Ubuntu Wiki

About Me

I'm a 36 year old father of two living in Farnborough, Hampshire in the UK. I've been using Linux on the desktop for about 7 years or so and run a mix of Ubuntu (desktops/laptops) and Debian Sarge (servers/firewalls) at home. I work around the UK and actively help out with my local Linux User Groups as well as help finance the hosting of the lug.org.uk mail/web server and Software Freedom Day events in the UK.

I installed Ubuntu when Warty came out and now have a mixture of real and virtual machines running various releases.

Things I do for Ubuntu

Community

• I am a member of the LoCoCouncil.

• I am a member of the EMEA Membership Board.

Development

• Started the Ubuntu UK Podcast along with a few other members of the UK LoCo Team

• Setup Obuntu team and wiki pages to track development of a Back Office Server variant of Ubuntu. (currently project on hold whilst ubuntu develops their own server product)

• Setup Cubuntu team and wiki to assist with the management of the Cubuntu (command line only) derivative of Ubuntu.

• Sponsored myself to attend Ubuntu Developer Summit in Sevilla in 2007.

• Gained Canonical sponsorship to attend Ubuntu Developer Summit in Boston in 2007, and two more subsequent Developer Summits.

• Setup and run the Screencast Team which aims to create a set of tutorial videos for new Ubuntu users.

Support

• I help out with Support tickets and bugs.

• Gained a lot of Karma through answering many support questions in a courteous and thorough manner.

• When time permits I answer support questions in #ubuntu and #ubuntu-uk

UKTeam Stuff

• I was the UKTeam Point of Contact for 2007/2008.
• I recently sponsored a stand in Bracknell for Software Freedom Day 2007 and 2008, and liased with Canonical Marketing to obtain stuff for the event.

• I organised free hosting for the Ubuntu-UK LoCo team website through Bitfolk Ltd.

• http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/ hosts a bunch of screencasts I made for the UK LoCo team (and subsequently the Screencasts Team) to educate new users about Ubuntu.

• I represented UK LoCo team at the recent Linux World Expo in London in 2007, helping new users, answering questions and generally promoting Ubuntu and the UK LoCo team.

Wiki Pages I Help Maintain

• ScreenCasts

• Obuntu

External Stuff

• Help administer http://lug.org.uk/ and assist with paying the hardware and hosting fees.

• Committee member of my local LUG, I provide facilities for videoing talks and help to make them available online. I am also quite an active member of my local LUG mailing list.

• Member of most LUG mailing lists in the UK, I help out where I can with members of any LUG

• Participated in Software Freedom Day in London in 2006 by handing out leaflets and Ubuntu CDs to members of the public.

• Wrote up how I help with Ubuntu.

• Detailed how I found switching to Ubuntu.

• Wrote up how I think others can help with Ubuntu.

• Gave talks to my local LUG which are available to download or watch online

Future Work

• I'd like to expand on the training side of Ubuntu by developing more screencasts
• I have a few ideas for applications that I would like developed and would like to write specifications for those and/or develop the apps myself - time permitting.

Other stuff

 Dear Santa,  

For Christmas (or any other non-denominational holiday/celebration) I would like something off this list:-

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/registry/29FWHGD2GAECA

Love,
Alan