I think that for the long term success of NZWireless, we need to let more people know about it. I have already done so (to a small extent) on forum.geek.nz and Noodles has let the people on telecon.co.nz know about us. But what more can we do? Here are a couple of things:
*Get mentioned in the PC World magazine. This could be as simple as NZWireless.org being in the Smokin/Chokin/Croakin section in the back page of PC World (I think it used to be the hot/not section). If we are *really* lucky*, we could get an article done about us.
*Have someone ring up the internet show on Newstalk ZB on Monday's. We could also instead ask them to mention us on their show. They deal mainly with the "My internet is slow" kinda people but they do have techies listening to their show.
*NZWireless t-shirts
*Flyers to stick up on public noticeboards.
For the first two, we will have to decide the kind of people we are going for. Personally, I'm not sure we want people who have never used irc before, don't know what ip addresses are, etc. This is just my personal feeling but feel free to correct me. I think we need to be careful who we advertise to though, because we don't want someone new to the internet trying to set up 802.11b by themselves. Let me know your opinions on this
For the last two, we need someone with some artistic skills. For both of them, I think we need an NZWireless logo - something that people will be able to identify us with. Is there anyone here that could do this, or anyone who knows someone who would be willing to lend a bit of time here? (I'm thinking graphics designers here).
I may be able to ask a couple of graphics designers, but I hardly know them at all, so thats a last resort for me. However they are part of an up-and-coming company, so they may be willing to design something for us if we can mention them on the site.
I think that maybe someone with some marketing skills would help with the design of a flyer, although it probably doesn't need to be all that fancy, but it does need to be good enough to get people to think "hmm.. whats that?" and read it.
Let me know what you guys think, and feel free to add anything to the list of places we can advertise NZWireless.
If we advertise outdoor acccess points and people start buying them, this is probably the best advertising we can get. People will also buy instead of making their own. We just need to get the parts as cheap that we can and sell them at almost cost.
As far as I know, when shadow starts manufacturing his waveguides he will have the option of putting some advertising on them. I think he was talking about maybe putting nzwireless advertising on them.
Seg,
Whats this May insert a flyer with each waveguide I will be inserting one with each one. However someone is going to have to come up with a nice little brochure.
PC World. OK i have had a discussion with a couple of people i know, They are keen in going an article but we all need to barf up a lung and chip in. No point in only one or two of us being involved.
As a thought I would sugest that we organise an open day and maybe hire out a hall. Sort of like a computer fair except for wireless stuff.
And the other thing is that we need to get together and break the NZ long shoot record for 802.11. This would certinly turn some heads.
Well I've been promoting NZWireless.org on the net for a while now, building up backwards links and optimising our site. You wouldn't believe some of the crazy search terms which our site gets found on.
When the whole press release/promotion thing came up last time, we (Seton, Simon and myself) decided to hold off on doing anything until we had a network. The network is building now, but it's still in the early days.
It's sort of a catch 22, the network won't build unless we let more people know about it, and people won't join unless the network grows.
At the moment I'm writing up a document to present to councils from different areas to try and get some backing. Hopefully then we can offer a service to people in the community who don't know much about computers/don't have time to do all the work we're doing at the moment.
As for t-shirts, car bumper stickers etc, I guess they can't hurt, there's no such thing as bad publicity, but we really do need a better logo.
If anyone wants to design a logo/t-shirt etc, let me know.
Also, if anyone wants to help out with this document, that would be great, I'm getting a bit stuck. I've got some main points, I just need to make it into a document.
One of my customers could help out with the stickers. Again if someone wants to come up with the design i will find out what we are up for. The cost of the printing is around 170.00/m full colour.
this is similar to the process used for the BORG.CO.NZ waveguide lables. Hmm that reminds me i really need to sort out my website.
this stuff has an average life expectancey of about 3 years and unlike normal stickers it can be put on some painted surfaces (some cars) and will peel off. it's based on the same stuff as the sign companies use.
I work with one of the regular colomnists of PC World (He is a Full time programmer, part time writer). We have been discussing the nzwireless project and he is currently looking at doing the same thing in his part of Auckland. He has a Linux bent so if we can put togeather a story around wireless and linux (e.g. Firewall, router, imbedded AP, etc) then it could be a great story for his next colomn. Remember that there is only two issues b4 Xmas and the cut-off for the Nov issue will be pretty soon.
They don't do a Jan issue so the next one after Dec is Feb.
Also Netguide...although it is mainly for noob's it may spark some interest in someone.
As for who we want to target this at... if you go for geeks only the you are limiting your auidence. If you advertise to everyone on the basis that it is a "growing network and being a community project we offer no guarantees", then the more the merrier. If they are not geeks and need some help installing crap and mounting stuff then why not?! We could help them out and slowly turn them to the dark side and become geeks themselves.
I say go for mass advertisement in locations such as computer mags so at least they will have a little geek in them and not farmer joe expecting the earth.
Depending on printing cost we could also make up an A5 type flyer and put it in letterboxes where we need coverage. Target an area with letter spam and see what grows from that. I imagine the hit rate would be in the low few percent, but another option.
It would be interesting if the local council/govt would provide any grants for such a community project..even a few $$$ dollars would help out.
Give me a bell Noodles for some help on the prpopsal.
Coming from a very structure environment i suggest:
1. We collate poeple who are willing to help out.
2. We brain strom what and how we are going to promote the network
3. We prioritise which we are going to do based on cost / result
4. Assign jobs to most appropriate people
5. Create a timeline for these jobs to be completed
All very military i know but it will go a lot faster if we plan.
btw, what is the NZ and/or world record for 802.11 range? I saw some swiss dudes did a 300+km shot to a weater baloon! Antenna HEIGHT and terrain affect range more than anything.
Am I the only guy in Palmerston North here? Everyone else seems to be from Auckland.
Currently I am in Awapuni, but that may change any time between November and February, as I am in a student flat. Palmy is totally flat, so it shouldnt matter too much where we live.
I am the admin for www.nodes.co.nz, i should be able to put up a banner for you guys, just to let you guys know i am very interested in your project and I would love to be a part of it too
Now that a great source of advertising. Online computer shops.
Semi technical people are looking at them, we could even just get our banner on the networking equipment page.
Let's start with pricespy.co.nz :idea:
Just another idea. Email signatures. All the emails I send have my name, email address and at the bottom they have a message. At the moment my message is:
"nzwireless.org - connecting New Zealand wirelessly"
Hopefully a few people have visited the site because of it.
As I understand the idea is to get the word out for NZwireless so it doesn't fade into the distant past of the has been cool organisations, where there are no meetings.
Having run and set up clubs before the key to successful survival of a club is the continuing interest of the current members and initiation of interest in new persons.
Advertising is only part of a general Membership encouragement function. Workshops, this web page, special events, and group ordering of goods are all part of gaining memberships.
The organisation of the club requires a small formalisation. There needs to be regular events and for this to be published on the web page. Some people need to be made responsible for things like , Workshops, Special events and Group Orders. I'm keen to order some stuff and to meet up again for something interesting like another aerial testing day.
As for Advertising I don't like paying for it. What about holding a publicity stunt like the long shot or trying to write a regular column in Wifi in a local comp mag. Planning an open workshop and letting the comp mags tell people about it. ie in effect an open day. It would require setting up stalls.
Sponsorship to pay for expenses from comp companies, comp suppliers, magazines.
Issues:
Who reads the advertisemenst, press release articles to ensure accuracy? and to make sure we don't look silly.
Who is going to contact companies for sponsorship.
Is the Org incorporated and if not who do the sponsors pay money to?
Who this that and the other.
Yes I agree with Wookie about organisation.
Noodles: when is the next meeting of the org?
PS shadowX: I can help with a bit of Diarrohea Dialog for an article.
Umm... I hadn't planned anything, i'll see how keen people are, and maybe have one at the end of this month, and do a proper write up/get press to come along or something.
I received a call today from a guy @ IDG wanting me to pose with my
newly installed ShadowX Waveguide for an article to appear in next months PC World!!
Unknown to me, my friend at work who is a colomnist for PC World
has arranged to write an article on community wireless networks, freenets, mesh networks etc etc.
I showed him some pictures this morning that I took of the antenna installation which he passed onto IDG, who then called me.
There is a mention of www.nzwireless.org in an article written by Vik Olliver with a picture of Stephen McCormick on the front page of todays ComputerWorld magazine (October 13, 2003 No 810).
Advertising NZWireless 
I will be inserting one with each one. However someone is going to have to come up with a nice little brochure.
ops: 8O 
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