Contributions of the Average Joe
 

I've read several essays on the Open-Source movement and found out something interesting. The Open-Source community actually falls under an anthropalogical classification. The Linux community is a gift society. This means that the resources needed to survive (internet access, CD burners, processing power, etc.) are so abundant that they do not need to be traded. So how we gain prestige is not by riches, because we're all rich, but by what we give freely.

The problem is that a lot of average linux users (like me) don't know how to contribute. The biggest way to contribute is programming and you'll get the most prestige from contributing your programming talent to open-source projects or by starting your own.

But alas, there is hope for the Average Joe. Here are some ideas on what you can give to the Linux Community. It won't earn you the prestige that programming will but a kingdom can't survive without its citizens. If you have any other ideas go ahead and post them.

-Use Linux (you can't contribute if you don't use it)
-Help people figure out problems when they install Linux from you're expirience
-Share Linux with your friends. Chances are there's a windows geek in your neighborhood that wants a new challenge.
-Run Bittorrent (see note at the end)
-Cough up a few bucks to send to your favorite open source project. Heaven knows that a little monetary value can go a long way in world of freely giving.
-Test software, and report the bugs. Who know's, maybe you'll be the one that will find that software destroying bug so they can fix it.
-Try learning to program because programmers are the most highly revered.

Note on Bittorrent

What is bittorrent you might ask. Well it's a piece of software that sits on your computer and it is used to download software. What makes it unique is how it works. It's a peer2peer technology that makes it so instead of downloading a program from a central source you connect to multiple computers and download it from them. Here's how you can contribute. After you're done downloading your Software, leave your bittorrent client open so others can connect to your computer and download from you.

For more information check out http://bittorrent.com/
The bittorrent client I use is Bittornado

Yep and you can become a contributing member here, too my friend ;) ;) ;) ;)

You can build a piece of equipment that integrates linux as it's OS. Give this to people for birthdays, holidays, whatever, and ensure there is plenty of linux badging to notify the user what's under the hood.

For example, a standalone DVD player. A TiVO (mythTV) box. An MP3 file server. Any fileserver.

Most of these things could easily be built to be completely automated, and do their specific tasks well.

Cool

Great post, I hope you don't mind that I quoted you in my blog.

Other than helping people obtain Linux and helping them in general with computer problems (maybe one needs Knoppix to backup files), the best thing we can do is contribute with money and keep torrents open.

Ah yes, reminds me of a story.

So the other day, my brother was workin on this guys computer. This computer has more spyware than an FBI black van. So they decided to 'blow away' the current setup and reinstall. But, they no longer had XP Pro available, and XP Home was their only choice. Apparently when you try to install Home over Pro, it complains and tells you that a better version already exists. So they were hosed. Bam, in walks MasterC with a Knoppix CD. A simple removal of the hda1 partition, and Bam! Windows freaks, installs Home, and begs for mercy; "Please sir, I can't handle Linux, it's much too powerful for my weak hardware. Afterall, I'm just an old Compaq." I grabbed the computer around the keyboard and said "You'll do what my command prompt tells you to do, and you'll like it!".

:D

Cool

Some more contribution-options:
-Write reviews of OS-products
-Help managing/moderating an OS-related messageboard
-Don't use non-OS software (Voting with your wallet) unlesss *absolutely* nessecary.
-(Related to third point) When buying equipment , that comes by default with non-OS-products installed , demand those are removed and their price deducted , else you take your buissness elswhere.

buy from companies that have good linux support

BURN IN HELL ATI!!!

they make good video cards, but...

Awesome, this is the kind of thing that I love. Great story. thanks MasterC - J.W.

I agree. That was so funny, yet so true. I can't count the number of infected Windows machines I have saved with the triad (Knoppix, Insert, and Fire).

I want to contribute web space as mirrors for good open source projects. I toss a few bucks to good projects when I can, but these days money is pretty tight.

Since this got dug back up I thought I would post an article from newsforge that gives a good list of contributions. Check it out here