Nov 19, 2009 10:34pm GMT
Six years ago, I made my living as a technical writer. I wouldn't want to return to the profession, but, when Esther Schindler recently blogged about the importance of detailed code comments and Carla Schroder about the need for better documentation in free software generally, I noticed. But, as much as I agree with Schindler and Schroder, I wonder how much of the community is about to give... more »
All my eggs in one BasketNov 10, 2009 10:40pm GMT
One application I am always looking for is a better desktop wiki. Not for collaboration, but for dumping various pieces of information into as I research and organize them. For a time, I used Basket Note Pads, but I drifted away when it didn't run on KDE 4.x and the original maintainer quit. Happily, the project has overcome both those setbacks and is moving slowly towards a new major release.... more »
Review: Linux in a Nutshell (Sixth Edition)Nov 06, 2009 9:22pm GMT
For years, Linux in a Nutshell's third edition has been the closest book to my keyboard. The new sixth edition -- the first in several years -- is going to continue that tradition. The new edition shows the same indispensable qualities as its predecessors, giving an accurate snapshot of the operating system, solid introductory information, and concise, accurate command summaries in a well-orga... more »
Goggle is my candidate for a lightweight music playerOct 28, 2009 9:16pm GMT
Like many people, I've always had a few tracks of music on my computer. However, I've only started taking a strong interest in music players since I started digitalizing my music collection a few months ago. I'm relatively sure that Amarok will handle the 50 or so gigabytes of music that I'll have when I'm done, but for the netbook I'm thinking of buying, I've been looking for something lighte... more »
How to make free software as popular as recyclingOct 20, 2009 9:00pm GMT
Joe Brockmeier, my one-time colleague at Linux.com, has been blogging recently about how to present free software to non-technical users. He suggests that the community approach the problem as a marketing exercise, emphasizing benefits rather than the ethical issue of freedom. My own take is somewhat different: The problem is not so much talking about ethics as the fact that we have not bee... more »
Why people don't use free softwareOct 14, 2009 11:27pm GMT
Whenever ideas run short, columnists and bloggers like to pontificate about why free and open source software isn't more successful. Inevitably, they trot out the same old explanations. Microsoft's monopoly, lack of vendor support, community unfriendliness and infighting, and inertia are some of the most popular ones. Not having anything new to contribute (or any shortage of ideas to run ab... more »
Writing about FOSS sexismOct 09, 2009 11:42pm GMT
A month ago, I wrote an article about sexism in the free and open source software (FOSS) community. The result has been educational, to say the least. It's one thing to know about issues intellectually, and quite another to plunge headlong into a firestorm of reactions. So what have I learned exactly? To start with, while members of the FOSS community like to think of themselves as rational... more »
