My suggestion to our local Linux user group was to examine setting up a Freedom Toaster in our area (http://www.freedomtoaster.org/). If you read up on it you'll see that it is best deployed in an area deprived of high speed. This provides them with a way to get large ISOs (i.e. FOSS such as Linux distros, OpenOffice, whatever) in a bandwidth starved zone. This wouldn't cost too much to deploy (I suspect the cabinet cost as much as the equipment inside given you don't need bleeding edge technology to make this work), and allows you to introduced Linux to the public in that area and FOSSoftware in general (which brings them back to Linux OS most times). This could be accomplished with the sponsorship of a local company (Linux consulting company, a 2nd hand computer store, or some other such company that would have an interest in seeing such a project succeed, perhaps even the local library or municipal council would have grant money for such an initiative in these low bandwidth areas). I have to agree that although Linux would get a lot of exposure, it's not the right audience. Now if this was at a national or international IT event then it would be a better target audience. If you attend a Linux conference and you see a large banner at the entrance for art supplies (not quite the right comparison I realize as Linux is an OS but also represents a philosophy, but you get the idea), will that have any significant marketing value? Odds are most Linux geeks would have no interest in it at all. Well odds are most NASCAR fans will have minimal interest let alone knowledge of Linux. Some would probably scoff at it and say that they misspelled LINEX (the company that does spray on bed liners which also has applications for national defense/terrorist protection according to a show I saw on it on Discovery Channel). Now that would be a better fit for NASCAR, a company with that type of product. Not that there isn't an opportunity to milk that exposure for all that it's worth by soliciting help from SuSE, Red Hat, and/or Ubuntu for example in running ads during the televised race or contributing towards the $350,000. But I suspect their marketing people will tell them they wouldn't get good bang for their buck. Which is what many seem to be saying here. Jacques B.
