Greetings from LinuxWorld!

Aug 06, 2008 GMT

It's great to be in San Francisco, and not just because it's 100 degrees back at our editorial offices in Lawrence, Kansas. LinuxWorld is hopping this year – I've barely had time to leave our booth because so many people have stopped by. If you haven't made it to our booth yet to pick up a copy of the magazine, be sure to stop by. And check back on our homepage for updates from the event.

Book Review – Hackerteen: Internet Blackout

Jul 31, 2008 GMT

O'Reilly's Hackerteen: Internet Blackout book, by Marcelo Marques, is a slick, colorful, "edutainment" graphic novel. My 11-year-old daughter, Cleo, is an avid reader, and she's recently taken an interest in graphic novels, so I thought she was the perfect person to review this title. Here's her concise report: It's a really cool book and I was hooked on the first page. The story-line is intense, the characters are advanced and realistic. When I first got it, I thought it would be a boring book preaching about Internet safety, instead, I found an exciting comic with problems and drama that is both believable, and extraordinary. The book works...

See you at LinuxWorld!

Jul 31, 2008 GMT

You probably already know this, but just in case: LinuxWorld Conference & Expo is next week at the Moscone Center in San Franciso, California. Stop by the Linux Pro booth, #1144, and pick up a free copy of the magazine. Register online with priority code VPL752 to receive a free exhibit hall pass or 20% off conference pricing: Free Exhibit Hall Pass (A $50 Value) • 3 Days of Exhibit Hall Access • Over 175 Exhibitors • Priority Seating at Keynote & Feature Presentations • Access to Birds-of-a-Feather Sessions• Special VIP Check-In Counter 20% off Conference Programs • 10 Conference Tracks featuring 100+ Technical Sessions, Tutorials and Hands-On Labs • The...

Technology Goddesses

Jul 29, 2008 GMT

I did a lot of camping as a kid, but I never went to an official 'summer camp'. Frankly, I never felt the need to go to one, and now I've found two I want to attend – Girls Rock Camp, and the Technology Goddess Day Camp. Julia King wrote an interesting article about Girl Scouts and the Technology Goddess Day Camp, called Girl Power! Summer camp grooms tomorrow's techies. According to her article, day camp materials and directions are available in a "badge-in-a-box" format.

OSCON: Running a Successful User Group

Jul 24, 2008 GMT

On Wednesday at OSCON, Selena Deckelmann and Gabrielle Roth led a talk about how to run a successful user group. I missed the talk because I was running the Linux Pro magazine booth, but Michael Halligan wrote about the session over on NetworkWorld.com.

OSCON: Women in FOSS session

Jul 24, 2008 GMT

On Wednesday, July 23, Pia Waugh presented her Women in FOSS talk at Portland's OSCON. Pia talked about some of her FOSS heroes, including Allison Randal, Stormy Peters, and Val Henson. She also discussed how we can help create change within our culture so that being a woman in tech will not be considered a "non-traditional" role. One suggestion she had is to help lead events and promote technology in our communities, such as speaking at local elementary schools to help encourage participation by girls. Pia also pointed out the Geek Feminism Wiki, an "overview and resource centre about issues facing women in geek communities." During Pia's talk, Selena Deckelmann...

OSCON: White Camel Awards

Jul 24, 2008 GMT

AussieChix member Jacinta Richardson won a White Camel award at OSCON for her contributions to the Perl community. Jacinta wasn't at the ceremony to accept the award, but she wrote about hearing the news on her blog, saying, "Thanks again to those who nominated me; to the judges who've honoured me; to Paul for accepting the award on my behalf and to everyone else who's offered me such lovely and sincere congratulations!"