (answered questions in forums and "survival" guides in
particular)
...etc.
One of the outcomes is that it becomes less and less relevant to cover a
subject completely, top to bottom. The info is all in the web. If you
know that a tool exists, and you know a few keywords to google for, you
have all you need to get going.
The Perl community has realized this a long time ago. They have
lightning talks. We had one such session, and I think we all agree that
it was a success.
But rather than forcing people down to 5 or 10 minutes, I would
encourage people to make short talks about those things that are too
small for a two hours lecture. How many times have you found yourself
discovering something, saying to yourself that you have to tell everyone
about it, but realized that you'll have to work too hard to develop that
into a full lecture?
So I think we should try another format: Several short talks for each
lecture. "Short" could be anything from five minutes to one hour, if the
subject is cool enough. With or without slides, with live demonstrations
whenever possible.
Show the point. Share the main pieces of wisdoms. Links and google
words. Thank you. Next.
It should be less of a bother to prepare a lecture, and less of a
headache to listen to it.
And if not anything else, several lecturers assures a minimal number of
participants. ;)
What do you think?
Eli
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Web: http://www.billauer.co.il
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