Ubuntu Wiki

About Me

The photo is Major General Lewis Wallace, 11th Indiana Infantry, during the US Civil War.
I'm not as interesting as he is.

I am a business owner (you need violins? I'm your guy!) and father of three in Wisconsin.

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 own business.

I am attracted to projects and tasks that are important, but 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

• 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.

• Brainstorm since the day it opened in February 2008

  • Brainstorm Moderators since April 2009

  • Brainstorm Admin since May 2011

• Bug Squad since Sept 2008. Most work 2008-2009, but still triaging a few in support of Brainstorm

• Wisconsin LoCo Since August 2008

  • Initiated the new Milwaukee Ubuntu Hour Sept 2011

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 for 12 months, then train and hand off to a replacement.

• Wisconsin LoCo: Lead the LoCo Reporting for 12 months, then train and handoff to a replacement.

• Brainstorm: Lead the volunteer moderators for 12 months, then train and handoff 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 100% of the current 1600 pages of older, untriaged ideas.

• Ubuntu Leadership Team: Help develop training plans, and lead IRC training sessions on specific leader skills.

Contributions to the Ubuntu Community

As of 09 October 2011

• Bugs and patches: 767 bugs triaged or otherwise worked. 3 bugs submitted, 2 patches accepted (LP# 52697, LP# 117984).
• Brainstorm: Admin, moderators since 2009, 24th best solution contributor, 5899 comments.
• Ubuntuforums.org: 477 posts. (all help-related, none in the community cafe)

• Wisconsin LoCo: Maintain team reporting, Led two training events during the Global Bug Jam, Sept 2011, ran two monthly meeting, started an Ubuntu Hour.

• Ubuntu Leadership Team: Maintain the list of training tasks, coordinating the skill-development IRC workshops

=== Testimonials toward Ubuntu Membership=== October 2011

Let's see...who to ask?

• h00k, nand, komputes, akgraner, valorie, EgyParadox, crog, bigbash, DarwinSurvivor, Vahan?