ROSE Blog: Rikki's Open Source Exchange

Dru Lavigne was the first person to volunteer her interview when I started this series. I thought I better pull her interview out of the comments section to make sure it's not overlooked. Dru is active in BSD and FreeBSD certification, training, and marketing, in addition to editing the Open Source Business Resource.

Q: Who are you?

A: Dru Lavigne (http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/unix/bsd)

Q:What do you currently do in open source? What do you love about it?

A: Chair the BSD Certification Group which maintains certifications for assessing BSD sysadmin skills. Assist the marketing team of the FreeBSD Project and the FreeBSD Foundation. Write and speak about open source, BSD, training, documentation, and gender in technology issues. Manage the Open Source Business Resource (http://www.osbr.ca). And I've just started my third book on BSD. I love learning new things, sharing them with others, and watching people grow.

Q: You're speaking to a group of women from other fields who are considering switching careers. Why should they consider moving into an open source-related career? What should they know about the open source environment to prepare them for the transition from a different field?

A: Open source provides a low entry barrier where you can ramp up your technical and communication skills, access mentors, build your reputation – all valuable things you can add to your resume. Know that every community is different, some are easier to get along with then others, and its okay to shop around until you find the community that works best for you.

Q: You're speaking to a group of high school students (male and female). Why should they consider exploring career options in open source?

A: Where else can you get the above for free? Becoming an active member of an open source community will give you an edge over your classmates and help open future career doors. Breaking into any career is all about who you know and who knows you.