It came to my attention that there’s a video-game maker (don’t ask me which) using Henry V’s “St. Crispin’s Day” speech in their ads, which started me to think on this warm evening in Felton about those few, those happy few, those band of brothers and sisters who have gotten this project started. How only a handful of us at the start — you all know who you are — saw the vision and found the obligation to show others they are entitled to share the digital knowledge and digital freedoms we already enjoy. I salute you for realizing that GNU/Linux and FOSS are not “exclusive clubs” for discriminating members, but a fundamental digital freedom and right for all to share.
What’s more, I am proud and grateful to stand with you all, without exception.
This story shall the good man teach his son.
As we count down to the first of our events 11 days from today, there are some folks locally who have come on board through word-of-mouth — these are the Cabrillo College GNU/Linux User Group brigade — and as a result of the news article yesterday — the “gurus” and “greybeards” that will be here at square one doing the hand-holding when the new folks take up what we already know.
Those willing to pitch in on this project have ignored national boundaries (which lends this project to be called by another name — GNU/Linux Without Borders — but I digress, and will return to this later). Lately, Cillian de Roiste has put together a great looking Web presence for Lindependence, while being eight hours ahead of me in London (a Web presence, incidentally, that was orchestrated by Stephen Rufle in Phoenix). The same comes from help by another Ken — Ken Fallon — who is also in Europe. From Down Under, where it’s now winter in Australia, Tracy Anne has been a huge help, especially with the Mandriva camp. Then there’s Ercole Carpanetto in Italy, who I’ll mention later.
All of you who have taken up the cause to promote this project electronically and in other media deserve mention as well: Amenditman, who has been tireless and often gets to forums and news outlets before I do; a pair of Thomases — not of the doubting variety — who have written reams on this project. Christian Einfeldt, who has been attending to some of the nuts-and-bolts things like calendars while being behind the camera, has been solid in his advice to keep the Lindependence sailing straight. Rolf Pedersen, too, of Oakland, who realized that he didn’t need to ask permission to promote his distro of choice, Mandriva, and took it upon himself to represent the distro.
From the newest volunteers asking what he or she can do to those of you who have been there from the start, there is no way I can humanly express my depth of gratitude. And forgive me if I don’t mention all of you by name here — I’ll get to it before it’s over — and bear with me, as today started at 5 a.m., and 14 hours later, a half-century of mileage on this brain is showing its wear and tear (and, no, more coffee won’t help at this point).
Know that your efforts are bearing fruit, and Felton — like Lexington and Concord — is only the start of this revolution. This revolution is something that is not staying within our North American borders: Ercole Carpanetto, who translated the Declaration of Lindependence into Italian on his blog a few months ago, is emulating this project in his town near Torino, Italy.
We are on the move.
And gentlemen in England, now abed, shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here, and hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks that fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.
73 as the sun sets over the ridge into the Pacific (but it was a lot hotter today).
