Search Results: "Meike Reichle"

18 August 2008

Meike Reichle: Happy belated birthday Debian!

On August 16th 2008 the Debian Project, joy and burden of my geek life, has turned 15 years of age. Congratulations! There have been celebrations all around the world, and we've also had a little party at our home, complete with nice unhealthy food, red wine and chocolate and strawberries for dessert. For a GNU/Linux distribution 15 years is quite a lot. We're almost the only distribution of such old age (Hi Slackware!) and there've been many, many others that didn't make it half as long. That said I am quite proud of this little project of ours and hope for many happy returns! Artwork by Andre L.R.Ferreira, source: debianart.org (whose lack of thumbnails is still immensely annoying)

1 July 2008

Meike Reichle: What everyone's been waiting for

22 June 2008

Meike Reichle: Open Source Census Part 2

Finally, here's the looong overdue second post on the Open Source Census. Very shortly after my initial post on my experiences with the Open Source Census I got an e-mail from one of their engineers adressing the points I had made in my post. So here are a few additions to my first post:

You don't have to use the giant JRE including implementation, there's also a much leaner Ruby implementation of the scanning tool. Tolimar tested it and found it to be functional but also pretty time consuming.
Load-wise the scanner comes with a --throttle option that makes it pause every n scanned files, so that your system isn't knocked out completely.
Different from what I said there is a --help parameter, but the JRE has to come up first, so it takes some time until it outputs anything.

Tolimar was also contacted by the developer, he explained to him how to exclude individual directories using the Ruby version (not sure if it's also possible in the Java version) and how reports can be submitted anonymously. So, the privacy protection issues can also be taken care of. I was very impressed by the quick and thorough reaction to both Tolimar's and my own post and hope this post will be of some help to the project and get them some more submissions. One last note: Meike is indeed a female name. So no, he won't post a response, but she will ;)

12 June 2008

Meike Reichle: A Debian Love Story ...

First encounter: LinuxTag 2005. Both were staffing the Debian booth. She was a speaker on debian-women, he organised the DebianDay
First feelings unfold: on #debian.de
First I miss you: During DebConf5, he was there, she wasn't
First gift: A Debconf5 shirt and Finnish chocolates
Next reunion and first kiss: At ApacheCon 2005, both were staffing the Debian booth
Preferred secret love notes medium: planet.debian.org
First "public appearance" as a couple: Berlinux 2005, both staffing the Debian booth and giving talks on packaging and user motivation
First relationship-stress-test: Both joining the DebConf6 orga team -- passed!
First anniversary: Exact date retrieved thanks to www.debian.org/events/2005/
Official engagement announcement: Over a planet.debian.org post
First Inter-DD-Marriage: Today in two weeks!

Debian, I owe you!

24 April 2008

Meike Reichle: Open Source Census - kinda fishy

I recently read about the Open Source Census and thought it would be a nice thing to also put my vote in and make sure my operating system of choice was properly represented (currently it doesn't seem to be). After creating an account there, downloading a 45M tgz including among other things a complete java runtime environment, starting the scan tool that takes neither a -h nor a --help parameter and watching it hog 70% CPU for over 20 minutes I lost patience and killed the script. Somehow this whole thing is not exactly inspiring confidence and I start getting an idea why there are currently (Thu Apr 24 12:47:57 CEST 2008) only 53 Debian users who submitted their data. Although it's a pity Debian is (and will probably continue to be) so underrepresented there, I can't say I blame anyone for not taking part.

18 April 2008

Meike Reichle: Thank you!

Yay! A big fat thank you to:

zobel for advocating me

aba for being a great (and thorough) AM

HE for checking my application so fast

DSA, DAM and the Keyring Maintainer for pushing the right buttons and especially for doing so on a friday, so nothing gets in the way of a proper celebration tonight!

Tolimar for moral support

Pia for her invaluable support with T&S2

PS: Independently from recent events my account and also the other 18 where not created by Jörg, but on James' initiative. Just to put things straight.

15 April 2008

Meike Reichle: Blatant Advertising

No news in this post, just a little advertising. I just came across geekspeakr.com and think it's a really great idea. From the site:

Many organisers of technical conferences, meetups, and dinners want to have more gender-balance in their lineups, but they don't know where to find technical women speakers.

Enter geekspeakr.com, a simple directory and connections system to help technical women speakers and event organisers to find each other.

I guess this could also be interesting for a some of my fellow Debian Women.

13 April 2008

Meike Reichle: What a sh***y week!

Last weekend didn't exist due to deadline on Tuesday.
Yet another night shift on Monday due to deadline on Tuesday.
After meeting the deadline on Tuesday came home to find the house in scaffholding and a note from the owner: "We're going to do the whole facade, new insulation, colour etc. The construction works are estimated to take about eight weeks. We kindly take the liberty to point out that 554 BGB forces you to tolerate this. This modernisation is accompanied by a raise in rent of 22 Euros per Month
Thursday: Dentist appointment. Got my first filling ever. Personal Waterloo and also not an experience I whish to repeat. Still hurts a bit.
Saturday: It becomes clear that the DPL elections are going to happen without me, although I had hoped otherwise. Well, at least this is a problem shared.
Sunday: My favourite candidate didn't win. Meh.

And now, off to clean the flat and hope for better luck next week. *sigh*

31 March 2008

Meike Reichle: Yay, I'm through

Since yesterday I am through with my NM procedure. Looking back I get to the same conclusion as probably most NMs have: not overly hard, but time-consuming and glad to have it over with. Anyway, so far so good, just waiting for DAM approval and my account now. There are still a couple of people in front of me but I hope for another processing before the elections close. (I guess it would at least be good for the turnout.) For now, many thanks to my Application Manager Andreas Barth who has been very responsive and always answered my mails quickly and thoroughly, and also to Martin Zobel-Helas for advocating me.

15 March 2008

Daniel Burrows: Why should Europeans get all the cool words?

My sister is studying at a German university. Having talked to her about her experiences there means I can understand blog posts like this one instead of just being confused. For non-Europeans: apparently in some parts of continental Europe video projectors are called beamers. Given how much more succinct and easy on the vocal apparatus beamer is than video projector, not to mention that it's plain cool, I think we should adopt the name here in the States. All in favor: refer to the next video projector you see as a beamer. If enough of us do it they'll call it a movement! UPDATE: the original post confused overhead and video projectors. I always have used the terms interchangably, and apparently incorrectly. I'm not sure why: maybe it's partly because when I was a kid the only projectors I encountered were overheads. Anyway, several readers wrote me to say that beamer is quite specifically a term for a video-projector and not at all a term for the overhead type. My bad. Comment by Meike Reichle on 2007-12-13: Hey Daniel! actually we do call an overhead projector[0] simply an "Overhead" (in the former GDR is used to be called a "Polylux"). A "Beamer" is a video projector[1]. Best wishes from Germany, Meike [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:OHP-sch.JPG [1] http://www.audio-ideas.com/reviews/video/graphics/LG-JT41.jpg Comment by Magnus Therning on 2007-12-13: No, /video projectors/ are called beamers in some places. Search for "beamer" on wikipedia and you'll find "Video projector, a pseudo-anglicism in a number of languages including German and Dutch." An overhead projector is quite a different thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overhead_projector /Magnus (wearing his besserwisser hat)

2 March 2008

Meike Reichle: Chemnitz Linux Days 2008

Seems as if the Chemnitz Linux Days somehow turned out to be the only Linux event I still attend regularly. These days I miss out on most of them, simply because of a total lack of spare time, however, I somehow always make the CLT ... no matter how big the hassle may be! They're just worth it :) My talk went well, even though I actually got a bit pressed on time this year and had to cut the Q&A part. The (German) slides for my talk are as usually on my talks page.

25 January 2008

Meike Reichle: Look Ma I'm on Podcast!

I recently had my first podcast experience, when I was approached by Mario Heide of the German podcast pofacs.de ("Podcast für alternative Computer Systeme") who asked me for an interview. To be true, I first had to read up a bit on podcasts, but after a little research I was very happy to accept his invitation. We did the interview via Sykpe, which wasn't exactly optimal sound-wise but still very nice. We talked mostly about Debian, primarily from a first time user point of view. The (German) interview is online now and will, as I just heard, also be included on the next LinuxUser magazine CD. If you do understand German also have a look at the other podcasts there and thanks again to Mario for giving me the opportunity to brag a bit about Debian.

18 January 2008

Meike Reichle: My current favourite debian package

... and the reason I get nothing done. Please meet cuyo. Fun, addictive, drives you nuts!

31 December 2007

Meike Reichle: Happy new year!

The year is almost over and a lot has happened. I finished my studies and got engaged, (Again, thank you very much for the many, many congratulations and warm wishes!) now, just before the year is really over I decided to finally make another commitment. Now, I guess the first thing I'll turn to will be Tasks and Sp tzle. ;)

30 December 2007

Meike Reichle: Without words ...

Intercultural disclaimer: In Germany it is customary to buy the wedding rings
on the occasion of the engagement and wear them on the left hand until the
actual marriage. Afterwards they are worn on the right hand.

19 November 2007

Meike Reichle: Symptoms

The German language has an expression that is "Zeichen der Zeit". Literally translated this means "Signs of the time", the idea behind that expression is that sometimes there are certains things or events that are symptopmatic for a current development or a general change of times. One of these "Zeichen der Zeit" can currently be observed very nicely in our neighbourhood. In the last half year three shops in our direct vicinity closed down. One was a quite cute 60s cafe that was later rented out to a citizens' action committee, the second was a shop that sold wooden toys, the third was a health food shop. I don't know how long these shops where around, but all of them had lasted for at least a couple years if not longer. Now all three shops are rented out again, two are now temp work agencies, the third is a "consumer bank" that specialises on small consumer credits for things like cars, washing machines or entertainment electronics. Apparently they also cooperate with some mail order firms. Is this really where we want to go?

17 November 2007

Meike Reichle: Back from the bookshop

I am wondering ... when exactly did cookbooks stop being about cooking and start being about cooks?

29 October 2007

Ingo Juergensmann: New Passport

Like Meike Reichle I'm going to order a new passport without fingerprints before this stupid new law becomes reality/active.
What Meike forgot to mention: you maybe need a certificate of birth (Geburtsurkunde) when you order a new passport. When you're ordering the new passport at your birth place, it's likely that you don't need such a certificate, but I moved in the meanwhile to another town and wanted to get a new passport last Thursday and was told from the people at the town hall that I need to have a certificate of birth.

Another interesting point to know: you can order your new passport anywhere in Germany, but when doing so somewhere else than where your main living is (Hauptwohnsitz), the costs will be doubled: instead of 59.- you'll need to pay 2x 59.- = 118.-.

Meike Reichle: Only three days left ...

Citizens of Germany have only three days left if they want to apply for a new travel passport that does not include its owner's fingerprints. From the 1st of November on German citizens who apply for a new travel passport will have to provide their fingerprints so they can be included in the passport's biometric section. Up until now, fingerprinting was a treatement reserved for those user reasonable suspicion of a crime. A new travel passport can be applied for at any time, whether the old one is expired or not. Your new passport will be valid for 10 years if you are 26 or older, otherwise it will be valid for only five years. A new passport costs 59,00 Euro respectively 37,50 Euro for those under 26 years. I for one do not welcome this further erosion of privacy so I got myself a new passport just in time. Guess I'll have to do a lot of travelling in the next 10 years ...

2 August 2007

Meike Reichle: Some more positive things and Dear launchpad.net Part 2

More happy people: following up on my last post on nice free software experiences Chris Ball has responded by posting one of his. Are there any more? Also talking about free software nuisances I remembered my recent grudge with launchpad.net. At that time I was contacted by someone from Canonical shortly after that first post. He said he'd pass my comment on, but in the next days nothing happened so I turned to other things and only occasionally checked back on the site. A few days ago I've again checked back and guess what, the objectionable title has been replaced, both for people using launchpad and for those who don't. The page's title for peple who do not actually use launchpad now reads "X does not use launchpad" and "X in launchpad" for those who do. Much better! Well done launchpad.net!

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