Free, Libre, and Open Source Software Stories
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Carlos Parra Zaldivar, 1961 – 2022 - The Document Foundation Blog
Sad news from the Hispanic LibreOffice community. Carlos Parra Zaldivar, a long-time collaborator in the community, member of The Document Foundation and advocate for Free Software, passed away on November 20th.
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Beyond Programming: D&D, Open Source and Gaming
Long before there was open-source software, there was Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). And, I was there from almost the beginning. I started playing D&D in 1975. Years later, open source came along and changed the world. While we think mostly of how it's transformed software development, it also changed gaming. Or, to be more exact, it did.
In 2000, the prominent gaming company Wizards of the Coast, publishers of D&D and Magic: The Gathering, released the Open Gaming License (OGL) 1.0a. This license, which was spearheaded by Ryan Dancey, gave game designers and publishers the right to use some processes and materials found in D&D 3rd edition.
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Welcome to Open Source Watch
When I was a kid, my dad was a TV repairman. Thanks to that, I grew up with an oscilloscope probe in one hand and a soldering iron in the other. You could say I was raised from the beginning to work on technology. Since then, I've worked as a network manager, developer, and system administrator. Along the way, I found that while I was good at working with technology, I was even better at explaining it to people. So, for the last 30-plus years--yes, I've been at this for a while--I've been a technology and business journalist.
Along the way, I've spent most of my time covering Linux and open-source software. I've been at this since Linus Torvalds was a graduate student, and open source--and free software, for that matter--was a thing. Why? Because I started in the Unix world, where much of the software was what we'd now call free software. And, as I learned more about both, I realized something very simple: They work.
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Community thinking patterns and the role of the introducer-in-chief
I recently studied some research by Dave Logan, Bob King, and Halee Fischer-Wright, who looked at what I call productive and counterproductive communities. Community is an important open organization principle. These researchers define it as a group of 20 to 150 people who know each other enough to say hello on the street and influence or impact each other. They give suggestions on guiding people out of counterproductive communities and relationships and into productive ones through introductions to people who have gone through that process.
Their study suggests many of the same collaboration concepts I talked about in my article on the book Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World. The context between the two studies is very different, but they both come to similar conclusions about the flow of communication (here again, the open organization principle is widely applied).
The researchers believe that cultures determine a common dominant language, topics of conversation, feelings, and behavior. It's what determines the environment you live and work in. You are either energizing or draining people of their energy (consuming their energy and motivation). A group eventually expels those that speak a different language or behave unacceptably.
According to the researchers, the effectiveness of a community is based on five stages of culture:
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ATO’s ‘Open Source Charlotte’ to Hold Inaugural Event January 26
Open Source Charlotte, the newest addition to the All Things Open network, will host its first one-day event on January 26 at 6:30 pm EST, a Meetup that will feature a talk by Charlotte resident Mike Bifulco, who will give a talk titled “Unlocking The Power of Open Source to Launch Your Startup and Career.” The free event will take place at the Dubois Center on the UNC Charlotte Center City campus.
Bifulco most recently worked for Google, where he spent 1 1/2 years as manager and tech lead for the advocacy team behind Google Assistant, and at Stripe, where he was a developer advocate. He also heads Craftwork, a general contracting startup that uses technology to simplify repair and renovation projects for homeowners. In addition, he’s co-founder and co-host of the APIs You Won’t Hate podcast, and is also a host on the Software Engineering Daily podcast.
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Some R Conferences for 2023
Happy January! Below, we share a list of upcoming conferences that either focus on the R programming language or showcase its use in the field. If we have missed your conference, please leave a comment with the details. We will update our list as we receive more information.
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Linux and Open source [Ed: Skipping GNU, skipping Free Software
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What is the Linux command Line?
The Linux command line, also known as the terminal or shell, is a powerful tool for interacting with your computer and managing your files and programs. It allows you to perform various tasks, such as creating and editing files, running programs, and managing your system, all without the need for a graphical user interface (GUI). In this article, we will explore the basics of the Linux command line, including some common commands and their uses, as well as some tips and tricks for working with the terminal.
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Linux Distro
Linux is a powerful and versatile operating system that has been around for decades. It is an open-source platform that is free to use, modify, and distribute. One of the greatest things about Linux is the wide variety of “distributions,” or “distros,” that are available. A distro is simply a version of Linux that has been customized and optimized for different users and purposes.
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Advantage and Disadvantage of Linux
Linux is a popular open-source operating system that is widely used in various industries and fields. The operating system is known for its flexibility, stability, and security, which makes it a great choice for many users. However, like any other operating system, Linux also has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. In this article, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Linux, along with examples and sub-headings.