MarkVanDenBorre

Revision 32 as of 2007-10-15 14:26:12

Clear message

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/~markvdb

My ubuntu activities

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 Smile :)

  • 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.

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).

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.

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] Wink ;-) ), 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.

Mark has done a phenominal job at editing and creating LoCo content at [wiki:UbuntuDeveloperSummitMountainView UDS-MTV].

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 !