maiatoday

Contact me

  • Launchpad: maiatoday

  • IRC: freenode #ubuntu-za and #ubuntu-women using nick maiatoday
  • Email: maiatoday (AT) gmail (DOT) com
  • Blog: my-ubuntu-day

Summary

I am very active in encouraging participation and advocating Ubuntu in my immediate vicinity, Stellenbosch and Cape Town. I run Ubuntu Hour, help with Global Jam and Release Parties. Online I frequent IRC #ubuntu-za and help out with the wiki.

Past

How did it start?

I started using Ubuntu towards the end of 2006. Edgy Eft was my first Ubuntu. I was faced with the prospect of buying and learning a lot of proprietary software on a relatively old computer or going over to open source tools and spending the money on hardware. I committed to switching completely to Ubuntu on the laptop at least and finding the tools I needed to do the job. At the time I was busy studying a multi-media degree and I decided that if I have to learn new software it may as well be open source tools. I haven't looked back and over the years I have managed to do everything I wanted to do and more.

I only joined launchpad and the ubuntu-women and ubuntu-za teams at the end of 2007.

What have I done?

  • Started the Ubuntu Hour in Stellenbosch in Feb 2010

  • Hosted the Lucid Lynx Release Party

  • Made badges for the Release Party

  • Helped the loco create a re-approval page

  • Made posters for the Global Jam events for Lucid and Maverick

  • Update loco.ubuntu.com for the ZATeam
  • Help drubin to update the monthly reports
  • Admin help on ubuntu-za launchpad team
  • Translation and Answers in Launchpad
  • Managed to get all the women (that use computers) in my immediate family to switch to Ubuntu on there personal machines. (ages range from 8 to 66)

Ubuntu Hour table sign badges cake Lucid global jam poster Maveric global jam poster

Present

What drives my Ubuntu community participation?

I think more women will be willing to join in if there are already women visible in the community. I think more people will be willing to join in if they see that doing technical stuff isn't the only way to be part of the community. That is why I focus on community activities rather than more technical tasks such as packaging or coding.

What am I doing at the moment?

  • trying to figure out how I can be more useful in the ubuntu-za loco and the ubuntu-women groups
  • helping ubuntu-za to do the small things, such as website update, mailing list reminders and IRC meeting attendance
  • doing an Ubuntu Hour once a month
  • Blogging about my Ubuntu experiences

  • handing out CDs to people who will try them

Future

What will I do next?

  • help to organise the next Global Jam and Release party for Maverick
  • Organise a Cape Town Geeknic in November
  • continue to be visible in the local Ubuntu community and in this way give out a message that this LoCo is also a friendly place for women

  • continue to help the ZATeam where I can

Testimonials

  • Maia has been a pillar of strength guiding Ubuntu-ZA over the last few months and the driving force behind almost every single event/activity we take part in. Maia pioneered the Ubuntu Hour in Stellenbosch that I have been fortunate enough to attend a few. They started off small with some events having just Maia and my self. The August event had +-10 people most of which had never been to an Ubuntu event before. Her wiki page lists all the events that she has taken part in and actions speak louder then words you can see the people that her involvement in Ubuntu has impacted. She epitomizes what it means to be part of the Ubuntu community and I have utmost faith that she will continue to do so. Her wiki page will never ever do justice to the amount of input she has had in Ubuntu-ZA. So this is me trying my best to recommend her. TeamZA Contact -- drubin 2010-08-22 14:28:21

  • Maia is an active member of the Ubuntu-ZA community, and it's great to have a lady like her in our community. She is an encouragement to other, less visible, women in the community (my wife is one of them), and it's great to have someone who is determined to push Ubuntu-ZA to be less "geeky". Maia is a "core" member of our community, having hosted our last release party, and being an important part of our monthly meetings. -- TeamZA Member raoul-snyman 2024-03-19 02:34:00

  • Maia has been one of the main driving forces behind Ubuntu-ZA, growing the loco, hosting events in Stellenbosch, and doing a great job of bringing newbies into the fold. She takes initiative and gets things done, leaving me amazed and impressed every time. I think our LoCo team owes a lot to her work, and I offer my strongest recommendation for Ubuntu Membership. -- stefanor 2010-08-30 13:00:38

  • Maia are one of few women I know worthy of the name Geek. She has opened her hart and even her house to geeks from all over the western cape to help where she can. She is the driving force behind Ubuntu-Hour held in Stellenbosch and have made many contributions to discussions and events in her area. At the heart of Ubuntu-ZA lies a strong willed, soft hearted women, keeping us inspired to be more active. -- djnoeth 2010-09-06 10:24:00

  • I met Maia at the Lucid release party that she organised. It was organised very well and it turned out to be the best release party I've ever been to. She's friendly, always available to help others and very visible in the Ubuntu-ZA community. She's also done a great job of keeping Ubuntu Hours running in Stellenbosch. I'm very happy to give her my endorsement, she understands exactly what community is all about. --jonathan 2010-09-07 00:56:50

maiatoday (last edited 2010-09-07 00:57:22 by modemcable150)