Ubuntu Wiki

About Me

The photo is Major General Lewis Wallace, 11th Indiana Infantry, during the US Civil War.
I don't look anything like him.

I am a business owner (you need violins? I'm your guy!) and father of three in Wisconsin. I teach Military Science part time at Marquette University. I live quite close to beautiful Lake Michigan. I cook quiche at least once a week.

I don't have a degree in IT or CS, though I do have a couple other degrees. My skills are entirely self-taught or net-taught, and I use them frequently to help people in the forums, or in my business.

I am attracted to projects and tasks that are important, and need to be done well, but are not flashy.

I began using Ubuntu in 2005, and began to get involved in 2008. I am active in the Wisconsin Loco. I spend much of my time working with Brainstorm idea submitters. I shepherd new users who want to get involved toward the appropriate upstream project or Ubuntu Team, and teach those who will listen about how the Ubuntu community works. I mentor and train new Brainstorm moderators. I run the Milwaukee Ubuntu Hour, handle team reporting for the LoCo, and generally try to assist the LoCo leader. I maintain the list of training tasks for the Ubuntu Leadership Team

(Pause for breath)

Team Memberships

and Current Contributions as of 18 October 2011

Brainstorm since the day it opened in February 2008.

• Brainstorm Moderators since April 2009.

• Brainstorm Admin since May 2011.

• 24th best solution contributor, 5899 comments.
  

• Led a successful Brainstorm IRC session for Global Jam, September 2011 (log)

• Led a successful Brainstorm IRC session for Open Week, October 2011 (log)

Wisconsin LoCo Since August 2008.

• Maintain team reporting.
• Ran two monthly meetings in 2011.
• Led two IRC training events for Bugs and Brainstorm during the Global Bug Jam, Sept 2011.
• Started the new Milwaukee Ubuntu Hour, Sept 2011.
• Started the new Tuesday Night IRC Hangout, Oct 2011.

Bug Squad since Sept 2008.

• Most work 2008-2009, but still triaging a few in support of Brainstorm.
• 767 bugs triaged or otherwise worked.
• 4 bugs submitted.
• 2 patches accepted (LP# 52697, LP# 117984).

• Led a successful IRC Bug Jam session for Global Jam, September 2011 (log)

Ubuntu Leadership Team since the day it was announced in September 2011.

• Currently developing a set of skill-development IRC workshops to give community leaders a bigger and better toolbox.

Other Contributions

Ubuntuforums.org: 477 posts since 2007 (all help-related, none in the community cafe)

Future Plans & Projects

I want to help the community train upcoming leaders on the fundamentals of managing and leading volunteers. It's a set of skills that need to be learned - nobody is born knowing how. Most successful institutions and organizations spend a lot of resources to grow good leaders.

I want to help the Wisconsin LoCo grow into a sustainable group, capable of organizing large splashy release parties, supporting new users, working with local LUGs, recruiting (and retaining) new members, and helping members find their fulfilling place in the wider Ubuntu community.

Current Project & Goals

Wisconsin LoCo: Lead the Milwaukee Ubuntu Hour until August 2012, then train and hand off to a replacement.

Wisconsin LoCo: Lead the LoCo Reporting until May 2012, then train and hand off to a replacement.

Brainstorm: Lead the volunteer moderators for May 2012, then train and hand off to a replacement.

Brainstorm: Make Brainstorm relevant for developers again by updating the FAQ and Triage policies to edit out bugs, complaints, support requests, and other non-ideas. Train the moderators to triage more aggressively.

Brainstorm: Triage a big portion of the current 1600-page backlog of older, forgotten ideas.

Ubuntu Leadership Team: Develop a useful, sustainable training plan. Coordinate IRC workshops on specific leader skills, and facilitate some of those sessions.

Testimonials toward Ubuntu Membership

October 2011

* Cheesehead has been excellent to work with in our WisconsinTeam LoCo. His activity with our LoCo as the team reporter (here), activity planner (here, here), weekly Ubuntu Hour on the IRC channel, and various other activities as outlined above surely speak for him more than I could in supporting him to become a member. If Ian hasn't shown his dedication and embracing the spirit of Ubuntu with this, I'm not quite sure how he could. +1 from me!

- h00k - Ubuntu Wisconsin LoCo Contact, Ubuntu Member

* Cheesehead has been a great mentor and guide for all the new brainstorm idea reviewers and moderators, myself included. He's quick to answer any questions we have and always lets us know when we've done well, or not. He's also helping to spearhead the Ubuntu Leadership project both directly and by pulling more people into it. I can't think of anyone in the ubuntu community that has helped me help others nearly as much as Ian. He truly knows what it means to be part of a community.

- DougPenner - Ubuntu Brainstorm Moderator

* Ian is an essential member of Ubuntu Brainstorm. At a time when things where slowing down, he took the leadership and did what a great community leader should do. He has shown a great sense of initiative, aggressively cleaning UB, organizing things, poking for developer feedback, managing new contributors in UB. I'm more than happy with his leadership, and his efforts deserves to be recognized. A big +1!

- Nand - Ubuntu Brainstorm author & admin

* Honestly, it's very difficult to describe in a few words what makes Ian perfect for Ubuntu Brainstorm project. Diligence, liability and boundless desire to help people to become part of the good called Ubuntu....these are the first things that I associate with his name. In fact, the effort which Ian puts into the Ubuntu Brainstorm project is invaluable. I am very pleased to have such a great mentor and friend. I think Ubuntu already has a faithful friend named Ian.

- Vahan Harutyunyan - Ubuntu Brainstorm Moderator

* While I can't vouch for him on a technical/loco level, Ian has been active in #ubuntu-leadership, is friendly and isn't afraid to speak his mind in a well thought out manner.

- James Gifford - Ubuntu Member, Ask Ubuntu aficionado.

* People are telling me, that I have some knowledge of human nature. If I allow myself to apply this knowledge to Cheesehead, one thing has to be said very clearly: Cheesehead knows his abilities - and he is able to put those abilities into every productive environment.

When I saw him for the first time in the IRC channel of the Leadership Team, Cheesehead took the time to deal with a proposal mine in great detail. The result was a very productive cooperation that has convinced me 100%, that Cheesehead will become more than just a positive influence on the Ubuntu Community. That is why I strongly recommend Cheesehead for a membership!

- NRWLion - Ubuntu Leadership Team member