The power of modern-day technology amazing isn’t it but what if it is dulling our brainpower? Weakening our memory. Or is it simply helping us to have better memory and more knowledge the conclusion is yours but here is my opinion on the issue.

I got some bad news today via my Twitter stream. One of my fellow Linux users and one of my interviewees, Shawn Powers, lost his house this afternoon to a fire. He and his family got out fine, but lost their family pets in the fire. But this is where you come in, You can help him in two ways. The first is to go over to the Chipin page that was started by the Linux Journal to help his family out. The second is sending hardware. Being a Geek he needs computer parts, both for work and play. This being coordinated by Linux Journal publisher Carlie Fairchild, and please email her at carlie@linuxjournal.com for details and to ask questions. Remember if can only donate a dollar, it will help. And if you are in Indian River, Michigan, you may be able to help him even more, just email Carlie to ask for more info.

My guest post on Pfsense is online over on HiR Information Report. Go over there check out my post and Ax0n’s other post. My post is here

While I was surfing around last week I stumble across this from Wired about one of their writer, Evan Ratliff, having an experiment on how hard/easy it is to vanish in the modern world. I don’t know about you I have never really thought disappearing. I mean change your name, leave you wife/girlfriend, not being able to call your mom (not a big loss for me. I love you, Mom!), and never your friends again disappear.

The article goes through all the steps and travels that Ratliff went through in his own words. There were a few close calls, but he wasn’t caught until the day before he was to reveal himself.  The article is a long one, but is worth the read. I highly encourage you all to read it. And don’t forget to come back and leave your thought below.

Writer Evan Ratliff Tried to Vanish: Here’s What Happened

-Jacob

How long have you used Linux/BSD?

Around 10 years

Why did you switch?

The ability to get into the core of the OS. The control over the OS interested me.

What is your Distro of choice and why?

Gentoo on the Desktop. It feeds my OCD control freak thing. Debian as a server. Stability, ease of installation, preparation.

Whats is the best Distro for a new user?

Ubuntu has a reputation for ease of install and use. And, normally, it just works. I have installed OpenSuse once and have to say that It also just worked.

What your biggest pet peeve of the linux ecosystem (i.e. distros, people, website, etc.)

I just don’t have one. I am pleased. There is an abundance of documentaion, support and people that is simple to find and use at my finger tips. The applications to perform everything that “I” personally need to, are there.

Are you CLI, GUI or a little of both?

CLI for most things. When used properly, it is more efficient than the GUI.

What do you think is lacking the most in Linux?

Proper promotion and advertisement.

Why do you think Hardware manafacter don’t support linux better aplbeit with closed source drivers?

It is probably the Monopoly status of MS and the fact that Linux is not promoted to the pubic.

How do you feel about the Windows vs. Linux bashing? from Window view and from Linux view

Windows or MS as a whole, bashes Linux because to allow the reality of Linux is to allow themselves to loose market share. Windows is bashed by Linux users because Linux users understand that MS releases products that are not ready and then fails to support it in a timely manner. They create unstable insecure products.

Fill in the blank “Linux is _______”

The operating system that will take computing to another level. It all ready does.

Please give us a small bio:

I’m usr_local, I am a Slacker, Linux Aficionado Extrordinair (basically, just a guy who uses Linux and knows some stuff about some stuff. My websites are www.slackstuff.com and www.linuxmisfits.com and you can find on #slackstuff on irc.liquidbabble.com. My Twitter is @usr_local, usr_local on Last.fm, Facebook, FriendFeed, blah, blah, blah. The only places that I don’t own my nick are the sites that don’t allow the underscore in user-names. If you can’t find usr_local, then I have probably been forced to go by usrlocal so, try that.

This week I had a a severe case of bit-rot. So I decided to install Ubuntu 9.10, and give Microsoft the universal hand signal. Well the install went fine, until I try to setup my now essential, dual monitor set up. It involved a little more trouble shooting and a few command line tools. Well my dual monitors still aren’t together but thats b/c of lack of time. But In the process of asking for help from my Twitter followers, Usr_local told about a mostly Linux IRC channel that had some people that may help. Sure enough I hopped in and there was all kind of people chatting away w/ different degrees of knowledge a experience and knowledge. If  you ever have problem with Linux drop by irc.liquidbabble.com#slackstuff, they have probably seen it before. If you drop by tell me. My handle is “biosshadow” so any like that is probably me.

Don’t forget to comment

-Jacob

I have decided to try to blog regularly again. To do this I stopped all my side projects. With that in mind I will hopfully have more time and “want-to” to write here.

-Jacob

I got an invite the Thinkgeek.com Website Redesign Beta, and I planned on show you all of its shininess. But I, in the course of due diligence, was asked to put it off for a little while, so on Saturday I will release a post will screengrabs and the works, whats new, old, better, different, or worse (nothing yet!!).

-Jacob

I found a new plug-in for Wordpress called Twitter Tools Thanks to Kevin Riggins.