[seul-edu] linuxastronomy...

["pixonet" <pixonet@pacoimaweb.org>]

Hello everybody,

Subject described:
-------------------
- A little bit of history...
- Regarding linuxastronomy...
- Regarding time for project completion...
- Regarding material cost...
- Regarding possible contract work...
- Regarding volunteers...


Thank you for your interest in our little project.
I did not expected to receive any messages, it shows our site is far to be
perfect, but also, some people are interested enough to mail me some
corrections, asking questions, proposing suggestions.
It is like a reward.

I received several messages and comments from this mailing list, with
similar subjects.
I will do a quick reply and introduction.
I will reply separately to each of you with the more personal questions.


A little bit of history...
----------------------------
A few have asked me if I was, or if I did such and such...
It is correct, I was part of a team of two person that started the U.S.
operation for a linux distribution.
I met several of "Seul" members at trade shows, such as Linux World Expo.
Meanwhile, I am out of it, for about a year.

Earlier, with two other person we managed a project to be called "Linux
Demo Day", the event became world wide, it happened around September 1999.
Hundreds of people helped, several of them / you, are on "seul" mailing
list today.

Earlier, it was a participation in "Netday 96" (concisted in wiring a
school of our choice) , which ended up to be a failure, in my case.
It was great, I learned a lot from the experience, example, never neglet
the school political system...
At that time, the school we selected, were simply scared of this "new"
things called "internet". When asked they seemed very happy and let us
come to check the walls, attics, to get better organized.
A phone call to cancel the event, arrived while I went to the airport to
pick up some friend that flu from Silicon Valley to help on the project,
it was the evening before the event.


Regarding linuxastronomy...
-----------------------------
One remark, this project is not (yet) about "Rocket Science".
The main goal as "Doug Loss" mentioned it, is to have a good time
together, while participating with some teenagers and doing something
useful.

Everybody win. While we are together, the youngers are not in the street,
they learn something that seems fascinating or at least interesting. It
may not be like this every day, but it is more or less the case, for now.
The older ones, are having a good time, they can do something they like,
build a telescope, or some other accessories, or hack some linux
utilities, while taking care of the one in need of attention.

It is correct, probably not every body will be able to understand
everything, neither build everything, it is a team work.
Tipically, programming is not at everybody level, youngs or adults.
It does not matter, a person can work on a program utility while another
person is painting an object.

A goal I have, is to have some of the programming utilities, or web pages
partially done by some younger person.
On the hardware side, it is too early to happen.
For the web pages, we already started.

We started by presenting the cool things, such as the "GIMP" wich is not a
programming tool, meanwhile, it help to awake some interest in them.
QCAD is another good example.

One young person asked me about the "GIMP" and started to use it, with
just a little help to start. Another one was so impressed by some demo I
did with "QCAD" that he will start probably this weekend to make his own
drawing.
If it goes well, we might be able to post some of the making of the
telescope done by this young adult.

I could have selected other applications, I already presented "Open Office
/ Star Office", "mc" (midnight commander) and some others.
I did a selection in function of what we are doing, also, something that
seems "cool" to them and not too difficult to learn.


Regarding time for project completion...
-----------------------------------------
We are all anxious to see the result, meanwhile a few points are to be
considered.
We can not meet every week, we try to at least having somebody working on it.
We do not have all the material needed yet.
We do some "star parties" instead of working on the project, using some of
our telescopes. It is a good way to keep the interest going. Remember it
is about having a good time together and making a difference in a day of
the life  of somebody less lucky.


Regarding material cost...
---------------------------
I do not have a definitive answer to that question.
As we are volunteers, I try to get cheap or free material.
I also try to design using simple components made of material easily
available, such as plywood instead of steal.
I am open to some form of sponsoring, we have in fact already got some help.
I will post a page on them.

http://opensourceschools.org/index.php?topic=books


Regarding possible contract work...
-------------------------------------
This is a very motivating points, they want to be "rich with a lot of money".

One already proposed to do home page, she is actually good and correct my
mistakes.
Another one want to build telescope, because they are expensive, so we can
probably make a lot of moeny...

Another comment I got, make telescopes that we can sells to the NASA, so
perhaps, we can go on the moon with them, or at least on a space trip in
the space shuttle...

On a more realistic level, we are open to any possibilities or collaboration.


Regarding volunteers...
--------------------------
They are the best asset of the project (I hope it is good english).
Just to present some incredible help I got, was "Starwing" (California)
and "Larry" (college in Arizona), that proposed their help to correct my
"broken english".
They did an incredible work, and are never tired of me changing the page
content regularely.

I think I answered most of the most populars requests.
I am open to other questions, as long as you let me the time to reply.

Thank you for your support.

      Eugene