Ways to help promote Lite?

[smhardesty]

I know this subject has been discussed before. I've posted multiple times about how completely impressed with Lite I am. I'd like to see some additional ways someone like me can promote this really great distro. Here is my situation.

I live in what most of you would call an extremely rural area of southern Illinois. The County I live in has a population of 16,233 and the town has a population of 8,631. Not only that, but all of the surrounding Counties are very similar in demographics. I am disabled/retired and I no longer am active in any clubs or organizations.

So with that in mind, what are ways I can best help promote Lite? I truly believe I've found a Linux distro I can depend on for a long time to come. I'd like to do what I can to help ensure the longevity of the Lite project. Any ideas?

[Artim]

I too am in a very rural area.  Some of the folks around here are even still on dial-up Internet access!  I promote Linux Lite and/or PCLinuxOS, depending on the user's particular needs and concerns - PCLOS because it's "rolling-release" and systemd-free, and Linux Lite because it's super easy for do-it-yourself users.

I restore old but perfectly good computers that are slow, underpowered, still running WinXP, etc.  They run as fast or faster than new with Linux, and for most "typical" computer users, the computer does everything they want and need.  Word-of-mouth does the rest. 

I donate restored computers - once discarded as junk - to a couple of private schools, churches, and other charities.  More word-of-mouth promotion of Linux from there!

Then there's the cool swag you can buy from Cafe Press, of course.  Coffee mugs, hoodies, teeshirts.  I wear mine to school and play.

[smhardesty]

Several years ago I also gave new life to older PCs by installing Linux on them. We sent my son to a private Christian school. Some of the students were without computers at home to do their work on. I prepped the PCs, then gave them to the school with instructions for them to choose students to receive them. I suppose I might consider something like that again.

I hadn't checked out all the Lite items for sale. I believe I might just have to get one of those charcoal T-shirts.

[smhardesty]

I've just made the first step in introducing Linux and Linux Lite to my wife's aunt and uncle. Although she really is my wife's aunt, she is only 13 months older than my wife so they are more like cousins. Anyway, while they were visiting here for the 4th of July I had an opportunity to show Lite to them. Her uncle was really interested in learning what Linux is. So I just sent an email with links to 3 different websites that explain what Linux is, then also included a link to the Linux Lite website.

I'm hoping he takes a real interest in at least trying Linux, and more specifically, Lite. They are both retired executives of a large insurance company. They still have many friends that work at the company. Who knows? Maybe I'll spark some interest.

[Valtam]

Way to go Steve!

[Valtam]

Also, holy crap, I've got over 5000 posts here  :o 8)

[smhardesty]

Also, holy crap, I've got over 5000 posts here  :o 8)

I guess that means you've definitely ventured beyond the confines of a "casual user". WaaHaaaHaaaa!! ;D

[bitsnpcs]

Congrats on passing your 5000 posts [member=2]Jerry[/member]  8)

Great work smhardesty

[smhardesty]

I guess I should include some info about the interest her uncle showed. I had let him on my laptop to view some photos I had stored. When he gave the laptop back to me he wanted to know what kind of computer a Lenovo was because it was so darned fast. I briefly mentioned it was fast because it was running Linux Lite.

That got the first "deer in headlights" look from him. After a few seconds he said, "What did you just say? It's what?" So I repeated that it was running Linux Lite. He was really lost, so I went through a brief explanation of OSes, Windows, Linux, and a couple of benefits of Linux. He had 2 questions. First, he asked, "What do you mean, it's free?" So he got the whole free as in free beer, and free as in open source and what that means. His immediate response was, "No sh**?", then turned to his wife and said, "Honey, did you hear this?"

Then he asked, "OK. Now what do you mean it's basically virus proof?" That really got his attention because a few months ago he paid somebody to clean his Windows machine up. He finally said, "So I can just go online, download this Linux thing, put it on a DVD, and put it on my laptop? Just like that?" I made sure to explain that he probably really needed somebody like me to either put it on his laptop or at least help him do it. He's definitely not extremely computer literate, if you catch my drift.

Anyway, he was for sure interested and to be honest I would have bet a bundle that he wouldn't have been. So, NEVER ASSUME. Right?  :

[sanmayjoshi]

Just thought I would pitch in this post of mine.

https://www.freecinema2022.gq/forums/on-to.../#msg33170

Cheers!