Ubuntu Wiki

Hello, I am John Stevenson and have been working with Linux since the days when slackware only came on floppy disks (you remember floppy disks dont you?). I quickly moved on to slackware on tape drive and thought that was great until I came across the Debian project. Since then I have tried other Linux and BSD distributions, but Debian and Ubuntu are my favourites and to me are the distributions that make me most productive. I occasionally use xubuntu for lower powered hardware where I still want a desktop.

I have a background in Java and open source development and agile business analysis and project management. I am also studying and applying lean principles and system thinking to extend agile practices and help encourage and manage organisational change.

I am currently on the leadership team of the graduate development community, a group to help bridge the gap that University students face between what they learn at University and the skills they need for industry.

I am very active in many of the London developer and tester communities and also give talks on open source software, agile development, Kanban and lean system thinking.

Contact information

Stuff I have done

• Have run several install parties for Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx and Ubuntu 10.10 Maveric Meerkat releases.
• Create an ubuntu website to share my understanding of all the great software available on Ubuntu and raise awareness of this software for others.

• Use my blog to document things I have done with Ubuntu Linux, applications I use and hardware that successfully works, such as my ASUS netbooks Eee PC 1201N. I am now testing out Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal and the Unity desktop.

• I have submitted a number of bugs in launchpad and worked with canonical on improvements to Launchpad via their user feedback sessions.

• Recently went to the really great Ubuntu in Business event, a jointly hosted Ubuntu-UK and Canonical event in London aimed at the business community.

• I run a monthly Scala coding dojo event for the London Scala user group using Ubuntu as the platform and an open source development toolkit.

• I have given talks on a range of subjects, including an Open Source Jumpstart and just in time training with kanban, a talk on how to manage an over-active interest in all things.

• I regularly promote Ubuntu Linux and other open source tools within the London Java community and other London based user groups.

Future plans for Ubuntu

I am currently creating a series of talks for University students and graduates on open source tools for the modern agile developer, using Ubuntu as the base platform for all the tools. All presentation materials will be created with the Ubuntu distribution, using applications such as Scribus, Open Office, The Gimp, Blender, etc. All demonstrations and workshops will be done using Ubuntu, either by installing directly on students laptops, on usb flash drives or as virtual machines. The goal is to continually raise awareness of the value of open source software for agile developers as well as for highly effective product development projects.

Testimonials

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