Re: [seul-edu] Call for help

[Dennis Daniels <ddaniels@magic.fr>]

Hello
I've just recently joined the mailing list. Here in SD there is the 
Kernel Panic LUG. There is also San Diego PhP. The two have bounced 
ideas about doing install fests getting linux and php boxes running... 
recently, over at ebzb.com ( a php *nuke group for educators) there's 
been a bit of talk on the future of education/ php and linux.  This 
seems a great opportunity for a bit of cross pollination via RSS to 
share reviews of software and links as well as sharing strategies for 
integrating linux (and php/ CMS systems) in schools.
I'm personally found of some of the CMS functionalities of posting 
reviews and stories. These could be reviewed and approved remotely by an 
individual or groups who wish to share the responsibility of verifying 
content and quality...it might be a way of sharing the  workload...
cheers
Dennis

> Jeff Knox wrote:
> 
>> Out of the woodwork I come. The company I work for (consolidated
>> freightways) is going out of business, so I should be finding my
>> self with some time in the near future to help with things. I feel
>> bad that the only time I really find to devote to working on seul
>> and litc is when I find my self out of a job.
>>         I am going to really start working on the whole LUG support
>> material project that we talked about so many LinuxWorld's ago. I
>> want to get a material package going for schools as well, with some
>> cds, instructions, some articles, etc. The problem in the past with
>> that has been getting a sponsor to front a bunch of linux cds and
>> other related material cost. cough cough redhat fork over some bucks
>> cough cough.
>>         I also want to get going on the volunteer database that I
>> have failed to start so many times. Im going to need some way to
>> find all people within a certain mile range of a zipcode, so
>> basically a zip to zip distance matrix, anyone know where I can get
>> that. The rest will be simple php and mysql stuff. I want to
>> integrate it with a list of LUGs, so it returns LUGs and Individuals
>> when a school puts in a query for help. It would be nice if
>> companies like LinuxCare would offer perhaps some free help, or
>> seriously reduced help for emergency situations where a lug member
>> could not be reached.
>>         I have proposed this in the past, but I think we should
>> maintain a weblog of Linux in Education events, instead of a
>> singularly maintained weekly report. This would allow mulitple
>> people to maintain it, and it would be fresh, updated as often as
>> their is news. I already created one, but I never had anyone
>> volunteer to help post. I have it setup using Blogger.com, using my
>> hosting services. It could always move to seul.org though. See
>> http://www.thestuph.com/litc/blog/ for an example of what im talking
>> about.
>>         I will help out with what I can (I can handle Phorum, at
>> least set it up). When i get these various applications built, I
>> could help on any other development (web or otherwise) projects. I
>> know how you feel doug, Its hard to balance working full time, with
>> running an organization like Seul. Throw in having personal and
>> family obligations, it takes a great person to keep it all up. I
>> appreciate all the hard work you do, as I am sure most people on
>> this list do. Your constribution has made a big impact , I can
>> assure you that. Now relax a bit..
>>
>> Jeff Knox
>> Linux In The Classroom
>>
>>
>>
>> On Wed, 25 Sep 2002, Doug Loss wrote:
>>
>>
>>> Folks, I need your help.  I've been managing SEUL/edu for almost
>>> four years now.  Lately I've been noticing some signs of incipient
>>
>>
>>
>>> "burnout" in myself (for you non-native English speakers,
>>
>>
>> "burnout"
>>
>>> means a feeling of being overwhelmed and in need of a change).
>>
>>
>> You
>>
>>> may have noticed that for the past few weeks I've made little
>>> contribution beyond the minimum needed to keep the site running.
>>> I'd like to forestall my burnout and at the same time reduce the
>>> likelihood that such burnout (if it were to happen) would
>>
>>
>> seriously
>>
>>> affect SEUL/edu.
>>>
>>> I think the best way to do that would be to hand off some of the
>>> responsibilities I've taken on myself for SEUL/edu.  I've already
>>> done a bit of that, with Les Richardson maintaining the databases
>>
>>
>> we
>>
>>> use for the Application Index and case studies, and Karl Peņa
>>> maintaining the case studies themselves.  But there are still a
>>> number of things I'm doing that I think it would be best to share
>>> around.  I'll list them below:
>>>
>>> * Check Freshmeat, LinuxApps, and other sites (as they occur to
>>
>>
>> me)
>>
>>> every day for newly announced educational applications and add
>>
>>
>> those
>>
>>> apps to our Application Index
>>>
>>> * Maintain this mailing list, forwarding appropriate messages to
>>
>>
>> it
>>
>>> that come in from non-subscribers and adding and removing
>>
>>
>> addresses
>>
>>> to keep the list up to date
>>>
>>> * Write the Linux in education report every other Monday
>>>
>>> * Work to get the ISO project off the ground
>>>
>>> Those four are the major things.  I'd like to have some volunteers
>>
>>
>>
>>> to take responsibility for some of these.  The first one, checking
>>
>>
>>
>>> for new apps and adding them to the Index, could be done by more
>>> than one person; it's important that it gets done every day
>>
>>
>> though,
>>
>>> I think.  The second one is a one-person job, but not really all
>>> that tedious if it's the only mailing list you're adminning.  I
>>> don't mind doing the third one, but it wouldn't hurt to have
>>
>>
>> others
>>
>>> willing to fill in when I occasionally am overwhelmed at work.  Up
>>
>>
>>
>>> until now Karl has done so when I'm on vacation, but otherwise
>>
>>
>> I've
>>
>>> written them all myself.  The fourth one is where I'd like to put
>>
>>
>> my
>>
>>> own major effort.
>>>
>>> In addition to these tasks there are some that aren't currently
>>> getting done that really need doing.  Our App Index has a number
>>
>>
>> of
>>
>>> records that are incomplete (lacking author's names and email
>>> addresses, for example) or out of date (bad URLs, etc.).  Les can
>>> generate reports of which records need updating, but we need help
>>
>>
>> in
>>
>>> making those updates.
>>>
>>> Our case studies submission form has a field where we ask if the
>>> submitter would like assistance.  I don't think _anyone_ has said
>>> "No" to that question, but we have never done anything with that
>>> information.  We need to come up with some idea and personnel
>>> committment to do something about that.
>>>
>>> We made long-term plans a while ago to create LUG support
>>
>>
>> materials
>>
>>> to help LUGs in working with schools.  That would be a nice
>>
>>
>> project
>>
>>> to get started, but I know I won't have the time or energy to lead
>>
>>
>>
>>> it.
>>>
>>> I'd like to get FUDForum or Phorum installed on a SEUL server so
>>> both SEUL/edu and Schoolforge could use it.  That would give us a
>>> web forum interface to these discussions in addition to this
>>
>>
>> mailing
>>
>>> list.  Again, that's something I don't have the time to install or
>>
>>
>>
>>> maintain.
>>>
>>> There you have it.  I'll be happy to give details on what I do for
>>
>>
>>
>>> those things I'm already doing to anyone interested it taking some
>>
>>
>>
>>> of them on.  I think it's important that we spread the
>>> responsibilities around so that if any one of us has to bow out
>>> temporarily or permanently the work will continue.  Let me hear
>>
>>
>> from
>>
>>> you!
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> How valuable is my contribution?
>>> Share your feedback at Affero:
>>> http://svcs.affero.net/rm.php?r=drloss
>>>
>>> Doug Loss                 All I want is a warm bed
>>> Data Network Coordinator  and a kind word and
>>> Bloomsburg University     unlimited power.
>>> dloss@bloomu.edu                Ashleigh Brilliant
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
> 
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