nhandler
About Me
Name: Nathan Handler
Location: Illinois, USA
Launchpad: nhandler
GPG Key: 3933A7CE
Email: nhandler@ubuntu.com
IRC: nhandler on irc.freenode.net
Ubuntu Forums: nhandler
identi.ca: nhandler
twitter: nathanhandler
askubuntu: nhandler
Click here to see a complete list of teams that I currently am a member of.
Interviews and Other Places I've Been Mentioned
Americas Regional Membership Board 2010
I have been an Ubuntu member (and Kubuntu Member) for a while now. I have also been involved in most areas of the community at one point or another. Due to working in these areas with a wide range of people, I will have no issue evaluating the contributions of potential members, regardless of the form that they might take. I have served in several positions of leadership in the community. Most of these have required saying "No" to people for one reason or another. When this has been necessary, I have always tried to keep the user's motivation up and keep them interested in the team/project. It was very rewarding to be able to see some of these users return after following the suggestions I provided, and being able to say "Yes". As anyone who I have worked with will most likely agree,I am usually pretty good about not letting my emotions get in the way of my work. My personal feelings towards someone will not influence my decisions if chosen to serve on this board. The Americas Regional Membership Board currently does not hold regular meetings. However, based on the times of prior meetings, attending them should not be an issue.
Ubuntu Operator 2010
I have been active in the Ubuntu IRC channels for a few years now. Since then, I have become an operator in several team channels, become a freenode staff member, and joined the Ubuntu IRC Council. Do to these positions, as well as other work I do, I spend a large amount of time on IRC. I have been working hard over the years to better my catalyst skills. Many operators do not fully utilize this skill, and choose to adopt a ban first, deal with it later (if the user complains). I disagree with this mentality. I believe that if a user is misbehaving, I should try to do everything in my power to educate them about what they are doing wrong prior to banning. Sometimes, a temporary quiet in a channel (along with talking to the user) is sufficient to resolve an issue. Bans are not the only (or best) way to deal with users. If chosen to serve as an operator, I plan to try to lead by example as well as work with the rest of the IRC team to update our wiki documentation to better explain these other methods of resolving issues. I believe that by doing this, we will have a lot fewer users complain in #ubuntu-ops or to the IRC Council about their bans. I think it is also worth mentioning that I am located in Chicago (UTC-5/UTC-6). Therefore, I am often online when few (if any) other Ubuntu operators are around.
Ubuntu Beginners Team Council 2010
I joined the Ubuntu Beginners Team (formerly the Ubuntu Forum Beginners Team) in July of 2008. Since then, I have worked hard to improve the team in many ways. Prior to the team moving meetings to #ubuntu-meeting, I developed VoteBot to allow them to vote in their own IRC channel. In August of that year, I was chosen to serve on the initial team council. As a member of the Council, I have helped to resolve several disputes that have come up concerning members of the team. One of the greatest things I bring to the team is that I constantly try to keep the team moving forward. I frequently propose ideas to try and find new ways to improve the team. If elected to serve on the council for a second term, I promise to continue to keep the team moving forward. I already have several ideas for how we can further improve the team once the election are out of the way. I would also bring some experience to the council from having served on the council before as well as from being a member of the team for almost 2 years.
IRC Council Election 2009
I am an active participant in many Ubuntu IRC channels on freenode. I serve as a member of the Ubuntu Beginners Team Council, and am an operator in all of the team's channels. From this, I have learned the value of being patient with all users. I believe that it is very important to try and make sure troublesome users understand what they are doing wrong as well as what they must do to resolve the issue. I have found this to work much better than simply banning users. Recently, I have become a member of the freenode staff. This has given me experience handling most types of issues that take place on IRC. It has also helped to improve my conflict resolution skills, which I believe are very important for council members as well as operators to have. I believe I have sufficient knowledge and experience with IRC and the Ubuntu community to be able to greatly benefit the Ubuntu community by serving on the IRC Council.
Community Council Election 2009
I have been nominated for a seat on the Community Council. The Community Council is one of the two highest governing councils in the Ubuntu community (the other being the Ubuntu Technical Board). As you can see from what I wrote up when running for the MOTU Council, I have contributed to many different areas of the community. Although I am not an expert in all of these areas, I have spent time learning enough to be able to contribute and help out. If I am elected, I feel that this knowledge will allow me to help resolve most community issues that might arise. So far, the Community Council has done a good job of governing the community and resolving issues that come up. After working with several of the members of this council, I feel that I would be very capable of working with them on the Community Council.
MOTU Council Poll February/March 2009
I have been nominated for a seat on the MOTU Council. Quoting the wiki page description, "The MOTU Council is the central place for approving new ubuntu-universe-contributors and motu team members and helping to find consensus and have a final say in conflicts."
I have worked hard in many areas of the community (as you can see from the list of teams I participate in). This experience has given me knowledge about how many of the teams work/operate, and how they fit into the big picture. I also try to stay up-to-date with all events going on in the community by subscribing to many mailing lists, following many blogs, subscribing to many people on identi.ca, and joining many different IRC channels. As a result of all of this, I feel that I generally have a good idea about what is going on in the community.
My plans for the future include:
- Making it easier for people to begin contributing to Ubuntu
- Developing new tools that make it easier for Developers to perform their everyday tasks
- Improving communication between the different teams
If you have any questions or comments about anything, feel free to contact me using one of the methods described above.
Testimonials
Testimonials for Ubuntu Contributing Developer
Sayak Banerjee (sayakb)
Nathan Handler is a sincere and dedicated member of the OSS community. His contributions are prominent and well appreciated. I've had great experience working with him at the UF_Beginners_Team. He has the potential and a positive attitude towards development and is fully entitled to become an Ubuntu Contributing Developer. -- Sayak_Banerjee_(glade88)
BodhiZazen
It has been my pleasure to work with Nathan Handler on the Beginners Team. Nathan is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. I support his application as a Ubuntu Contributing Developer and feel he will become a valued member of the development community. BodhiZazen
Testimonials for Community Council Election 2009
Connor Imes (Rocket2DMn)
I've been working with Nathan for over a year on the Beginners Team, and I have to say that it has been a great experience since day 1. He is dedicated, reliable, patient, passionate about Ubuntu, and very easy to work with and to talk to. I think he would be an excellent representative for the Ubuntu community, and I am pleased to give my full and unreserved support to his application to the CC. -- rocket2dmn 2009-08-29 16:35:19
Elizabeth Krumbach (lyz)
I've had the pleasure of working directly with Nathan these past few months on the Classroom project, which he's been a valuable asset to, helping keep the schedule conflict-free and updated for upcoming classes. We've also worked together on the BeginnersTeam and I'm frequently surprised at all the other places I bump into him within the community, his contributions and dedication are nothing short of amazing. -- ElizabethKrumbach
Testimonials for IRC Council Election 2009
Robb Munson (Speeddemon8803)
I've been around the block with Nathan for quite some time now, he brings an open minded, caring approach to helping our users with any issues that may arise, be it "crowd control" or anything of that nature. I FULLY support him with the application for IRC council because I know first hand how hard this position is. (I am a staff member of other IRC networks.) Robb Munson
Steven Woodruff (swoody)
I have been lucky enough to work with Nathan in several aspects of the Ubuntu community. He has been a truly inspirational force in any group he participates in. He has demonstrated a great ability to lead with care, and to use his authority with care. I feel he would make a perfect fit for the IRC Council, and he has my complete support. swoody
Charles Profitt (cprofitt)
I have known nhandler for a long time now and worked closely with him as a member of the Beginners Team. nhandler has been involved in the day to day management of the Beginners Team and shown great skill in handling the little events that can play havoc on a teams morale. In all cases his actions were exemplary and his skill in handling conflicts brought about resolutions. He has a tremendous amount of energy and his commitment to the community is extraordinary. cprofitt
Joe Barker (Joeb454)
What can I say about nhandler - I sit with him on the Ubuntu Beginners Team Council, where he's generally the one who will come up with the topics for discussion and make sure we have meetings when necessary. He seems to be around on IRC a surprising amount of the day, which to me, shows his dedication to the activies he is involved in. From what I have seen of his leadership & people skills, he would be a perfect candidate for the role. I fully support his application to the IRCC. Joeb454
Ryan Moss (RM3)
When one thinks of Ubuntu, NHandler definitely comes to mind. I have helped him in planning meetings and it was a pleasure to work with him. He seemed to be always around when needed and would always iron out the kinks if any arose. From being on IRC with him I know he takes ubuntu VERY seriously and is very supportive to everything he belongs to. To show how seriously he takes ubuntu he even wrote a paper on it! He is an excellent candidate for the council. R.Moss
Jeremy Pallats (starcraft.man)
starcraft.man On my ever expanding quest to give everyone, everywhere, in the universe - maybe just up until a certain restaurant... - a testimonial, I arrive at nhandler. Not literally though, then, I'd be a stalker -_-. Anyway, what is there to say? He's nhandler, it's all right in the name.... handler. He handles everything (exhibit A: see team participation). It is better to ask what hasn't nhandler done/fixed/resolved/killed? Oh there I go again, talking about things I shouldn't, not supposed to talk about secret night jobs... I say if ya want the best man for the job, ya go with nhandler. He's a proven op, he's friendly and helpful, and above all, he promised not to ninja me if I did this... oh now I'm gonna get it. *runs away before a shuriken from the dark gets him*.
Tony Narlock (skiquel)
Most people will agree that the power in any social structure should be with the good guys. Nathan Handler has chilled with us in #ubuntu-chicago on freenode (fixed caps) for a while now. You will find him to be both courteous and professional. Even though it goes without saying, Nathan Handler is a devoted Ubuntu member who exceeds the expectations for such position. 
Tony Narlock
David Rubin (drubin)
Nathan has been there from the get go in the beginners team. His devotion and dedication and humility shows with his work on the beginners-council. He is always calm collected something I feel is one of the most important things when dealing with a real time chat environment like IRC. Nathan has been apart of freenode staff for the last few montths. All the above qualities echo excellence and great leadership. I would have no problem and the pleasure of giving him my full support for IRC councilship. David Rubin
Micah Gersten (micahg)
I know Nathan from #ubuntu-chicago and many other places. Nathan has taken an active role in every team that he has joined. I'm amazed, sometimes, that I'll jump into an IRC channel and Nathan will respond with the correct answer. His accomplishments are beyond numerous and he's still in high school! I believe he'll be with Ubuntu for a long time. Therefore, I recommend him for the IRC council. Micah Gersten
Plazma
My first time meeting Nathan was when we both joined the ranks of staff, and even then I had a good feeling about him. Honest and open minded, I have seen him help many people on Freenode both users and staff members alike (especially with Perl or irssi related inquiries). I fully support his application for the Ubuntu IRC Council. -- Plazma
Paul Tagliamonte (paultag)
There is not too much I can say about Nate that has not already been said. I have had the distinct pleasure of watching his steady work into the community. He came in as "the new kid" and really showed that he can compete with the big dogs in the F/OSS world. Nate is a reliable Freenode administrator, outstanding member of the Ubuntu community, and someone I can gladly call my friend. I have worked with him almost every day since, and seldom a moment when he is out of reach. Unequivocally there is no better candidate for the IRC Council then Nate, and I say that without reserve, hesitation nor qualification. -- paultag
Jim Campbell (jwcampbell)
Nathan is an examplary contributor to the Ubuntu project who participates in a number of Ubuntu-related teams. Not only is Nathan an outstanding contributor, but he also demonstrates an even-headed fairness when interacting with others, both in person and on IRC. I think that these quailities would make in an excellent member of the Ubuntu IRC Council, and I give him my strongest recommendation for the post. jwcampbell 2009-12-07 02:40:48
Daniel Holbach (dholbach)
Nathan is fantastic to work with. I work with him together on the MOTU Council, the Packaging Training Coordinators, regularly in touch with him about the Fridge, he does everything and takes good care of all of his tasks. Nathan is part of many other areas of the community. He's honest, will listen to criticism, takes concerns seriously and always works out solutions everybody is happy with. He'd make a fantastic addition to the IRC Council. -- dholbach 2009-12-07 14:05:56
Richard Johnson (nixternal)
I have been working with Nathan now for the past couple of years with Ubuntu Chicago and more recently with the MOTU council. He has been a huge benefit to both teams and the community in general. His commitment and awesome attitude make him a perfect fit as an addition to the IRC Council -- nixternal 2009-12-07 16:30:45
Jono Bacon (jono)
While I have never experienced Nathan govern, I admire and respect his polite, calm and respectful personality, and I have absolute confidence that he could bring a huge amount of capability and resource to the IRC Council -- JonoBacon
Amber Graner (akgraner)
I had not been in the Ubuntu Community very long before I "met" Nathan in IRC, on identic.ca, and twitter. Nathan was/is always quick to offer guidance while making a new user feel confident - even when correcting or advising them. His enthusiasm for sharing knowledge in polite and confident manner impresses me. Nathan seems slow to anger, calm in all situations, checks his ego "at the door", and is fair and opened minded; these qualities and more leave no doubt that Nathan would be an awesome addition to the IRC Council. -- -- akgraner 2009-12-08 10:55:52
Elizabeth Krumbach (pleia2)
I have worked with nhandler on several projects now. In addition to being a fantastic contributor to various sections of Ubuntu, he is committed to following through with all expectations placed upon him and tasks he is given. Given his success in other areas and presence within the IRC community I think he would make a good addition to the IRC Council. -- -- lyz 2009-12-08 16:57:16
Testimonials for Ubuntu Beginner Team Council Election 2010
Paul Tagliamonte ( paultag )
I really don't think much that I can say will properly display or exemplify the support I have for nhandler. I have watched him from his acceptance in the Ubuntu Forums Beginners Team, acceptance into the MOTU, and the countless leadership roles since. I can't think of many other people that could run this team in a way that would ensure it's longevity, activity and usefulness. He has served the council these past two years in a way that allows me to speak with rare absolutism in my speech, along with my unrelenting support. There is no better candidate then nhandler. -- paultag 2010-03-12 00:59:43
Chris Johnston ( cjohnston )
I have worked closely with Nathan on a few projects and truly believe that he would continue to make a great addition to the UBT Council. Nathan has a passion for everything that he does, and I have seen it many times. -- chrisjohnston 2010-03-20 02:01:12
Testimonials for Ubuntu Operator 2010
Testimonials for Americas Regional Membership Board 2010
Matthew Lye (Vantrax)
Nathan is one of the most active members of the Ubuntu community I have ever met. His passion and drive to continually improve himself, the community, and the distribution are a credit to him and an example to us all. I have had the fortune to work with him in the course of his time with the Ubuntu community and believe that allowing him to serve on the Americas Membership Board would be a logical step that would greatly benefit both Nathan in his continued development and the Ubuntu Community. -- -- matthew.lye 2010-04-09 03:44:10
Joe Barker (Joeb454)
I've been fortunate enough to work with Nathan on the Beginners Team in various ways, both as a fellow member, and until April of this year, as a fellow member of the Beginners Team Council. Nathan's leadership skills are, in my opinion at least, brilliant. He appears to be able to keep a level head at all times, and brings logic to most situations where there is none. Nathan would be an asset to any team, especially with his ability to be objective whenever necessary, and put his point across in a clear and concise manner. -- joeb454 2010-04-15 21:59:03
Steve Woodruff (swoody)
I have had the pleasure of working with Nathan in the Beginners Team and the Chicago Loco. He has demonstrated his leadership skills many times over, and has proven to be a fair and logical person. He is always level-headed and collected, and can always provide sanity to any situation. Add to this his knowledge and experience in just about every aspect of the Ubuntu community, and Nathan is an extremely strong candidate for the Americas Membership Board. I give my full support and truly hope his application is received favorably. -- swoody 2024-12-22 01:13:38
Charles Profitt (cprofitt)
There are times when long winded ramblings can convey thoughts effectively; this is not one of them. nhandler is an amazing person who has shown his ability and dedication on every team he contributes too. He would be an outstanding candidate for the America Regional Membership Board. To be honest he has been one of the best people I have worked with; period. -- cprofitt 2010-04-20 18:45:44
Duane Hinnen (duanedesign)
Having worked with Nathan as a part of the Beginners Team and more recently on the Beginners Team Council I am very impressed by the qualities he has exhibited. In fact I can not think of many Ubuntu Community Members that I would give a higher recommendation. I have no doubt that he will prove to be above and beyond the best at whatever endeavour he takes on. So I fully support Nathan for Americas Regional Membership Board. -- duanedesign 2010-04-22 14:32:02
Phill. Whiteside (phillw)
As a previous mentor of mine on UBT and his continued help for anything I ask of, any team that accepts him has got a dedicated guy. He is a shining example of what the Ubuntu ethos is all about. In Great Britain we have different phrases to our cousins over the water, but I hope that when I stay "he is star" translates okay for you. phillw
nhandler (last edited 2011-03-19 07:11:25 by 173-161-113-147-Illinois)