linux

Ubuntu Vancouver Maverick Meerkat Party

The Ubuntu community in Vancouver are an energetic, unique and friendly bunch. Although a group of people coming together around a computer operating system might sound rather boring, this is an incredibly revolutionary movement. Contrary to even my own expectations, I am always impressed with the amount of fun this community has together.

As I was telling a friend last night: it must be the open-source nature underlying the movement–which actively encourages and seeks out feedback–that makes it so accepting and enjoyable. Many of the local community groups that I have gotten involved with, including community gardening and other grass-roots movements (where you might think we would be more likely to get away from petty power-plays–myself included) often get stuck in that old-school hierarchical model passed down to us from rigid institutions. If anyone is feeling nervous about taking the plunge and putting Ubuntu onto their computer, I can assure you that there is a vibrant network here in Vancouver that is eager to support you in whatever way they can and that you will not regret it.

How Does Ubuntu add Freedom, Community, and Humanity?

How Does Ubuntu add Freedom, Community, and Humanity?

This interview is from The Agora's March 2010 issue. The interview was done by Ryan from The Agora, interviewing Randall Ross, the Vancouver Ubuntu's 'buzz generator'. I think it answers the sort of questions many of us have when we hear "Ubuntu, Ubuntu..." Ubuntu is an amazing, flexible tool which ...

The Year of Ubuntu

The Year of Ubuntu

We welcomed the new year in bed watching Monk with our noses running and throats sore, snacking on rose-hip jam for vitamin C and drinking ginger and pau d' arco tea to boost our immune systems. According to the once renowned but now forgotten Antoine Bechamp this process is a cleansing that occurs ...

Using Open Source Ubuntu

Using Open Source Ubuntu

Fire in the Fennel Stalk When I first heard of open-source I couldn't believe my ears, the whole concept thrills me to bits. It is very timely, and similar to the myth of Prometheus when he stole fire from the gods, and brought it down for mankind in a fennel stalk. This time the tool of assistan ...