MarkVanDenBorre
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Hi! My name is Mark Van den Borre. I am a classical guitar teacher. I also lead a secret life as a digital freedom advocate.
http://map.ubuntu-be.org/leuven20061015/mq/img-10.jpg
https://launchpad.net/people/mark-markvdb
My ubuntu activities
1999 (pre-ubuntu) - now: free software translation work, inside & outside ubuntu, see google & https://launchpad.net/people/mark-markvdb/+translations
- 2004/10: ubuntu user since Warty
2005/07: offer gstreamer MIDI integration bounty (see https://launchpad.net/bounties/gstreamer-midi)
2006/03 - now: report bugs, see https://launchpad.net/people/mark-markvdb/+reportedbugs
2006/02: set up a map of Ubuntu users in Belgium (code+ quiet beta launch, initially under http://www.vrijesoftware.be , Dutch for free-as-in-freedom-software.be)
- 2006/05/27: organise a Dapper PR preparation meeting with 10 fellow Ubuntu users from Belgium. Relatively little if anything had happened between the ubuntu-be.org launch in 2006/02 and this date.
- 2006/05/30: write Ubuntu 6.06 LTS/ubuntu-be.org press release, including quote from NL_BE education ministry IT policy chief
- 2006/05/3x: write ubuntu-be.org NL_BE site contents, coordinate with FR_BE
- 2006/06: /me ubuntu-be.org administrator, next to Lionel "ploum" Dricot who is more and more occupied by his very demanding first job, and thankful that someone takes action.
2006/06: create use cases for LoCoTeam software infrastructure based upon team member input, see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BelgianTeam/SupportPointsSpec
2006/06 - now: find & encourage php developers to create tools for our volunteers, set up launchpad infrastructure, see https://launchpad.net/people/mapdevs/+branch/support.points.map/dev
2006/06/x: reformulate the ubuntu-be.org mission statement after group input, https://launchpad.net/people/ubuntu-be
- 2006/06/01: gather press contacts; send off PR; be NL_BE press contact
2006/06/01: Het Nieuwsblad interview (print newspaper, 212000 ex.), see http://www.nieuwsblad.be/Article/Detail.aspx?articleID=GI6T3PF2
- 2006/06 - 2006/07: request, receive and distribute 900 Ubuntu 6.06 LTS CD's
2006/09: search and find volunteers & funding for computer fair booths
2006/09/2x: Het Bedrijf/L'entreprise, >10000 ex. SME magazine interview, see https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-be/2006-October/001109.html
- 2006/09/26: shipit request: 999 Ubuntu 6.06 LTS 32 bit x86 for computer fairs
- 2006/10/04: shipit received: 200 Ubuntu 6.06 LTS 23 bit x86 from shipit
2006/10/07: fund Antwerp computer fair booth & CD-R's
- 2006/10/08: promote Ubuntu at Antwerp computer fair booth
2006/10/13: organise 2006/10/15 Leuven computer fair booth preparation meeting (7 people), see https://lists.ubuntu.com/archives/ubuntu-be/2006-October/001145.html
- 2006/10/14: print and cut 800 leaflets for fair booth
2006/10/15: buy breakfast for booth participants & have great fun evangelising at booth, see http://map.ubuntu-be.org/leuven20061015
- 2006/10/22: participation to Liège computer fair
2006/10/29: participation to [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BelgianTeam/ComputerFairs/Ostend_2006-10-29 Oostende computer fair]
- 2006/11/04-11: Ubuntu Developer Summit, Mountain View (out of own pocket)
2006/11/05: help prepare [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BelgianTeam/ComputerFairs/Kortrijk_2006-11-05 Kortrijk fair booth]
2006/11/26: organise [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BelgianTeam/ComputerFairs/Gent_2006-11-26 Gent computer fair booth]
2006/12/10: organise [https://wiki.ubuntu.com/BelgianTeam/ComputerFairs/Mechelen_2006-12-10 Mechelen computer fair booth]
My ubuntu plans
I want to continue actively leading the ubuntu-be.org community for at least one year, like I have done after Lionel Dricot became less active. I like its current form as a rather informal horizontal organisation, but will seek a more formal recognition from the Belgian team members if necessary.
Some non-ubuntu things
These should give you an idea how I am dedicated to digital freedom:
- 1997: start using free software (install floppy Linux router at former primary school)
- (exact date lost, students don't make enough backups): Larry Sanger creates nl.wikipedia.org at my request
2000: wiki user, UseModWiki, first free software translation
2000: project musicaliberata: free-as-in-freedom music content, content absorbed into Mutopia project (http://mutopiaproject.org)
2002 - now: FOSDEM (Free & Open Source Developer Meeting) volunteer, see http://fosdem.org
2002/07/31: first contribution to Mutopia free-as-in-freedom sheet music archive, see http://mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/make-table.cgi?searchingfor=borre
2002 - now: cofounder & sysadmin for openstandaarden.be, stimulating open standards in digital communication, see http://openstandaarden.be
2003 - now: software patents are an insult to creative minds, FFII volunteer, see http://ffii.org; actions taken: explaining to members of Strasbourg parliament, organising demonstration s, kayaking in front of European parliament, see http://gallery.ffii.org/Strasbourg050705/00071_G
2004 & later: financial contribution to GNU Lilypond music typesetting software
2004/10 - now: install & maintain Debian based thin client system at my former primary school as a volunteer
- 2005: financial contribution to GCompris education software
2006/02: started small free software business, see http://lusis.be (NL)
Some of my qualities (to be completed)
- language skills (important for ubuntu-be.org!!!, we have 3 official languages and quite a few imported ones):
- NL native, +++
FR read & speak: ++, write +
- EN read/write/speak ++
- DE read ++ speak +- write =
- IT: read +
- ES: read =
Endorsements
Mark is an inspiration for both the belgian and dutch locoteam. He's very active and dedicated to both Ubuntu and FOSS in general. His contributions to the -be team are, as you can see above, both significant and sustained (many months already). I would love to see him as official Ubuntu member.
-- DennisKaarsemaker ("Seveas"), 17 oct 2006
I've learned to know Mark through his remarkable interventions on the ubuntu-be list. What he says and does shows a quite remarkable combination of "pragmatism, focus and drive" with a gentle care for both bystanders and people with different opinions. Ubuntu-be is a better place with him around. Appart from that, he has been identified as a genuine super-hero (with alter ego! http://blogs.cocoondev.org/mpo/archives/004628.html).
-- MarcPortier, 17 oct 2006
Mark is an enthusiast Ubuntu and Free Software advocate. His motivation is very communicative. He is really dedicated to Ubuntu and Ubuntu-be and will certainly be a valable official Ubuntu member.
-- PierreBuyle, 17 oct 2006
Ever since I have known Mark (must have been about 2001, I think), he has been working on promoting open standards (e.g. openstandaarden.be), actions against software patents (guess who was in [http://gallery.ffii.org/Strasbourg050705/00001_G the kayaks that circled around the yacht that was rented by the pro-swpats lobbyists] ), and helping to give FOSS a wider audience (e.g. as a FOSDEM volunteer and now with Ubuntu-be). What makes him invaluable is, in my opinion, that he's good at pushing projects and people forward, so that things actually happen.
Mark is the responsible for dutch speaking ubuntu-be, and he proved already that he knows how to organize the local community. He tries to do it on a very professional way and he motivates all the other team-members do the same.
-- FrancoisCauwe, 17 oct 2006
Mark has done a phenominal job at editing and creating LoCo content at [wiki:UbuntuDeveloperSummitMountainView UDS-MTV].
-- [wiki:JoeyStanford Joey Stanford], 08 Nov 2006
Mark is an awesome guy... well, given the work he does for Ubuntu-be and LoCo teams, I would rather say : Mark is ten awesome guys !
-- [wiki:LionelDricot Lionel Dricot], 03 Mar 2007