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
- 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)
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
- 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