[LUAU] Hello - My Name is HOSEF

Jim Thompson jim at netgate.com
Thu Mar 27 19:13:40 PDT 2008


On Mar 27, 2008, at 12:57 PM, Dave Burns wrote:
> On Thu, Mar 27, 2008 at 3:18 AM, Jim Thompson <jim at netgate.com> wrote:
> [snip]
>>>> I'd like to reach
>>>> out to the Apple community (Jordan Hubbard is an acqaintence, and  
>>>> he
>>>>  was spun up to speak at TPOSSCON/PFOSSCON this year, though that
>>>> didn't happen.)
>
> There is a good local mac group, hmaus. Maybe we could get them
> involved in TPOSSCON or some other way to promote FOSS to them.

Certainly.

Jordan is currently the dude in-charge of the "open source" parts of  
MacOS X.   To be precise, I think his title is "Director of  
Engineering of Unix Technologies" or something close to that.
Prior to Apple, he co-founded the FreeBSD project.

He's also kama'aina, and loves to SCUBA dive.

I think its possible that some of hmaus, some of HOSEF, some of LUAU  
and some of UH/BYU/... would all be interested to hear what he might  
have to say.

>> The HOSEF board hasn't come to any such conclusion on the subject.
>> Why do you assume it has?
>
> Because recent emails seemed to imply that Scott and ewaste (and
> anything associated with that, such as computer guts) had been canned,
> and recent email has not clarified what exactly the board has decided
> to do and when.

No such case.  I've made a proposal (not even a motion, yet), hoping  
to stimulate discussion.

I think I've been pretty open-faced in my 'issue' with HOSEF  
continuing its eWaste activities, and
that I am *on the board* but *not acting for the board* by bringing  
these issues up.

> The Kuokoa project got mentioned. I don't see that as competing with
> e-waste much. If we had volunteers with the required skills and
> motivation, it should have made more progress. Perhaps Jim is going to
> take the lead and change that. It might be possible to get a grant
> from the state or Bishop estate or some such and actually pay people
> to work on it. There might be a professor at UH to team up with. There
> is plenty of potential.

What I'd like to do is get a grant (I'm thinking Campbell Estate, but  
I'm open to other options, Bishop being the most likely) to basically  
create
the training classes to effect Kamehameha Schools (and/or the charter/ 
immersion schools) to effect a Hawaiian distribution of Ubuntu.

I've been warned away from the Hawaiian Studies group(s) at UH.

> I liked e-waste because it gave me something I could actually do for
> HOSEF. It was so clear and tangible, it made talking about HOSEF to an
> outsider so easy - "HOSEF takes computers people don't want, fixes
> them up with free and open source software, and donates them to
> schools, parks, and clubs that can use them. It also uses those
> computers to teach people about free and open source software."
>
> Will the school labs and wireless park installs continue with donated
> sponsored non-ewaste hardware, or will they be canned?

I don't see any reason we can't continue with what exists... and  
possibly even grow it in an appropriate direction.   Point in fact  
there are several outdoor wireless APs still
sitting in my landcruiser (which hasn't run since November for lack of  
time for me to fix it) in Kailua which were destined for HOSEF's  
wireless parks project.   The only issue here is that there were  
supposed to be sponsors found for same, to pay for the back-end  
"broadband", and from what I can tell/know, HOSEF is still footing the  
bill for (possibly only some of) these.

My concern with additional school labs is that we're butting heads  
with DOE and many (not all, but many) tech coordinators,
who all want the "shinny new stuff" (and there are hard-science  
reasons for it beyond its attractive shinny surface).

We're literally attempting to introduce last-gen computers running a  
decidedly foreign software stack into a program that promotes the use  
of PowerPoint by students beginning in First Grade, thereby crushing  
any vestige of non-linear thought process and helping educating a new  
generation of middle managers who will toe the line and conform.

Then we suggest that folks are stupid if they don't understand why  
"linux is better" or "open source is better", and are confused when  
most then turn and walk away, muttering about the crazy "free  
software" clowns.

It would be so much better to take the approach that "here is  
something your Windows computers can't do", and then once they're  
interested, casually drop the bomb, "Office applications, yeah, its in  
there too", or better, let them discover it themselves.

> Will computer guts and other teaching initiatives continue or be  
> canned?

I actually think that computer guts is a good program, and admire  
Scott for doing so much with it.   Its a perfect venue for what eWaste  
we have, or decide to take in the future.  Linus got his start as a  
holed-up-in-the-bedroom geek with a new computer and a head full of  
experiments to run.  Who can tell what Computer Guts might enable in a  
young person who would otherwise not have access to the gear needed to  
start?

> Do we have a strong feeling that we can get non-ewaste hardware from  
> sponsors?

I don't have any good 'feel' for this.

I think its possible that we could work with UH and some granting  
agency to construct, promote and evangelize a "scientific computing"  
platform that was available to DOE teachers to use in their classrooms.

Perhaps even several such (portable) clusters could be made available  
to students taking EXS1500 or ECS9900.  If the DOE isn't interested,  
perhaps Mid-Pac would be (and after all, isn't that where Warren  
started the HOSEF ship sailing?)

Perhaps there is a way to spin 'film making' into same as well,  
depending on the tools that are available for rendering, etc.

There is a recent distribution of linux for x86_64 that is targeted  
directly at making music.   There are several distros for making  
music, actually but I'm referring to 64 Studio, http://64studio.com/
Perhaps these could be added, on appropriate hardware to the music  
programs in the DOE, where appropriate and wanted.   "Look man, here's  
a whole studio in a box, just begging for you to start editing and  
resampling.  Let me show you how it works."   (How to teach via the  
EDGE method:  Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, Enable.)

> Is Scott in or out?

At this point, its his decision.   I hope he's "in".

> Which deals are done and which are not? Sorry if I am
> being dense, but I am just really confused.

I'm not sure of any "done deal", but perhaps I've misunderstood you  
here.
>
>> The more pressing matter is Scott's recent behavior.
>
> To you maybe, to me the most pressing matter is, what is HOSEF about
> now?

Allow me to restate, the most pressing matter before the board is  
Scott's recent behavior.

Scott made a statement only this morning that the last board meeting  
was in December, when he actually
attended an(other) telephonic board meeting this month.

Scott asserts that no quorum is possible, but reading HOSEF's bylaws,  
we most certainly *do* have a quorum,
and did earlier this month, and will likely continue to do so.

> Do I care any more?

Again, this is your decision to make.

Jim





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