Spreading Open Source Goodness

January 24th, 2011 Thomasso

Last week I gave a small lecture on the “Power of Open Source” in today’s highly competitive social media craziness at the University of the Fraser valley, where I was invited to speak at a open student workshop. My lecture focused on the rapid development of Open Source, the Open User and GNU Licence agreements, and the free operating systems, explaining as how this is all effecting our social Intranet climate. The overall theme of the workshop was to develop further the knowledge base that students and faculty members could gain by adopting and utilising Open Source systems, such as Ubuntu into their everyday lives. But most importantly, I explained and demonstrated the security benefits that open source OS’s, and software, has over mainstream preparatory licensed systems. You do not like spam and  hackers, then go Open Source!

The presentation was, in my opinion, a huge success. Nearly fifty students and members of the public attended, and the Q&A session was over whelming, lasting nearly forty-five minutes longer than anticipated. I covered lots of ground and I felt at times that I was going too fast for the audience, but I believed that, judging by the reactions, everyone was keeping on track. I should point out too that I offer handouts so that anyone who is listening to my lecture, they can follow along in the handout, and use it for reference material if they so choose.

There were some issues on incorrect data and research information put out there in the workshop by other speakers who lectured, but that was quickly ironed out once the Q&A started. I was able to back one-hundred percent of my claims up by the way.

So here is what I have learned from the last two weeks of giving and attending lectures on open source and social media. An overwhelming majority of academics, mostly in the teaching profession, are lagging badly behind. I had a chance to review some of the core teaching materials that some of the faculty members were using with their students, and was surprised at just how outdated and out of touch some of the material this was from an Open Source perspective. For example, in all of the course materials that I saw, three course outlines on Social Media, from both the University of the Fraser Valley and Kwantlen Polytechnic University, there was no mention of Open Source Operating Systems. It was as if this segment of the Social Media Universe never existed. At first I though perhaps that the corporate influences of Microsoft and Apple were to blame, but that was quickly ruled out as all the teaching instructors told me that they somewhat have free and autonomous say in their teaching material. So the fault lay at their feet, not the intuition’s. So, it appears to boils down to ignorance.

So why not spread the word of Open Source in the classroom. The divide between the students and instructor is huge in this area. Here, the student is already well prepared and accustomed to the Open Source world. Realistically, one could argue that some of the laptops and notebooks that enter the classrooms today are using pirated software, and that the OS is pirated too. Another group, although a minority at this point, is using systems such as Fedora-Core and Ubuntu, Linux based, but for these students I have found that over half have are using dual-boots system comprising as Microsoft as the other choice of OS. So I argue that none of these students will ever want to pay for their software, so finding cracked and pirated software is a fact of everyday life. So, I urge these students to make the jump completely to fully immerse themselves in Open Source, and live a life in the free society.

I had made several arguments as to why we should be urging students into the world of Open Source, and I also point out some of the major stumbling blocks to achieving this. The shortage of skilled people who have a sufficient knowledge base is what I see as the primary problem for getting this message out there in the Universities that teach computer and Intranet related subjects other than Computer Science. The instructor can only teach what they know. Regrettably, the learning curve for Open Source is bumpy and problematic. I have a minor in Computer Science, and with that knowledge base I find myself knee deep in problems of broken software and total changes in maintained programs, almost on a daily bases. I find myself still using command-line as my preferred method of using Linux, but for a person brought up on a Graphic User Interface, GUI, command-lines just do not cut it. Added to this is that the world of Open Source is vast and follows many flavours, so depending on what variant is followed that may not be the best solution to utilizes all the wonders of Open Source with. So teaching it can be a bit of a challenge, but I believe it is very possible to do it in a well structured format, that is, point them to where the answers are—not reinvent the wheel.

I will be writing more on this in the near future. Stay tuned.

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Kweetup: That’s Right!

January 14th, 2011 Thomasso

Today was the Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s very first Twitter seminar. This event was devoted to teaching newbies, and advance users, the art of using Tweeter, and why and how it should be used among learning institutions. If you are wondering, “Kweetup” was the hashtag (# hash mark) used to track the tweets before, during and after the event.

If you are interested, go here to see the trending tweets for Canada: Trending Canada. At this time #Kweetup was trending at the top of the list as a emerging trend. Not bad for just some forty people and a bunch of laptops!

Although I consider myself a medium weight user of Twitter, since March of 2008, I did take with me some really good points that I did not know about previous to my Twitter exposure. I did not know how instantaneous tweeting can be: almost right to the second once the tweet was posted. Also, that so few professionals in education use Tweeter because of various issues and lack of information and exposure. I was happy to see that there is a push to get both instructors and students geared towards tweeting, especially in the classroom.

Yes, tweeting in the classroom! For me I think that this is a great idea because it gives students and instructors a chance to text among themselves, and for the instructor to be brought in closer to answer questions, and gauge the level of the material about the course. It will add another dimension to the classroom that is positive.

Students will do it anyway, so now you are encouraging them to keep the Blackberry and Iphone above the desk instead of hiding them under the desk, as was pointed out in the seminar. Hey, the focus is now fully on the class instead of being a covert action with erroneous texting. By having students responding and asking questions through tweeting, I think, gives a whole new order to the student instructor relationship. Now students are not bound to the confines of a three hour class session to ask questions. Unlike email, students can tweet with a much higher rate of being answered than just an email does. An email does not have the same effect as a Tweet.

Emails are inefficient compared to tweets. We think of email as spam when we send out emails to a large body of people. Twitter, on the other hand, is the opposite because we follow, and the text is short, 140 characters long, which is perfect for just getting the point address without the salutations and excess text that an email has. Micro-blogging, as Twitter is called, means that someone just posts a text message, and you can respond to it whenever you wish, but so does everyone else who is following. And most important, everyone sees it, and it stays there!

I enjoyed the Kweetup very much. I hope the future events will yield more people to show up and participate. These events are good, and it helps spread the world. Kwantlen students are still very hard to find on Twitter. Welcome to the Twitterverse!

ADDED: January 15, 2011

For a really good link that explains the art and concept of Twitter, and Tweeting, have a look at this website: Mom, This is How Twitter Works.  Special thanks to @Hummingbird604 for sharing this.

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Communications Class, Summer 2010

January 10th, 2011 Thomasso

This is an Auto-Post made on December 15, 2010, posted automatically as I prearranged this on January 4th, 2011. You are still welcomed to post comments.

Last summer I took a class in (business) communications that taught us the fine art of, you guest it, communicating, plus networking, and above all else, the art of detecting B.S.. The course identification number was lovingly called CMNS3100. And if you noticed, it is a third year University course offered at Kwantlen Polytechnic  University.

It was a great class, and I did take away from it many valuable tools and wonderful memories. Like all of my classes, before and since, when you spend fourteen weeks with a group of people for one evening a week, you are going to form some attachments, and make some friends. And the other side effect is that you will learn, and learn we did.

Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the course, for me, was learning how to present in less than two minutes. Yes, you read correctly, we were to take an idea, a business proposal, and pitch it in less than two minutes. This meant that all of your most important points and ideas, your strongest arguments, had to be encapsulated within a two minute presentation. And no, you just do not run up to the front of the class and start spewing out gobs of facts and figures! You have an order, a set of rules, in which you had to play by.

Perhaps the most memorable part of the course for me was the group presentations. This is where once all of the students had pitched their ideas, everyone then must decide what group to choose based on what they felt was the best group idea to work with. You could either join a group, or stick with your idea and hope that people joined your group – you have a choice during your initial presentations if you so choose to do so or not. Everyone in the the class tries to match up enough groups to cover at least three people per group. Then the real work begins such as, allocation, research, scheduling, and presenting.

Nothing prepared me for the session on Bull Shit. More or less, this segment of the course was geared to detecting it, spotting it, how it is used in mass media, and how to avoid it. It was not subtle, but right to the point. Simply put, it is all around us. And from what I gathered, most businesses use it. It appears in ads, and tries to lure you into their clutches, yet creating a allure of making you feel special. We were given many examples, some personal, some not so personal.

The course is nothing without the instructor. A special thanks goes to Bob Basil, Ph.D. who made us laugh, work hard and made us better people. He gave us the courage to communicate, to be heard and above all else, how to network. Networking is probably the most critical ongoing exercise that a post graduate will do. Bob made it easy for us, and gave us plenty of directions to go in.

With his permission, I have included the course material, which is extremely useful for anyone who needs pointers on presenting, writing reports, and that all necessary resumé. Please have a look at the collection of links and documents that he has gathered, as they contain a wealth of information. Click Here for the webpage.

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Ode to Another New Year

December 31st, 2010 Thomasso

Sipping on a cup of hot chocolate and snuggled up beside my fake fireplace, I am thinking about how I should wrap up the final moments of this year called 2010. What a year indeed?

“A” is for Apple. “A” is my favourite letter in the whole Letter Grade Alphabet, especially when it is followed by a “+” sign.

Today is the end of a chapter, the day I say farewell to my co-workers, and start my trek towards the next page of the next chapter of my little old life. I chose this day for many reasons, but I wanted to start off 2011 with all of my previous goals in place before I continued onward, like starting off with a fresh new whole look and feel, where I become something totally fresh and new.

Looking forward, I see that I will now need to focus on my career objectives as I enter into the work of bureaucracy. My friends and colleagues are joking that the PhD. Is next for me. They could be right as I become more specialized in my interests. I could very well be logging more classroom time in the distant future?

Most Hated Part of 2010

Surviving two terms of French in 2010 was my biggest accomplishment of the whole year. However, just the anxiety of knowing that I was on the precipice of a fail/pass grade kept me up some nights. That was a whole new level of hell for me, and something that I never wish to experience again.

The Best Part of 2010

Knowing that I have such wonderful friends. I am really blessed with the people around me. I thank you all. I am the richest person alive with the wealth of friends that I have.  I am glad that I can take you all with me into 2011.

Happy New Year!

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It is Official, I have Graduated!

December 24th, 2010 Thomasso

It is a very numbing moment right now for me. Just a couple of minutes ago I looked on-line to check to see if I had all of my marks in; and there it was, my last class, French, and I passed it! I am now moving on, with no more undergraduate classes, ever, everything is completed. I can now say I have graduated!

This is the most significant mark for me.

Now I can move forward. Start planning for the future with my goals intact. I am now recognized among my peers and beyond. I have completed what so many have not, and I now join with those few people who are ahead of me.

Six years ago, 120 credits, 40 courses, 627 days of classes, countless exams and term papers, it has all being worth it.  With battle wounds and shell-shock, I sit before my monitor screen knowing that I have earned every last grade point I have.

The special significance is that this accomplishment stays with me for life, and is a recognized credential throughout North America. When I completed my Associates Degree, it was sweet, but lacked the distinction that the Bachelors of Art has. But, it is the knowledge and friends that I have earned over these last few years that made it all worthwhile.  A question that was asked just a few days ago was, “would I do it again?” Yes, yes I would, I will. The times, people and experiences I have had are priceless–worth more than gold.

When I announced to everyone around me that I had done it, I graduated, there was a silence, a sort of sense of loss rather than what I was feeling: joy, success, and so on. I soon figured out that everyone was preparing for my eventual change, my departure, the moment of metamorphoses, as I bloom from a garden variety weed into a flower in the garden of life. I understand now. Change is sometimes so hard to embrace, but it is inevitable; we cannot stop it, but we can manage it to a certain degree.

Going to add more later on tonight.

PART 2

So, it is still sinking in that I am finished. Just the thought of saying “Graduated” still sound weird for me at this time. I still have a ton paperwork to do before I am official. I mean official, is when I get that piece of paper in my hands, then I can graduated. I still have a that evil thought that I am going to get an email saying that this was all one big mistake and that I will have to give my degree back, …and I would have to redo a bunch of courses? Yeah, that will hunt me until I get the certificate, follow up with the ceremony.

Thomasso, B.A. (heh heh)

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I Got an A In My Soup

December 22nd, 2010 Thomasso

It appears that I’m one more step closer to my goal of graduating. My Political Science prof finally posted the grade for that class. I am very pleased to say that I got a A+ in that class. I was surprised, especially when I poured so much energy into my French class. It’s weird because I have to remember that my Political Science class was only a first year course, so it was graded at a first year level, not when I’m used to, grading at a fourth year level.

I did get some feed back from my French prof. I think I passed the course, but I can’t be sure because the grade has not been officially posted, only what was written on the course website. It is very cryptic the way the overall marks of the assignments are posted and categorized. So I’m only going to say that the probability of me completing everything to graduate with is good, but officially I’m not going to break out the booze (I don’t drink) yet.

The pressure from my peers, and the university, are still crushing my daily routines. Today I had to run off to the post office to send out my applications to see if I can do the honours degree, plus my graduation application, which was a re-submit because the first one needed additional forms attached. Nothing is easy in this world of academia as far as bureaucracy goes. It is a race against the clock to get this off so that I can have my paper work for my future employer all in order. On top of that, I had to send off two emails for my current employer whose now wants more of my time with the seasonal rush. These weren’t your little garden variety emails with one or two lines of text. No, these were the dreaded “how to” emails for the garden variety dummy out in the work place who probably doesn’t know how to read anyway. I don’t know who will get them, but I’m making them very detailed.

It also appears that I will be working through the holidays, as I said before, but that doesn’t bother me being that my time is up with them at the end of the year anyway. Hey, I’ll have plenty of time to rest once that is done.

Most of the my co-workers have said that they’ll miss me. They are all in limbo too as the economy is sitting at rock bottom and jobs are super slow right now. I’ll miss them too, but not as much. I barely got to know most of them because I only encounter them for very short periods of time during the week, maybe once or twice. I know there names, what they do, and some basic general information, but for the most part, they are strangers.

Well, I must go. Time to enjoy winter, in my shorts. This weather is crazy!

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Solstice, Oh Happy Day of the Year

December 21st, 2010 Thomasso

It is finally here, the shortest day, and the longest night of the year, and now the longer days are a coming.

This is going to be a action packed day. Once I’m done with work, I’m off with my friends.

Even though the day looks very miserable, it did show promise this morning when the sky cleared up for a brief moment and allowed the sun to shine. But now as the day progresses, it is probably, more than likely, going to rain, continuously. But that will not dampen our celebrations.

Today is also the last official day of the Fall Semester at Kwnatlen. Yes, there are some who are still writing exams. I feel so sorry for them because the time off starts tomorrow. Most of us were fished our exams two weeks ago, and some, even earlier because of having in class exams. Oh, well, I’m finished, I did my time with it, and I’m not going to rub it in for the next generation of students goring through the bowls of Kwantlen. I wish them good luck and happy times.

Tonight I meet up with some of my old classmates. I am looking forward to that very much. I miss the old gang. We did a lot. We shared a lot. We survived it together. You just don’t throw that kind of friendship out to easily, no matter how far apart our lives will go in our separate carers.

I know, I’m sounding kind of mushy right now. Just a minute…

OK, that’s better.

I’m still waiting on my grades. I thought by today I would have them, but I guess my profs were heavily loaded up with marking. Hopefully by tonight I’ll know where I stand. Fingers crossed. I’m so nervous and excite at the same time!

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Solstice Eve and Lunar Eclipse

December 20th, 2010 Thomasso

Tomorrow will be the Winter Solstice, and added to that event will be a total lunar eclipse to add to the excitement. In the afternoon I will be joining some friends for our annual Solstice gathering, to celebrate the astrological event, and enjoy the festive atmosphere. Last year I met up with about twenty friends from the Surrey campus, and we toasted the event while watching the Sun set that day. We may do that again this year.

The main reason we use the Solstice as the annual date to gather is that it falls right before everyone is getting their time off from work, so it kinda acts like a prelude to meeting friends before you head off to meet with your families. Two years ago we had one crackpot who had to be hauled off by police because he was so drunk. Actually, there were a number of them who thought it was a drinking event. That kind of wreck it, but we continued on.

I’m hoping to meet a lot of friends from my classes this turn around. Now that I graduate, I will not see most of them ever again. So, this will be my last chance to say good bye and farewell to them before the graduation ceremonies and we go our separate ways.

Tonight the Earth’s shadow will block out the Sun for 72 minutes of totality, just after midnight, officially kicking off the Winter Solstice. From start to finish, the Lunar eclipse will last about three hours. One of the problems with living in the Pacific North Coast, and this time of year, is that usually the weather is very bad. Tonight will be no exception as weather warnings and heavy overcast skies are on the weather menu for tonight.

So, I guess tonight is “Solstice Eve.” Enjoy!

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Done

December 15th, 2010 Thomasso

I just submitted very last piece of work for my degree. It is over. No more homework! No more long drives and painfully late nights in classrooms and libraries. Heck, no more endless hours of reading, typing and writing.  Although it is unofficial, I have now gone from undergraduate to graduate as of this point in time. I like saying that because it has been a long haul.

About fifteen minutes ago, I sent off my last paper by email. It was a take-home exam, the worst kind because they are critiqued as if they are a published books for the public market. I spent over ten hours on six double spaced pages of text answering just two little questions from a single source. Every letter of text had to count. You go over your allotted six pages, then it is not marked. You go under, you loose marks because of missing information.

The really weird thing is I am not that excited. Yes I am happy, but I am not throwing a party or buying myself that super dinner with friends, but in fact, I feel nothing special. I was just thinking, “what next?”

In the new year the real work begins. I put my higher education to good use. I start, hopefully, working in my field of expertise then!

But in the mean time, I have to go in for another eye examination. My eyes are getting worse. The glasses that I got six months ago do not work any more, and the headaches are worse too. I am far-sighted, and one eye is worse than the other. Perhaps this is my old age kicking in, but it sure kicked in with a vengeance.

So in the mean time I have about three weeks left with my current employer. They are nice people, but they are going through some pains of stress themselves with the way the economy is going. Running a business today must be sheer-hell!

Well, off to bed.

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Frustrated

December 13th, 2010 Thomasso

I’m frustrated right now with my take-home exam.

What happened was, I started doing the research for the paper when I figured out that I had gathered way too much information for what I needed. I realised that I wasted over five hours of time on it so far. The requirements are, three double spaced pages of text for each question, with a total of two questions for the exam. The total value of the exam from the whole course is thirty percent. So naturally I started gathering what I thought was, or would be, the equivalent of what a paper would be for a value of thirty percent. My premise was based on a third or fourth year paper, not a first year paper.

When I started compiling the date and then structured my arguments, I quickly ran out of room, reaching the three page limit. I tried condensing the information even further, but came to the conclusion that half of my research would need to be taken out to meet the requirements.

Frustrated, I took a time-out, and revisited the syllabus and then realised what error I made. The term “over kill” could literally describe the level of input I initially put into it at this point. Frustration was trying to choose what to keep and what to throw out.

Tomorrow I will spend another couple of hours reworking the data and dumb everything down. Hopefully this will give me enough time Wednesday to proof read the document and have it submitted for midnight Wednesday.

My only incentives right now are the dead-line and the weight of thirty percent of the overall course grade. Getting it finished and polished for presentation will be something that I will regrettably have to do up to the last minute.

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