the flying squirrel

I’m giving a talk on Unity at KWLUG tomorrow (Monday) night. I was going to say something, but I really couldn’t do it any better than Paul Nijjar‘s announcement on the KWLUG mailing list: Just like every other desktop environment recently, the GNOME desktop environment has been looking to update its WIMPy interface. GNOME 3 [...]

Free software and open source, at least the non-corporate part, is a reputation economy. Sure, lots of people do things to scratch their own itch, but by and large, the ones who go above and beyond do it at least in part to be recognized–if not thanked, then at least acknowledged. Ever wonder why nearly [...]

During Jono’s video Q&A a couple weeks ago, Jono was asked what ordinary users and enthusiasts could do to help Ubuntu reach its goal of getting 200 million users in 4 years. This was his response: “The most important thing folks like you can do to help Ubuntu get to 200 million users is join [...]

Ubuntu 11.10–the Oneiric Ocelot–is set to release this week. As usual, we’re hosting a release party at Kwartzlab to celebrate. Join us Saturday, October 15th at 4pm (till late) and celebrate the latest and greatest release of Ubuntu! Release parties are a fantastic opportunity to meet other Ubuntu users face to face. And, hey, it’s [...]

Kwartzlab is hosting Ubuntu Waterloo‘s Global Jam a week from Saturday (Sept. 2). Along with the usual upgrade and install testing, bug triage, documentation work and so on, Ralph has a project idea. We’re going to run a hackathon to build a new GUI packaging tool, starting with the relatively straight-forward process of upgrading an [...]

As of last night, I am an Ubuntu Member. Which means I have a bunch of new readers on Planet Ubuntu. Hey, guys. :D I’m one of the LoCo contacts for Ubuntu Canada (along with Ralph. I live in the lovely and exciting city of Waterloo, Ontario and I’m president of Kwartzlab the local hackerspace. [...]

Ubuntu Waterloo is hosting our third Ubuntu Global Jam, Saturday, April 2 at Kwartzlab. The Global Jam is a worldwide event to make Ubuntu better. Ubuntu 11.04, the Natty Narwhal will be released in a little over a month and the Global Jam give the community (that’s us) a chance to help find bugs, triage [...]

From Ubuntu LAN Party Kwartzlab has been talking about throwing a LAN party for a while now. We’ve got power, a network and drinks, so it’s ideal. Eric and I got to talking, though, and with the Ubuntu stuff in Waterloo centered largely around Kwartzlab it would be extra awesome if it was a free [...]

From Ubuntu On Saturday, we got together with some of our friends from KWLUG to hold a release party for Ubuntu 10.04: The Lucid Lynx. It was great! We had pizza and cake and deviled eggs and free software. Photos after the jump.

I’ve been trying to get more into Ubuntu lately. Not just running it, but getting involved. I like Ubuntu. I like the software; I like the ethos; I like the community; I like how it’s catching on with people. There’s lots of things to like. I haven’t been this excited and enthusiastic about a computing [...]