Here’s what I tend to do:

• Look out for blogs that talk about open source especially in the context of my locale or region. There are quite a number of local bloggers and they have something to share about their experiences in the free and open source community. And they also share what they do or what theu plan to do. Whether it’s a release party or some kind of conference, they enjoy sharing it with their blogs. If I’ve been following their blog for quite some time now, I also have more reasons to join them.
• Read sites and blogs that cover technology. Sometimes they also post links to events. There are some events listed that could come up as a surprise and well, it could be quite good to figure out anyway. So if those events don’t conflict with my existing schedule, I’d actually plan to go.
• Follow some folks on Twitter. Every once in a while, I encounter people with interesting ideas. Like the thing about hacker spaces and open hardware. I ended up following some folks on Twitter and they do re-tweet information about niceh topics plus events too.

I know that social networking and social media could be quite overwhelming but certain keywords will tend to jump at you if you’re looking for them. In this case, events and the particular project/s you are concerned with. I guess it’s a matter of conditioning your mind to look for them? Some folks will be quite blatant about events they are promoting so those will be easy to remember. *laughs* But for the rest, just learn to skim through your headlines and something might actually show up.

The best way for me to learn about events is from people I know. If they say they’re going, chances are, I am going too. : ) And this December, there’s a DrupalCamp happening in Manila so I am going to be there to join the fun and learning.

I hope you find some events that you like too!

Post from: New Linux User

Locally, a group of Linux advocates set up Sahana, a collection of web based disaster management applications that provides solutions to large-scale humanitarian coordination and collaboration in disaster situation and its aftermath. It’s a good start for us to have a centralized area for any possible communication when disaster strikes. There are also others who have been tweeting and plurking the latest news. The updates were related to volunteer work, how to give relief goods, as well as tips on how to check on your car when it gets flooded to info on which shop offers services to laptops which needed to be serviced/recovered after the flood. I also received messages from friends in other countries and amidst the time differences it is heart-warming to receive messages from those who care.

Personally, I am glad that technology is not only used to improve one’s work. It is also being used to effectively disseminate information needed. This way, we’re able to not just be updated about where the storm is going but what we could do when it hits, etc. It also helps us track which shelters need more supplies, or more volunteers and so on.

This is one heck of a learning experience for all of us, I think. Especially for us in the Philippines. It’s a matter of preparation and coordination among people so we could adapt to whatever storms (literally and figuratively) that might hit us.

Post from: New Linux User

My netbook connected via Synergy to another laptop.

Anyhow, I think that this boils down to people not doing their homework. For sellers, or those who bundle netbooks with their services (like telcos), they should research on their offerings before they do the marketing so that they will not make messages that could lead their customers to confusion. It matters what they say in their marketing copy before anything else. Sometimes catchphrases and slogans are culprits in giving customers the wrong impression. I hope that those who are selling netbooks will learn how to NOT give false expectations. Especially because Linux on netbooks is not what users know about all the time. If they don’t want high return rates, then they should do their homework first. If they know that they might have to add trained customer service representatives who will be called for help, then they should make a way. Just because it’s a netbook with Linux shouldn’t make their customers that it is an inferior product.

As for those who are enticed by offers of bundled netbooks with their telco or something, they should do their research first. I personally use a netbook for work. But that’s because I know that I can use Ubuntu Netbook Remix on it and be happy. And even before that I asked around. My co-workers who are more knowledgeable about these matters did agree that with what they know about my work, they knew that the specs of the netbook I chose will work for me. A netbook is a tool after all and it’s up to me to see if it’s something I could work with or not. And this is something I could do even before buying it. I also know people who’ve bought netbooks for the convenience of travelling with a lightweight machine and still have the means to check their email and surf the internet.

So think things over before buying a Linux-powered netbook or before you decide to sell them. It’s better that way.

Post from: New Linux User

From that essay, you could learn something about Linux and other operating systems as well. I didn’t really know about BeOS until I read that essay. And there were other analogies that Neal Stephenson gave that made it easier for me to learn about Linux as well as free and open source software. You also learn about, well, the command line. I think that what he wrote here made me appreciate it a bit more.

For example,

The command line interface makes it easy for programs to dribble out little comments, warnings, and messages here and there. Even if the application is imploding like a damaged submarine, it can still usually eke out a little S.O.S. message.

And I have noticed my friends who would try to figure out errors by running applications with a graphical user interface on the command line. As the program runs, one could see on the command line what’s going on. Unlike in the GUI, it simply quits or exits. In that sense, the command line does win.

Also, in Neal Stephenson’s essay you will find comparisons between Linux, Windows and the Mac OS. I think that this was pre-OSX so it might look a bit weird to you. But he also mentions differences in how these operating systems are perceived by users. He also mentions how these operating systems are being marketed. Perspectives and paradigms associated with computers and these operating systems are noted. In some ways, I think that these perspectives still reflect society today. Windows and their marketing strategies, as well as their not so polished products that sell quite well; Apple and how different their business is from Microsoft; and how much Linux gives freedom to hackers.

For me, this essay gave me some kind of historical background as well as social and cultural aspects of operating systems. I hope you would enjoy reading it too. Check out these links if you want to read them:
In the Beginning was the Command Line 2004 (with annotations)
In the Beginning was the Command Line .zip file download.

Post from: New Linux User

I met Sacha through blogging. Technically we knew each other from high school but we mainly connected when I started learning about Linux 5 years ago. She’s one of the most encouraging people I’ve met and she even helped me throughout the time that I was panicking when I got a kernel panic message. She is also an Emacs and Drupal geek and her blog’s really a great resource on those topics, as well as how to have a well-balanced life.

Anyhow, her slideshow talks about how to be the shy connector. After all, not everyone is an extrovert. And when you happen to be an introvert things could be difficult when it comes to advocating Linux or even teaching someone about it. It won’t come as easy as you would like it to.

The point is that you can bring something in the conversation. Especially because you are interested and/or passionate about something such as Linux. Come to think of it, I’ve met people through blogging and Linux but I am essentially an introvert myself. There are times when I go to events and I realize I am so not a people person. But when I find someone or a small group of people to talk with, it gets easier for me. And it also gets easier for me get people together, because I know who have similar interests. You can’t just let yourself be alone all the time. I suppose that there are days that you can’t help but want the quiet times. Interactions with other people let us grow as we help others too.

With this, I hope that you will and have learned something about being a shy connector. And I hope that it has given you a new perspective when it comes to teaching and advocating Linux and open source software.

Post from: New Linux User

Beyond the sales pitch

Linux is something that has been talked about time and again. Many slogans have come about. Many articles have talked about Linux as well. So what then?

It’s time to educate people. That’s what the article on Raiden’s Realm is pointing out to us. We have to be there to educate people not only about what Linux is but whatever aspects there are to using Linux. First one has to get the attention of other people to whom Linux is being advocated to.

There is the issue of having to break the ice to them and there’s also the issue of how to educate them.

What I really liked about the article on Raiden’s Realm is that there’s a challenge for us to go beyond our favorite distro when it comes to educating other people about Linux. Why? Because we have to educate people on how to make choices that are relevant to them. The mere fact that there are lots of Linux distros to choose from is evidence of how different our priorities are from one another. Fans of particular distros do not need to advocate that particular distro. Instead, the needs of the potential users must be taken into consideration first and foremost.

At Raiden’t Realm, they are starting a Linux training course project. If you have ideas you want to pitch in, join the discussion. There’s a need for passionate people to spread the Linux love the best way possible.

Post from: New Linux User

Some people I know stay as Linux users for the same reason they switched. It could be any of the following:

• Cost. The fact that is free and you just have to download it makes it easy for people who are on a budget to use it. Now that there’s recession, a lot of us could relate with this reason.
• Freedom to tinker with it. As a Linux user, you could develop your own patches to the kernel or whatever part of the distro you need/want to fix. For some users, they are not happy with the stock kernel and so they compile their own. Some get patches from other kernel developers then they compile the Linux kernel to suit their needs.
• Work. Some people have to work with Linux environments and so working with Linux becomes a habit or becomes something natural. Or at the very least, one could feel neutral towards Linux.

Others stay because they feel welcome to the Linux community. As some people say, who your friends are make a big difference in staying within any community or organization. Some people who aren’t really into Linux except for work might not feel that the community is an important aspect. But for others, it is. Aside from the fact the community is a rich source of information for sharing and studying, the community is also the place where one can share his/her ideas about the Linux distro he/she uses. It matters especially you’re someone who loves participating in your hobbies then this is something that will encourage you to stay within the community of Linux users.

Post from: New Linux User

I see that some of our co-workers have family members who use netbooks with Linux.  If they can use it, why can’t my co-workers?  Right?  Absolutely!  A lot of our software engineers are actually using Linux on a daily basis because of the development machines that they have come with Linux.  But I do know that there are those who have chosen to use Linux even at home.  Imagine! At home, they even share the computer with other people and yet they use Linux.   This is one of those times that I think that what is really making it hard for people to even give Linux a chance is that mindset of losing touch with the familiar.

I recall the time that I practically made my mom use Ubuntu at home.  She basically just asked me how she’d know if she’s online, what she could use to chat, what she could use for writing, etc.  It wasn’t totally easy but because she asked me what applications she can use, it was actually alright.

Maybe it’s time to emphasize on how much Linux can do even if it’s not totally the same as what they’ve been used to.  The reality is not so happy but we could find something to make it work.   Maybe the Linux mascot Tux can help me find ways to make users feel at ease.  After all, it does look cute and cuddly and everything.

Post from: New Linux User

In other words, don’t waste your time on people who are not receptive. Using a well-set up computer isn’t very hard for even the greenest Linux greenpea, despite all the propaganda and FUD to the contrary. But no matter how easy it is, there will always be people who have mental blocks against even trying, so don’t waste your time.

I might have been thinking in terms of “the world must know what Linux is” and so I take into consideration how to introduce it even to people who are not very receptive. I guess it’s because a lot of the people I have around me know Linux already but they are still thinking about it differently, that it won’t work and that it’s scary. Closed minds will find it difficult to accept what Linux could do for them and what they could do for Linux as well. So yes, she’s got a point when it comes to advocating Linux.

However, I personally think that it’s still best to be prepared to tell others about Linux no matter the level of interest they have, as long as the opportunity is there. It’s just that it will not be as effective compared to those who want to know more in the first place.

Post from: New Linux User

Sometimes my co-workers joke around about how they will raise their children. They joke that they will teach them how to program even when they’re just babies. Sometimes they say that they will teach them how to fight against boys (if they have female children) so that they will not get boyfriends right away. (Haha. I think that this could actually backfire. But, as one of them said, at least she’d grow up knowing how to defend herself against jerks.)

But I like it more when they say that they’d teach their children about Linux, aside from Windows and Mac OSX, etc. I like it that they want their children to be more well-rounded in terms of their perspectives. They want their children to grow up not limiting themselves to only a specific technology and that’s something inspiring. It’s not just a matter of growing up with a good set of values but a healthy appreciation of technology we are exposed to. Hopefully they will also have this attitude towards other technologies that are not necessarily related to computers.

I heard that one of my co-workers plans to take a picture of his daughter with a penguin plushie. I wonder how he’d introduce her to Linux and programming when she’s older. I’m pretty sure it will be very interesting.

Post from: New Linux User