[sf-lug] [Fwd: UG News--Going to OSCON?]

[Kristian Erik Hermansen]

On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 2:04 PM, jim <jim at well.com> wrote:
> Anyone going to OSCON this coming week?
> I'd like to know myself and pass on this
> note from Marsee at O'Reilly.

Please show your support and give a warm welcome to Andrew Harris, the
15 year old that I was able to coax into giving a talk this year at
Ubuntu Live, that was eventually moved to OSCON due to cancellation
:-)
http://en.oreilly.com/oscon2008/public/schedule/detail/2674

"""
Teenbuntu: Reaching Out to Teens
Andrew Harris (Teens on Linux.org)
4:30pm Thursday, 07/24/2008
People, Ubuntu
Location: D135

This talk is given by Andrew "Tuna" Harris, the teenaged founder of
TeensOnLinux.org, and Samuel Baldwin, a 15-year-old hacker from
Boston. It will focus on three main points: why we should get teens
involved in open source, getting them interested, and making freedom
in software matter to them.

Teens are a great market for open source. They love community and the
"breaking away from the Man" sort of feeling, so they are quick to
adopt alternatives to what everyone else uses (take that society!). As
students, they usually aren't too busy to find some time to contribute
something. It is also the age of learning and exploration of new
ideas. Getting involved in Ubuntu and FOSS is a great way to learn
something new.

Many people say that Linux is a horrible platform for gaming, and for
that reason, nobody but old Unix hackers with chest-length beards ever
use it. However, with the development of tools like Wine and
CrossOver, along with awesome games like Tremulous and OpenArena, that
is becoming less and less true. Benchmark tests have shown that many
games, such as World of Warcraft, actually run better on Linux using
Wine than it does on Windows.

Teens also use Windows for things like instant messaging and music.
Pidgin and Mugshot's desktop integration make Ubuntu the ultimate OS
for such purposes. Pidgin has become probably the best instant
messaging client freely available on the Internet, with support for
more protocols than any one person would ever use in their entire
life. Users of Yahoo!, AIM, and even MSN will feel right at home with
Pidgin. Amarok and Rythmbox both have Magnatune integration that is
comparable to Apple's iTunes music store. You can listen to the songs
directly from the player and buy albums just as you would with iTunes
or Napster. The difference is that the music is DRM-free and licensed
so that you are allowed to share the music you buy with a friend!

I believe that teens could be a great and welcome addition to the
Ubuntu community. Their ideas could push us into the mainstream and
beyond.
"""

"""
Andrew Harris
Teens on Linux.org

Andrew "Tuna" Harris is a 15 year old living in Arizona. He founded
TeensOnLinux.org in the summer of 2007. His interests include
programming, tea, heavy metal, European techno, and Open Source. Tuna
likes to program in Ruby and Gambas, and prefers Earl Grey tea. Tuna
has been using Ubuntu since his laptop refused to boot Windows about a
year and a half ago. Ronnie Tucker of Full Circle Magazine recommended
Kubuntu Dapper to him, and has been happily running the 'buntu's
since.
"""
-- 
Kristian Erik Hermansen
--
CISSP, CEPT, CREA, CEH, Linux+, A+, QGCS, ACSA, this is getting ridiculous...
http://kristian-hermansen.com