College-level Linux

For those of you that didn't know, I'm back in school. I'm only going part-time which works well with my work schedule. This summer I've been taking Fundamentals of Public Speaking. It's a fun class, and I've been doing well in it. I'm currently working on my second speech of two (gotta love summer classes). Both have been about technological subjects, so I thought I'd share them with you. The following is the first installment. Also, if any of you would like the sources for this speech, let me know and I'll be happy to email them to you.

An Education in Linux -- Formal Outline
Vital Issue Informative Speech
Joshua Bartholomew

Introduction:
Attention Getter: In five years, if you were to walk into a classroom in Hillsboro, ND, what would you see? You would probably expect to see desks, a chalk board, and visual teaching aids hanging from the walls. But what would you think if you saw a computer at every desk? No, this isn't a dream; it's a vision. As we speak, this vision is being realized across the globe, in countries such as Spain and India. This is possible because these countries are using Linux.

Thesis Statement: The use of Linux distributions, like Ubuntu, in personal computing is allowing inexpensive and localized access to students from all backgrounds.

Listener Relevance: The great thing about Linux is that it's free for anyone, including you. I'm sure by now that you're curious as to how I am aware of Linux and its benefits.

Speaker Credibility: For the past two and a half years, I have been a network infrastructure technician with the North Dakota Air National Guard. Among my coworkers, I am unofficially considered one of the subject matter experts specializing in Linux due to my extensive use of it at home.

Preview: By the time I'm finished speaking today, I hope to have conveyed to you a basic understanding of Linux, how Linux can be a beneficial tool for your education, both now and in the future, and how Linux is positively affecting education and industry in third-world developing countries and rural communities.

Transition: Now that we are familiar with the important issues surrounding Linux, let's take a closer look at it. First, I'd like to discuss what Linux is.

Body:
First Main Point: Linux is a general term for a number of free operating systems.

First Sub-Point: According to the 2005 edition of The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, some examples of operating systems are, "Microsoft® Windows® or Apple® Computer's OS." Linux is a term for a variety of operating systems that all share the same basic architectural build. Many also have graphic interfaces that are similar to those of Window® and OS X. To better illustrate this, I have Ubuntu, one example of a Linux distribution, running on the computer here. (Demonstrate similarities between Windows and Ubuntu) As you can see, Ubuntu looks and functions much like any other major operating system on the market today.

Second Sub-Point: As I said earlier, it's also free. Canonical, Ltd. is the company responsible for the creation and maintenance of Ubuntu Linux. On their website, which I accessed on the 28th of May, 2009, they claim their mission is to provide widely available software with quality technical support. While Canonical is only one example, there are many other companies and non-profit organizations that share a similar mission.

Transition: We now understand what Linux is and why it is free. For my second point, let's take a look at how Linux could affect your lives as college students in the U.S.

Second Main Point: Linux will start to have effects on the U.S. education system and the workplace, in terms of globalization and monetary cost.

First Sub-Point: In a September 21, 2006 BusinessWeek Article, Nandini Lakshman writes about the Indian state of Kerala, which was in the process of switching all of its computers to a Linux operating system. She says, "That means each of the state's 1.5 million high school students will grow accustomed to working not in... Windows..., but in Linux." This switch is happening in schools across India. As I'll establish in a few moments, this is not an isolated case. Many governments are starting to implement similar programs, which, in the near future, could cause hiccups in our current trade and telecommunication practices. In ten years, the average U.S. employee could be required to have some basic Linux experience to help deal with the lack of Windows® knowledge in other nations.

Second Sub-Point: However, thanks to a proliferation of inexpensive computers preloaded with Linux operating systems, experience with Linux should not be hard to come by. In fact, they will also make it possible for users like you to replace to your system every few years, allowing you to keep up with current advancements in technology. According to Erica Ogg in her CNET® News article published on January 24, 2008, Wal-mart has been having great success selling the Everex gPC. This computer runs a version of Ubuntu 7.10 and sells at Wal-Mart for $198. To give you a true sense of the affect of Linux on the overall cost of PCs, I wandered over to the Dell website. (Show price comparison on slide.) On identical computers, there's a $500 difference.

Transition: So now that I've shown you what Linux is and how it could affect your education and future career, let's take a look at how it's affecting education around the world.

Third Main Point: Linux is positively affecting education in third-world and developing countries.

First Sub-Point: Schools are implementing changeovers to Linux to increase technological literacy in low-income regions. In an article published on Nov. 3, 2002 in the Washington Post, Ariana Cha describes a region of Spain known as Extremadura, whose government has developed its own distribution of Linux. She states that the software has been distributed to schools and communities around the region, and that, "Organizers regard the drive as a low-cost way to bring technology to the masses in the impoverished region."

Second Sub-Point: Schools are also implementing changeovers to Linux to avoid prosecution for using pirated versions of Windows. The BBC News website, edited by Steve Herrmann, published an article on October 9, 2007 quoting the Director General of the Company ALTLinux, Alexey Smirnov, as saying "'that schools formerly tended to run illegal copies of Microsoft operating systems, but..." recently "...schools began to be prosecuted for doing so." Alexey also said that, "...so much software was being used, [buying licences] proved too expensive... so the decision was taken to use free software."

Conclusion:
Thesis Restatement: The use of Linux distributions, like Ubuntu, in personal computing is allowing inexpensive and localized access to students from all backgrounds.

Main Point Summery: Today, I've talked to you about what Linux is, how Linux is making computers very affordable among U.S. college students, and how it's use on school computers in third-world developing countries and rural communities is helping to expand their technology industries.

Clincher: Give a man fish; feed him for a day. Teach a man to use Linux; educate his country for a lifetime.

There's A Lesson Here, Okay?

If you've never worked a night shift in your life, it can get rather dull. It turns out that, during the week, most of Fargo sleeps between the hours of 12 to 6 AM. If you didn't know already, I work weekend nights, which means I'm one of those rare people that's actually awake at 2AM on Tuesdays. In fact, that's about the halfway point of my "weekend." Because of this unusual schedule, and the subsequent lack of fellow mortals to interact with, I have to be a bit creative when trying to find things to do.

I'm not one that likes to hang out with the vampires, so I'm generally on my computer or watching TV. However, late night TV is similar to banging your head against a wall at best, so I record my shows on my DVR. One of my favorite shows is on Food Network, around 7PM Central. It's called Good Eats, and it's hosted by Alton Brown(AB). I'm sure some of you might recognize that name as the host of Iron Chef: America, and indeed he is. But to limit your exposure to AB to just Iron Chef is, well... Like smelling a pizza. Sure you get the aroma of the cheese and herbs, but you don't get to experience the full depth of texture, or the contrast of flavors from the sauce and the crust. Let me show you what you are missing.

My dad once described AB as the Bill Nye of food. While Good Eats is a cooking show, it's unlike any other cooking show I've seen. Ever heard of capsaicin, the molecule that makes peppers hot, refered to as lock pick? No? Well, then you'll need to watch Chile's Angels, the episode about chile peppers. AB brings a lot to his show. He starts with a food or type of produce, talks about the origins and ancient use of the food, and describes how to find quality products to make the recipes he highlights. He also discusses kitchen equipment, and trys to find "multitaskers," items that can be used for more than one thing. He brings in diagrams and models to help explain the scientific principles he's going over. And all the while he does it with a lot of humor.

So, I hope I've inspired to look beyond the television as a means of just entertainment, and to use it to it's full culinary potential. So what if AB is a geeky, or his show is like a science fair for food. At the end of the day, somewhere between your empty plate, your delighted tongue, and your full stomach, you'll know that Alton and I helped you get your hands on some seriously good eats. See you next time.

You Say His Blogger's Facebook Twittered Myspace?

Social Networking. Off the top of my head I can't think of two words that cause as much disdain and as much guilty pleasure as those two. Studies have come out that Facebook users have lower GPAs. Politicians have been slammed for Twittering during the State of the Union address rather than paying attention to the President. So, you'd think that any person with an ounce of productivity in his blood would quickly turn the other way when confronted by the vast array of status updating tools, right? Wrong.

Let's take me for instance. (Did you really think I would talk about someone else in my blog?) I used to love getting on Facebook to waste time between classes when I should have been doing homework. But times have changed, and now I'm all about being productive. That's where social networking comes in. How? By forgetting the social aspect of it, and focusing on the networking part. Part of being productive is knowing who to talk to when you need help on a subject. Thanks to Facebook, I have a vast array of experts in various fields at my fingertips. Another aspect of being productive is comprehending the values of people you would like to emulate or make a good impression on. I follow the Twitter feeds of Curt (our office's networking genious), Leo Laporte (a tech journalist who always seems to be on top of the newest technology), and Fr. Roderick (a priest from the Netherlands who manages 4-5 parishes and serves as CEO of SQPN, a multi-national podcasting cooperation with dozens of shows). By following these people, I start to discover how they are able to complete the things they have to do, and still make time for the things that are important to them. I also learn more about their sources of inspiration and where they go to keep up with the news. Lifehacker had an article about how following your boss' Twitter feed can help your career. The last aspect of productivity is conveying your own values. I am a huge advocate for the smart use of time, and right now I'm conveying that to you. But, even better, by integrating Facebook and Blogger, I'm able to write my thoughts once and reach people that might only use one or the other. Facebook and twitter have the ability to update each other as well, keeping my friends abreast of what I'm doing on the go.

So, the moral of this story? Stop wasting time on social networking sites with silly apps and useless stalking. Use these sites to your advantage. And when you can, integrate them together for power networking. You'll find the pleasure still intact, but without the guilt. You'll thank yourself, your friends and family will thank you, and I'll thank you. Unless I'm working on something more pressing.

Running with Priests.

Springtime is finally upon us here in the far north. I took the opportunity this morning to go for a run out in the fresh air. Not only did I need the air and exercise after being cooped up all winter in my apartment, but the Air Force PT test is coming up in as little as next month. I'm still trying to figure out what is going on inside the heads of the people that organize this thing.

Anyway, that wasn't what I wanted to write about. While I was on my run, I was listening to a podcast, Healthy Catholic - Episode 1. It stuck me about halfway, right before I turned around, as to what an accomplishment it was to be listening to that. Obviously we've had transmitted voice for decades, and some type of widespread portable recorded technology since the 1970s. But, there I was, listening to a Catholic priest from the Netherlands in Europe on a device that was no bigger than two of my fingers. Fascinating.