Linux on wheels

Mavizen's 130 MPH TTX02 Electric Motorcycle Runs on Linux

KDE in the Accessibility Guide

Tonight I was able to get the KDE information into the Accessibility Guide.  While it isn't finished it at least addresses the new pieces of software that are available in KDE (new since the last update of the Accessibility Guide).  I need to get back to GNOME to finish pulling that information into the guide.  GNOME seems to have more information on their tools, compared with KDE, but they also spread it around a lot more meaning I'm having problems finding a lot of it.

Another problem I'm having on both GNOME and KDE web sites.  It is nearly impossible to find the license information.  On the Fedora wiki it clearly shows the license right in the footer but not in the GNOME or KDE sites.  This makes it extremely difficult for us documentation folks to know how we can use what we find.

Anyway, I've updated the temporary hosting page for the Accessibility Guide so the latest and greatest is there.  Please feel free to take a read and file a bug if you find anything that isn't right or could be better.  Mind you this hasn't seen an editor yet...

Amateur Radio in next month's Linux Journal

I just pulled down the December version of Linux Journal a couple of minutes ago.  I made it all the way to page 4 and read that next month's issue would be on Amateur Radio (or at least some portion there of).  I'm excited to see that Amateur Radio and Open Source has been written about together because they do share so many similarities.  Amateur radio operators used to build all their equipment and help mentor each other on developing better communications stations.  Open source software is very similar to that.  While I might not build my transceivers, I do still build many of my antennas which is something I enjoy.  Amateur radio operators, also like OSS developers, are in it to help people and have some fun in the mean time.  Yep, Amateur Radio and OSS... a match made in heaven.

freenode 2009/2010 fundraiser

Just wanted to pass along that freenode is holding their 2009/2010 fund raising. They aren't asking for much and if you use freenode IRC as often as many of us do handing them a small donation is probably worth it (tax deductible in the US).

Docs going to CC-BY-SA

A lot of discussion and work went into the license change of all documentation in Fedora, recently. Since the summer the Docs Project has been talking about the change from Open Publications License (OPL) 1.0 to a Creative Commons license which would allow greater freedoms of our written words downstream. At tonight's meeting we found that all the pieces of the puzzle had come together and we were ready to officially announce the change.

Now all information on the wiki and all documentation created by the Docs Project will fall under the CC-BY-SA license. This is the same license that Wikipedia recently went to and there are others that are making the same move.

I hope that the change will not only provide us with a chance to better our words but to also allow others better theirs.

If you didn't see the announcement, please check it out. I think a press release will be forthcoming.

Accessibility Guide

I'm currently working on updating the Fedora Accessibility Guide. Already got a lot of good information from GNOME and I need to start investigating KDE.

So for users of accessibility tools... what do you use? What would you want to see in the guide? If you would rather not comment on the blog please feel free to email me at sparks (at) fedoraproject.org.

Note: The Accessibility Guide is undergoing a reorganization so you probably won't be looking at the final version until the draft markings are removed.

Back to NC?

Well, it looks as if I might be moving back to North Carolina next summer...