Tsikbal: from my perspective

I've been using Ubuntu for over a year now, and it is my favorite OS by far. In one way or another, I've been using open-source software for quite sometime. Yet, until last year I made up my mind to use a Linux distro and get rid of Windows for good. After doing some research, and asking around, I decided to use Ubuntu since it was one of the most user friendly distro out there. So, the first version I used was the 9.10. And since then, I've have no intention what soever to return to using Windows, or to start using the Mac OS. And now with the Unity UI, I enjoy using Ubuntu even more. For me, I find that I like the way it looks and it works for me. I find it easier to get around, so I can do my work with it. I just enjoy it much. Most importantly, it's open-source software. Which is important for me, since the philosophy that come with the open-source software community is the same that I have. I do believe that we all should have the ability to fr...

I feel rather frustrated how many companies, and some individuals, seem to look down to community driven projects. And, for better or for worse, many people seem to buy into idea that if a company isn't behind a given product or service, it can't be trusted or it couldn't be any good. Yet, I don't buy into that. Community driven projects can be as good, or better, as those driven by companies. But, most people don't seem to be willing to give community a chance, because they are afraid that there is no support if or, when, they run into problems. This idea is perpetuated by companies, in order to make weary about moving to community driven project. But, finding support is as easy, and sometimes easier, when compared to company driven projects. It's just a matter of a way to contact the support. As a matter of fact, contacting support on community driven projects is easy. Most often than not, when you reach for help you'll find someone willin...

It's important for society at large to understand that telling others how to spend the money they have earned for their work. After all, we are entitled to spend the money we earn in any way we see fit. The truth is that, since we earn that money with the efforts of our labor its fair that we can use it to reward ourselves. Yes, there are people have more money than most. Yet, this is just life; and life is not fair. There'll always be people that have more, and people that have less. What we should strive for, is a society in which the powerful where the powerful can't step on the people below them. The key for a fair society is that everyone earns the same, or has the same of everything, is one where the individuals have the same rights and access to have their basic need meet. If the individuals living at a society, don't have equal rights it becomes a society that won't be self sustaining. Wealth alone is not enough to make society prosperous,...

After using GNOME 3 for three days, I just couldn't take it any more and came back to using Unity as my user interface on Ubuntu 11.10. Even though I do like GNOME 3 in general terms, I do feel that Unity is better suited to the way I interact with the user interface. I don't only like Unity looks, but also the way it works. When I started using Unity with the release of Ubuntu 11.04, I did come across several bugs. But, at the end there weren't that important and for the most part those bugs have been ironed out. So, I expect that with the release of Ubuntu 12.04 Unity will be fully mature. But, this rises something that I really like about Linux in particular, and the FOSS movement in general. What I like is that there is always a choice. If there is something doesn't work for you, or you just don't like it, you can always choose another distro or app that suits you. Of course one can has the right what one likes or not, yet I don't see the po...

One should always avoid dealing in absolutes. Most things in life are not black or white, but rather a shade of gray. But often than not, is better to judge things relative to the context on which those things occur. What is appropriate on one situation in one place, might not apply to the same situation in another place. There are many factor that makes anything that is done acceptable or not. There is only a really few things that are almost universally accepted. Yet, the vast majority of our actions fall in a gray area. Most often or not, there will be someone that finds what you do objectionable and other that agrees with the way you view it. Instead of lashing out when someone tells you that what you so is not the thing to do, instead of attacking back try to understand where they come from. In many cases, the person who disagrees with your position doesn't have the whole context, or information, on why you act the way you do. Once they understand why you do, ...

Open source is something that I really hold close to my ethics system. The core values of sharing knowledge, ways to do things and builds things, in a free and open way is a way to innovate faster and in an easier way. If all can see how something is done, it makes it easier to people actually knowing how to actually do something from the blueprints themselves. This has the added benefit that people can modify according to the needs of the people who are going to use it. Or, people can make modifications that actually make it better and being open they can share those modifications back to the community so that the benefits as a whole. But, since there are more people actually seeing and using the blueprints there is a greater chance that if there are any defects, those can be addressed a lot earlier than they would if it was Closed sourced. Open source gives all the people who actively participate on each project a sense of ownership. This is a good things, since it g...

Let's keep something clear, I do agree that Apple produces great hardware and software. Most of the products that Apple releases are great in design, and technology. Their products are innovative, and bring new things to the table. Or at least they are a flesh implementation of a technology that's already out there. My problem with Apple is their philosophy. I don't mind that their software is proprietary, though I rather see in being open. And, I don't agree how they managed the hacking of the iPhone. Once I buy a product, I expect to be able to do whatever I want with it, and I don't appreciate a company telling me what I should do with my phone. And I just had to roll my eyes, when many of the features that came from hacking the iOS where later integrated into it. I didn't expect Apple to thank, or acknowledge, those came first from the coders that hacked it. But, why fight so hard to avoid having people to hack your product, just to end up addin...