Bicycles as a metaphor for free software
While riding from Seattle to Bellingham, from my biking community to my GNU/Linux community, I considered just how freeing each transition had been. Historically, biking has been associated with many things including health, happiness, and feminism. What about free software?
During the next 45 minutes, we will explore the free engineering, grassroots innovation, hands-on learning, hidden dangers, bright horizons, and overall rad routes that both free software and bicycles cover mile by mile, together.
This ride through history, including the past, present, and future, will leave both free software and cycling enthusiasts with a deeper understanding of what it is that "sparks joy" within members of each group.
Join me in an exploration of excitement, engineering, and freedom as we take this journey on two-wheeled, self-powered transportation and transformation!
William “Salt” Hale is a kilted globetrottter, a free software advocate, lifelong hacker, and Seattle local who studies technology and society at the University of Washington (UW) Department of Communication, and is the community director at Snowdrift.coop. He attends, organizes, and speaks worldwide at conferences, conventions, events, festivals, and faires, and he speaks on various topics including communication, crowdmatching, Internet technologies, GNU/Linux, music, sci-fi/fantasy, security, and windsports. Salt is very approachable, and will always be found wearing a kilt.