[Charlug] Computer Raffle, rev 1

[Ken]

same idea, a few clarifications and refinements:
   
   
  As a nonprofit, we can conduct a computer raffle to gain publicity, 
get site visitors interested in attending at least one meeting, involve 
prize winners in the club by offering support for their prize Linux 
boxes, publicize the club by branding the prize computers with CharLUG and 
Linux logos.
   
  First we need corporate donors to give us several decent computers to 
offer as prizes.  We raffle off 3 to 5 units, once a month, at our 
meeting. If we offer several computers as prizes for each drawing, people 
will have more hope of winning, and our activity will be perceived as a 
generosity, not a disappointing exploitation. In order to win a 
computer, participants must be present at the meeting for the drawing--no 
exceptions. Hopefully, this will increase attendance, if only temporarily. 
(If we can get the people to the meeting but they wont stay... well, 
that's another problem.) Photos of prize computers to be raffled are 
posted on CharLUG site weeks in advance. Additionally, we offer 10 to 20 
consolation prizes of Linux CDs and DVDs. Realistically, if they just 
show up, and their number is expectedly limited, all raffle participants 
could be "winners" as long as we keep a pile of Linux CDs on hand to 
give out.
   
  Participants must understand that CharLUG expects the prize computer 
to stay in the Linux camp.  We remove any vestige of M$ branding from 
the computer. We use stencil, template, and spray paint to permanently 
brand the case as a Linux box. This branding can be done tastefully, 
even artistically. We use our collective expertise to make it difficult to 
put Windows on this box. We offer support to the winner, in the form of 
a separate Support Mailing List.  Or if we dare, we put the winners on 
our member mailing list, and allow/encourage support questions--a 
complimentary membership, as it were. In fact, we can offer conditional 
membership to all winners, winners of computers and consolation prize 
winners of CDs/DVDs. The raffle participants have already given us their 
names and email addresses. Simple matter to grant conditional membership 
(promisory email support) as part of the prize.
   
  Online Entry forms available at charlug.org.  Entrant must give name, 
valid email address, must consent to receiving email promotions from 
CharLUG, with oppportunity to opt out later. The entry form could double 
as a questionnaire. This information may be the most valuable thing we 
get from the raffle. In particular, a mailing list of prospective 
members and attendees.
   
  A specific and appropriate Linux distribution is selected for each 
individual prize computer. The choice of distribution could be left up to 
the CharLUG member who is responsible for configuring the box in 
preparation for the raffle. Or we could establish a policy for distro 
selection by consensus, committee, or vote. (Any box between 300 and 500 MHz 
gets Vector Linux 5.8--trust me on this.)  There could be a space on the 
entry form for a participant to express a preference in distribution. 
There would need to be representation from the KDE camp, say SUSE 10.2 .  
Ubuntu 6.06 or Linux Mint 2.1 to represent GNOME. Just keep in mind 
that the prizes are going to noobs, so pick a friendly distro.
   
  If we ever decide we need money, we could run an auction (legal?) or 
a sale (aka donation) instead of a raffle.
   
  I wonder, should the raffle be open to current members? Probably not. 
Open to previous computer prize winners? No. Open to consolation prize 
winners? Probably yes.
 
---------------------------------
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