“The Linux philosophy is 'Laugh in the face of danger'. Oops. Wrong one. 'Do it yourself'. Yes, that's it.” — Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux
I've been a computer guy for a long time. My Bachelor's degree had a concentration in Information Systems, and it built on a decade of experience in the industry. When I first got into higher education, it wasn't an accident that it was as an educational technologist. Even though my work isn't really technical these days, I'm still a techie at heart.
One of the kinds of IT I've always liked is called "open source" software. When computer programs are open source, it means that anyone can look at the programming code and copy it, change it to make it better, or otherwise not worry about artificial restrictions on it like there are with most software. It's the same philosophy as open educational resources, where materials are free for anyone to use, copy, adapt, translate, or do whatever they wish.
You may have heard of something called "Linux". This is an operating system that is an alternative to Windows or the Mac operating system that anyone can download and use for free. There are lots of programmers who have worked to build this and other open source software applications, and nowadays it's very easy to use Linux, in some cases no more difficult than it is to use Windows. And it has a cute penguin named Tux for a logo, for whatever that's worth.
I've been a Windows user since the early '90s. It was easy to remain as one, since it tends to come preinstalled on any computer I would buy, or would already be installed on any computer that I would get as surplus from somewhere I was working or otherwise. I've occasionally found opportunities to play around with Linux, but I hadn't had the chance to start moving things over in my household until now.
My eldest son has come to live with me, and he'll need to have a computer to use to do his schoolwork. The only computers that are working in the house now are my and my wife's laptops, so we ordered a new, inexpensive computer for my son to use. Having a choice about which operating system would be installed on it, I decided now was the time to start moving the family over to software that costs less, is more secure, and which makes a positive statement about the power of people coming together to create and share powerful tools. I ordered a computer that comes with Ubuntu Linux, a type of Linux that is well supported and easy to use.
So how is it so far? Well, the computer just arrived and after plugging it in and turning it on I'm using it to write these words. I've been checking out the most important web sites to make sure there aren't any unpleasant surprises, but it works fine with both the eLearners.com site and A.T. Still University's online classroom system. One of the things I wanted to know was whether it would be simple enough for the non-technical members of my family to use, and for that I'm calling it a success. My wife and I are both just about ready to replace our aging laptops with new ones, and I think we'll be an all Linux household by the end of the year.
I actually have to disagree with Linus Torvalds, though. There's no need to do everything myself. The computer I bought comes with a year's worth of technical support in case I can't figure something out. With my background I'm pretty sure I'll be fine without it, but it's nice to know it's there. So in a sense, it's more like I'm empowered to laugh in the face of danger after all!
Next up, did I get punk'd by Roxanne Shanté?