[UFO Chicago] New Linux Website

[Crow Leader]

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Blomstrom" <GeoBear@geobop.com>
To: <Recipient list suppressed>
Cc: <ER@geobop.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 23, 2002 3:44 PM
Subject: [UFO Chicago] New Linux Website

[cut]

> The theme I'm trying to develop is "Rediscovering American Values" - as in
> escaping Microsoft's monopoly, corruption and the growing global digital
> divide and returning to honesty, diversity and international cooperation.
I
> welcome any comments or suggestions on my project and have two particular
> requests:
>
> 1) I'd really like to help popularize Linux among less experienced
computer
> users and would like to learn about individuals and companies who help

What might be a better move is teach unix to people. Teach people that thing
exist outside the windows world. I've meet too many "linux pros" who have no
clue what to do on any other free or commercial unix equivalent. They've
sadly missed the point completely.

> people install Linux, whether for a fee or gratis. Many Linux fans say
> people should do it themselves in order to learn about it. But there are
> many people who are simply to ignorant of computers. Moreover, they can
> learn by watching someone else install it - or direct them in installing
> it. Accordingly, I'm thinking of listing some Linux buffs who make home
> visits, if you can suggest any.
>
> 2) I'd like to try to earn some revenue from my open-source activism, if
> possible. I lack the technical skills, but I have pretty solid writing
> skills and I can advertise commercial open-source products and services on
> my website. (My sites are currently averaging about 13,000 visits a day,
> with traffic nearly doubling in spring.) I'd particularly like to sell
> advertising to local companies on my 50-state sites. Can you suggest any
> local or regional companies that might be good contacts?
>
> I can also advertise on my other websites. For example, I've been delving
> into politics on my Symbols site at http://www.geobop.com/Symbols/ and am
> working on a new political site for both children and adults. I can even
> work some Linux logos (like the penguin and chameleon) on my animals site
> at http://www.geobop.com/geozoo/  I welcome any tips on possible
commercial
> ventures - writing, advertising, affiliate programs, etc.
>
> I'm currently unemployed (thanks partly to Bill Gates), and I may only
have
> a few months before I get uprooted, so I'm hoping to get Linux up and
> running very soon - once I decide whether I should partition my hard
drive,
> buy another hard drive, or get a separate Linux computer! I also figured

You are best off using a dedicated computer. Computers are almost free these
days.

> out that I might actually save money by leasing a dedicated server and
> moving my websites on to it. That's the other reason I became interested
in
> Linux. (I also need to learn about things like Apache software, MySQL,
etc.)

To be blunt, you need to learn the technology, not the buzzwords "linux,
open-source, free software" before making some mega attempt at some vague
mission everybody else is trying themselves.

I myself am unemployed (my job went to India) and enjoy education people
about computing outside the windows desktop so they can make their own
decisions about how to apply the variety of technology we have these days to
solve their problems. I am quite annoyed by the parroting of buzzwords
everybody resorts to when they've decided windows may not cut it for all
tasks.

Windows is not the solution to all computing tasks, neither are any of the
BSDs or any one commercial unix platform. I run 5 operating systems in the
room I'm writing this email right now. Each has their strengths and they
have been picked and leveraged to do what they do best.

The "linux is the ultimate asnwer to anything" is a very closed mind
approach, not unlike what microsoft may want you to believe about their
products.

KEN


> I'd appreciate it if you could share this e-mail with your group or
list-serve.
>
> Thank you.
>
> David Blomstrom  GeoBear@geobop.com
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> UFO Chicago -- Users of Free Operating Systems
> Free Software Rules -- Proprietary Drools!
> http://ufo.chicago.il.us/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ufo
>