The Linux Community - Bringin' it...

I don't know if you realize it or not, but you are doing some pretty good things.

It took me a while to grasp it...this "global community" thing.

It took longer than it should have.

But about 3 years ago, I got it.  We're all tied together, separated by land and sea; surely, but tied together none the less.  I used to see us as individual pockets of people doing stuff, some great stuff...still I didn't see the connection.

Silly me.

The HeliOS Project, some would argue, is a local effort in Austin Texas, fueled by a handful of people who want to make a difference.  Their ability to do what they do may noteworthy but after all, it's still local.

Is that what you think?

Silly you.

See, just one of our efforts, a 25 computer learning center in East Austin was put together by local people who volunteer for the HeliOS Project.  And trust me, the people that worked that day to make this center happen busted their asses...in near 100 degree heat and carrying 90 pound CRT's over 100 feet to get them set up.  But we got it done.

In order to do that, we not only had to count on caring volunteers, we counted on a world-wide community to put together the distro that works best for us.  That would be Linux Mint.  We had to count on donations provided by The Linux Community to fuel the vehicles needed to transport the equipment...something we still count upon.  We had to rely upon scripts written by people around the world to do the network installations.

See where I am going with this?  Sweat and time are not the only factors in making something like this happen...Its the caring and dedicated members of Our Community that give us the ability to do what we do.

It's as simple as that.

And now YOUR efforts continue to pay off.  Children as young as 3 years old spend two to three days a week with  volunteers...learning, absorbing...possibly becoming the next Linus Torvalds or Richard Stallman...Maybe the next MadDog Hall or Bruce Perens.

And it's not just the kids.  Adults are signing up to learn...and I mean learn from the ground up.  We teach classes during the week to insure those who do not know how to use a computer learn what they need to know.  What the functions of mouse buttons are, how to copy and paste...what an operating system is in relation to the applications within it.  People who barely speak English in some cases.

And they are grateful.

They are grateful to you.

I make sure of it.

So take a look at what you have done...the faces of these kids...the attentiveness of the adults.  They want to learn, and learning they are.

But then again, that's what you do...you make this happen.  You are The Linux Community...

Now Bring It.

All over the world.



All-Righty Then...