Slashdot on Phil Shapiro on Slashdot

[Stephen Ronan]

http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/11/05/1620202/phil-shapiro-slashdot-reader-foss-activist-and-library-computer-guy-video

Phil Shapiro: Slashdot Reader, FOSS Activist, and Library Computer Guy (Video)

Posted by Roblimo on Monday November 05, @03:27PM
from the not-all-important-people-are-famous dept.

Phil Shapiro isn't famous, but he's a pretty good writer whose work appears regularly at opensource.com. He makes his living as the tech support person (he calls it "public nerd") at the Takoma Park Maryland Library. He has also -- see the link to his bio page above -- lived in New Delhi, India; Copenhagen, Denmark; Paris, France; and Scarsdale, New York. He got started with Linux as a "social justice" thing; because Linux and FOSS helped make it possible for people of modest means (we used to just call them "poor") to learn about computers and get on the Internet. He's still a big "computer for the masses" advocate and computer rehab volunteer. What's especially interesting about this interview (which is slightly out of sound/visual synch; you may prefer reading the transcript) is the amount of credit Phil gives Slashdot for spurring him on and getting him excited about FOSS. He also sees Slashdot as instrumental in helping start the Maker subculture. Do you agree? If so, should influencing the future of technology be Slashdot's main mission? Also: If so, how do you suggest we do it? And more specifically, do you know any other non-famous Slashdot readers (or people in general) we should talk to because they are doing interesting things?

http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/11/05/1620202/phil-shapiro-slashdot-reader-foss-activist-and-library-computer-guy-video