[Sussex] Thoughts On Contrubuting to the Community

[Steve Dobbo Dobson]

Hi all

Last night there were two lurker views voiced that I think are typical:
a) I'm not experienced enough, and b) I don't want to appear foolish.
I can somewhat sympathize with the first, but the second (which came from
someone with good technical expertise) I do not!

I gave my standard answer last night: that there is always someone who 
knows less than you, but this afternoon another, more powerful argument,
has crossed my mind.

Most of the software you use (on Linux) is covered by the GPL which can
best be summarized as a "share and share alike" license.  As a user of 
GPLed software you have something to share, your experiences.  So isn't
your payment to the community, for using GPLed software, to contribute
your experience back to that community?  I think it is.

After all your experiences do have value, either as something to avoid
or as something to try.  To someone sitting there and thinking "what
the hell do I try next" your post/blog entry/whatever might be just the
thing to help him or her out.

So to all you to spend a moment thinking about two of the questions Nik
asked last night:
   1) Why did you switch to Linux?  and
   2) What is it that you like about Linux now you understand it
      and the ideals it embodies?

I admit that my answer to (1) is that it came at no cost; it saved me
money.  But (2) has much more to do with the ethical and moral ideas that 
come with it.  I like using software that doesn't treat me as a pirate
just because there are those out there that are.

So, if you're one of those lurkers that always thinks that "there is
someone better qualified to answer that query" stop thinking that NOW!
You have an implied duty, under the GPL, a license you've agreed with by
using the software, to contribute.

I've just checked:  there are 194 e-mail addresses signed up to this
list.  One of them is the list itself (so it can send out the moot
reminders before each moot [cron is my friend :-) ]), and I know that
some people are signed up both at home and work.  So we don't have 
nearly 200 members, but we must have somewhere in the region of 100.
That's not bad going!

So here is your homework from me.  You MUST reply to this email saying
how you contribute, how you pay your dues, for using Linux.  There are 
no exceptions, no excuses, and a reasonable time limit.  You can take
until the next moot to answer.  Because I'm sure we'll want to talk more
about it then.  But answer you should.  That's my EULA on this posting
and all my future posting too:  To make use of the knowledge that I
impart you must be a contributer too.

And if you need one more reason to reply how's this?  My rational for 
requiring you to post is that the first post is often the hardest, but
with each post it becomes easier.  So maybe by getting more people
to post I'll this list more active and more interesting.  And you also 
never know, maybe I'll learn something about how to better post to this
list.

Steve
-- 
                              Steve "Dobbo" Dobson
                                steve at dobson.org
                               SussexLUG Master
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOFH excuse #199:

the curls in your keyboard cord are losing electricity.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
Url : http://mailman.lug.org.uk/pipermail/sussex/attachments/20070330/1bb96cbf/attachment.pgp