Texas Linux Fest - It's on Bay-bee....

Sorry 'bout the title...March Madness and all that.

I had the privilege of attending the first-ever Texas Linux Fest last year and I was surprised at the people that attended.  In particular, I had the chance to rub elbows with the likes of Joe Brockmeier and John Hall.   For a first-time event, it went pretty well.  The venue was perfect because if we had more than the 400+ daily attendees, they would have had to grease us down coming in the door.

This year, TXLF will be held at the spacious and opulent Downtown Hilton hotel.  I've been in aircraft hangers that were not as big as the speaking halls and let's face it...it's the Hilton.  I believe current numbers are already surpassing last year's attendance.

If you want to attend, you can register here.  There are two levels upon which you can register...as an enthusiast which is $15.00 or as a supporter which is $40.00.  See the preceding linked site for the differences.  But yes, I will be there this year.

I'll probably even wear big boy pants.

That might be a good idea after some thought...

I've been asked to give the 2011 Texas Linux Fest keynote.

I had submitted a paper that discussed our experience with the kids that receive  our HeliOS Project computers.  We've distributed over 1200 of them in 6 years and some of the empirical data we've collected is not only interesting, it takes turns giving us encouragement and completely destroying some of the myths that exist concerning Desktop Linux.  I thought that would be a good topic for one of the halls during the day.

Nope...HeliOS is the opening act.

Now listen...this is a humbling experience and after doing a quick review in my head of those that may be in attendance, I'm not quite sure I am the right person for a keynote.  But now that I've accepted, I'm going to tell you exactly how and where I think we are on the Linux Desktop.

And I will be honest...maybe too honest for some, but I think The HeliOS Project has been in the trenches long enough to pass muster.  We've logged hundreds of hours. sitting with kids and parents, teaching, observing and learning a bit ourselves.  The learning part is what I want to share with you in particular.  We can do a better job, and it's the simple things we can correct that will make it better.  Since some of the people that can affect change may be in the audience, it's these simple things that we'll talk about.

One of them, and my personal pet peeve, is how we name our applications in the Linux Community.  If you would care to offer them, I would like to hear your ideas on how you would have named current apps and programs in Linux. We're not going to spend a lot of time on it but enough to accentuate the point.  

We are going to talk about this in the keynote so I will offer your ideas then.  The argument is that for a new user, seeing these strange names only enforces or perpetuates the idea that Linux is a distro for geeks, written by geeks.

There should be some cognitive pathway between the name of the app and what it does.  I've offered some examples, but feel free to add your own in the comments.  If given the chance, what would you have named:

Compiz

Ailurus

Conky

Yakuake

I'm going to share much of that information with you starting at 9:15 AM on the 2nd of April and I hope to see you there.  While I will be covering some of the social and educational aspects of the Linux Desktop, there is plenty to satisfy your geek tooth as well.  Click the preceding link to see the complete lineup of speakers for the 2011 Texas Linux Fest.

I hope to see you there.

All-Righty Then

The Austin Prometheus Project

Unfortunately, Anthony Gilbert's situation is not uncommon.

Anthony is a senior in high school.  He is a talented musician, an honor roll student and he aspires to study music in college.

He has a plan, he has a goal and he has the discipline to make it all happen.

Anthony now has a computer, and The HeliOS Project was privileged to give him one.

But there's one thing Anthony doesn't have...and probably wouldn't have for a while.

Anthony Gilbert has no access to the Internet.

Since 2005, The HeliOS Project has rebuilt over 1200 computers and distributed them to disadvantaged and exceptional students in the Austin area.

Anthony is both but we will emphasis exceptional.  He works after school, but the money he makes goes to help his dad with the bills and his own academic needs.  Anthony and his dad live in a small home right off of 12th street in East Austin.

Anthony and his Dad Albert outside their home after a HeliOS install

He buys his own clothes, helps provide his household with food and what is left over...well that goes to guitar strings and patch cords.  Anthony takes the bus anywhere he goes...he does not own a car.

Our closest estimates tell us that just over 60 percent of the 1262 computers we've distributed still remain unconnected to the Internet.

And it's bothering me more and more.

It bothers me to the point that I've organized a sub-effort under The HeliOS Project.

The Austin Prometheus Project.

We will set up a dedicated fund to provide our HeliOS kids with Internet service.  Now, the point I want to make clear is this.  This is an Austin problem and I am going to seek an Austin solution.  We'll update our website soon to announce the presence of the program and to make people aware of it.

I'm going door-knocking.  I will approach businesses within the community to let them know what we are doing and what they can do to help.

Often, the families that we present computers to will find a way to get connected...but for people like Anthony and his dad, it is a luxury.  It's instances like these that Austin Prometheus will focus.

To this point, and with few exceptions, we've been fairly well ignored.  Many Austin businesses and companies have been asked to help us when we needed it, and the results were poor.  Time-Warner, Clear and Cricket have been contacted about this problem and we were either ignored or our in-office appointments were canceled by them and never re-scheduled.

Regardless of how often we tried to reschedule.

In 2008, I was granted an appointment with an executive within Time-Warner's Corporate Responsibility Department.  After a 40 minute wait, I was asked by the receptionist what my appointment was for.  I explained that I needed to discuss  Internet connections for the disadvantaged.  An hour and 15 minutes after that, I was informed that the executive was called away unexpectedly and she would not return for the day.  She would contact me and reschedule the appointment.

The call never came and my subsequent calls were never returned.

How nice.

That's fine...what Austin business hasn't done for their own, the Free Software and Linux communities have stepped in and allowed us to do our work.

But not this time.

I've made arrangements for Time-Warner to connect Anthony's home to the Internet and I am going to pay for the first month and the setup fees from my own pocket.  I can't do this often but in this case, I believe it to be important.

We spent a 2008 and a good part of 2009 building a guerrilla or "bandit" network in East Austin. It worked fine while the user base was at 30 homes or less but as it grew, we experienced more and more problems.  Not in just lost connectivity but in failing or vandalized equipment and directionals.  It got to the point where we were spending inordinate amounts of time just keeping the network up.  Unfortunately, due to lack of manpower and resources, we had to let it go.

But as far as this project goes... 

All I ask you to do is stand back and watch.  I want you to keep track of Austin Prometheus as I report our progress and results.

I will post them as they happen in real time.  We've set up a facebook page for that purpose.


All-Righty Then

The Inner Chime...

You won't find this published anywhere but here.  Not by my effort anyway.

Fact is, this is being written for the consumption of only two people.  After writing this as an email, I re-read it and realized that many things I say might have an impact on others...or not.

Although it isn't meant for them.

Recently, there was a mini "intervention" held in my "best interest".  I was assured that it was being done in love and concern for my well-being.


I was told it was time to re-evaluate the priorities in my life....that I should look at my life within the bigger frame and not from the strict paradigm established now. 

It's been just over a year that I turned down a position at Google, and that upset some close to me.  It was a good job, as jobs go for tech.  It was a job that 20-somethings would consider their dream job.  Great money, fantastic environment and a level of autonomy not often found in our world.  And let's face it...getting a job offer like this after the age of 50 is by most accounts, a gift.

I think the problem my captors had wasn't only that I rejected the offer, but at the speed I did so.

It didn't take long for me to say no.

I didn't "fall into" The HeliOS Project.  Doing what I do has been a slow, methodically-planned thing.  And at the risk of sounding completely hokey, what I do isn't really a job...

It's a calling.

Not necessarily in a spiritual way, although I won't discount the possibility.  Doing what I do is simply a matter of seeing something that needs to be done and noticing that no one else is doing it.

That's not a condemnation or criticism of anyone, it's simply an observation.

I've spent the majority of my life in service to my country and family.  Many of us have done one or another...or like me, both.  While it is gratifying, some of us find ourselves within our quiet moments, not really happy with what we are doing.

Maybe the job pays great but sucks on every other level.  Maybe the pay sucks but there just aren't any other immediate options available at the time.

Or maybe some of us just made a wrong choice and are stuck in place.

However, there are those rare times...those golden occasions where everything is in sync.  Within the deepest parts of you, it is understood that you are where you are supposed to be, doing the thing you are supposed to do.

The Inner Chime resounds within you....

and you just know.

So to the two people that love me and are concerned for my well-being, let this be said.  I will always find a roof over my head.  I will always do my best to care for myself and those that count on me.  And no, I won't ever again own a 3500 square foot home or a new car.  I will never again earn a six figure income.  The truth is, I don't earn a dime doing what I do, but someday I plan to draw a small salary when it's possible.

I'll struggle with the simple things like insurance and vehicle repairs...just like you.

But you know what?  If that's the best I ever do, that's good enough.

This is something I feel I need to do, and that feeling is so strong within me that I've made my choices.  I choose to do what I do until I can no longer physically do it.

I don't hear the swirling winds of unsure decisions or circumstance.  I have no nagging feeling, prompting me to "examine my priorities."

I have a goal, a job to do and good, decent people helping me to do it....

and at my center is calm.

May I suggest that you search for the same.  On the day you take your last breath, that big house and expensive car won't mean a thing.

Those you touch will.

This is where I am, this is where I will stay, and I need to be here.

If the best you can do is simply accept this, then there's nothing left to be said.

All-Righty Then...

HeliOS is on the Move...

It's been months in the cooker but things have solidified to the point where we can make the announcement.

The HeliOS Project will now have our own dedicated building.

We will call Taylor Texas our new home.

Taylor sits just a few short miles from Austin.  It is a small community, originally founded to supply and support The Great International Northern Railroad in the 1850's.  With a population of 15,436, many people would assume that Taylor is a "sleepy" town.

 Nothing could be more incorrect.  Taylor remains an active and important hub for the railroad and the businesses in and around Taylor are thriving.

Skip Guenter, our Director of Systems and Engineering, through a series of contacts and associates; introduced us to the City Manager and City Engineer of Taylor.  With assistance and further introductions from Marge Tripp of the Inter-agency Support Council of Eastern Williamson County, we were able to introduce the leaders of Taylor to HeliOS and what we do.

They were impressed enough to offer us an extremely generous deal on a 2200 square foot building for our use.

Of course, we have an interest in this corner of the county because of the number of kids we will be able to serve.  While we will still work within Austin to provide computers to the disadvantaged there, Eastern Williamson County will benefit from our presence.

There are many kids in that area that need our help.

We will now, literally, be in a better position to help them.

But, in kind, we will need a bit of help ourselves.  This area has been hit harder than most by the recession.  Our numbers of qualified recipients here will more than double.

While Taylor will be donating us the use of this building for three years, it is going to take some assistance to make it work.  There will be a fairly large amount of interior construction and electrical work to be done.  We have the workers but we will need some help with building materials, electrical components and costs associated with the move itself.

This will cost us several hundred dollars to complete so if you can see your way clear to give us a hand, I would sincerely appreciate it.  Your donations are, as always, tax deductible and you can make donations to our construction and moving fund here.  Or you can click the HeliOS logo at the top left of the page.

If you prefer to use your paypal account, contact me, helios at fixedbylinux dott komm and we can make the arrangements.

Since we are still working out some minor details and the necessary insurance coverage, we do not have a solid move date, but we've been told that it will be within the next couple of weeks.  We have a substantial amount of inventory to move from Lakeway and Hutto to the new facility so if you want to participate in the move itself, let me know.  We will have at least one large truck but can always use pickups and vans to assist.

We will also have a grand opening when this is completed, so if you are local, you will be more than welcome to attend.  I will send out the invites myself.  Just let me know that you are interested.

This is a huge step in the evolution of The HeliOS Project.  We will be able to impact entire neighborhoods and area's, not households in one's and two's.  We will finally have some autonomy and freedom in our operation, and as always, it will be the Free Software and Linux Communities that makes it happen.

You always do.

All-Righty Then