powers of four

When I first heard about Free Software in 1998 I was mesmerized by it’s potential. Sure, back then the software was complex and some would argue ugly, but underneath the rough edges was a thing of beauty — the opportunity for people to come together to make new things, and anyone with the inclination and energy could take part.

Jono's description really rings home for me. When I first really started hearing about FLOSS, I was 18. I'd been using Linux and Unix for seven years (but only on dial-in BBSes and the like) but I'd never considered using it on my desktop. And then I picked up a copy of SUSE 6.1, installed it, and started looking beneath the surface. I still believe in the principles, but it's hard not to get frustrated with where computing is going. I've tried to use those principles in my research, pushing my code and my data into the open while encouraging my colleagues and collaborators to do so as well. We've been successful so far, but the Grand Experiment (as my current mentor likes to call it) is just beginning. (More on that as it occurs.) In many ways the FLOSS community and the Scientific communities are very similar, but the cross-talk is sadly limited.

To answer the prompt from Jono that I didn't quote above, I'm passionate about Free Software and Open Source software because I want my kids to have the same opportunities and the same encouragements that I did. And because I think it's really guided me, my personal and my professional interactions in many ways, and I want to make sure that spirit of collaboration, of openness, of tinkering and problem solving never dies out.