ROSE Blog: Rikki's Open Source Exchange

Free Online: Kirrily Robert's ApacheCon US 2009 Keynote Video

Nov 24, 2009 GMT

Linux Pro Magazine, in partnership with The Apache Foundation and Collabnet, streamed from ApacheCon US 2009 and the videos are now available online. And did I mention that they're Free?! To watch Kirrily Robert's Standing Out in a Crowd talk and other ApacheCon US 2009 videos, visit: http://www.linuxpromagazine.com/apacheconus2009

ROSE Blog Interviews: Valerie Bubb Fenwick, Staff Engineer at Sun Microsystems

Nov 23, 2009 GMT

Valerie Bubb Fenwick is a Staff Engineer at Sun Microsystems, contributor to Solaris 10 Security Essentials, and lead for the OpenSolaris Change Request Team. She helped design and was a major contributor to the Solaris Cryptographic Framework, and she currently works on making it certifiable by US Government standards. Valerie talks about her role at Sun Microsystems and the importance of community in open source. Q: Who are you?A: Valerie Anne Bubb Fenwick, a.k.a. bubbva, though I don't always use my maiden name anymore (the Bubb of bubbva). Q: What do you currently do in open source? What do you love about it?A: I develop code for the Cryptographic Framework for the OpenSolaris...

Confessions of a Public Fast-Talker

Nov 19, 2009 GMT

When I returned to my office from SC09 today, I found my requested review copy of Confessions of a Public Speaker on my desk. I plan to read it as soon as possible and I'll post my review here on this blog as part of my effort to see 2010 as The Year of WIOS at Events.Today I also found an email from Klaatu with a link to his recording of my Ohio LinuxFest Diversity in Open Source talk. At first I decided I'd never listen to it because I hate hearing recordings of myself and I was pretty sure I'd be horrified by whatever off-the-cuff remarks I made, but then I reminded myself that you can't be good at everything – and you can't get good at anything unless you do it – and if all else...

Sarah Stokely on Women in Tech (or what's keeping them out)

Nov 11, 2009 GMT

Sarah Stokely posted a thoughtful response today to the question What is keeping women out of tech? She says, "It’s partly because so many sexist behaviours happen again and again and again that women sometimes lose patience with demanding better behaviour. It sometimes feels you’d have more success trying to herd a colony of cats than change the elements within any given male dominated tech business or community to bring in more female talent." Sarah also explains what she's doing to help bring more women (and girls) into technology and asks: What are you doing?

Open and Accessible

Nov 02, 2009 GMT

One of the many things I love about working in the world of open source is that this field is much more about passion than profit. Think of how many extra hours you or your friends and colleagues put in on nights and weekends (and occasional holidays). You don't do that for just a "Job". I'm excited to work in a field full of people who are so aware of – passionate about – accessibility issues. On one hand, we have access to the most cutting-edge technologies, but on the other hand, we are working on ways to improve and deliver this technology to people who might not have the same access – people with disabilities, or in rural parts of the world, or lower-income families...

ROSE Blog Interviews: Ellen Siever, co-author of Linux in a Nutshell

Nov 02, 2009 GMT

The latest release of O'Reilly's well-respected Linux in a Nutshell book recently hit bookstore shelves. Co-author Ellen Siever answers the ROSE Blog interview questions:Q: Who are you?A: I'm Ellen Siever. For many years I was a mainframe assembler language programmer, working at several companies in the Boston area. Later, I joined O'Reilly, where I stayed for almost 8 years in various capacities, including working in the tools group and as a writer and editor. Since leaving O'Reilly, I've continued to freelance for them, working on a book about the X Window System that never saw the light of day and on Linux in a Nutshell (which I've been an author of...

Ubuntu 9.10 Released; Ubuntu User magazine goes to print

Oct 29, 2009 GMT

  Ubuntu 9.10, a.k.a. Karmic Koala, was officially released today, and Ubuntu users around the world celebrated in person at the official release party, online, and by downloading the latest version. Here in our editorial offices we put the finishing touches on Ubuntu User magazine issue #3 and sent it off to the printer. Check back for sample articles from that issue in a couple of weeks. Ubuntu User #3 starts hitting newsstands in the UK/Europe in mid-November and in other countries soon after that.Today also marks another big event, the anniversary of the birth of our blogger, Amber Graner. Happy Birthday, Amber! Have fun celebrating...