Yesterday, August 16th, was the 15-year anniversary of the first release of the Debian Linux distribution. This makes Debian, along with Slackware, one of the oldest Linux distros still being actively developed. The name Debian is a portmanteau of project-founder Ian Murdock’s name with his then-girlfriend’s (now ex-wife’s) name, Debra. The lesson: don’t use girlfriends’ […]
Entries from August 17th, 2008
When humor doesn’t translate
August 17th, 2008 · 1 Comment · Netherlands, Travel
For reasons that are beyond me, the Dutch find this comedy sketch absolutely hysterical. I mean, it’s sort of funny, I guess. I’ve seen this comedian Dunham before, and I even have friends who really enjoy his act. Humor is naturally a subjective thing, and far be it from me to criticize your taste in […]
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Rain, rain go away
August 18th, 2008 · 2 Comments · Netherlands, Photos, Travel
Blah, it’s cold and rainy right now and looks as if it will remain that way for some time at least. I didn’t feel like riding my bike 6 km (from the place where I was staying to the city center) in the rain with a huge backpack on, so I took the bus into […]
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Flat tire and the Van Gogh museum
August 20th, 2008 · No Comments · Bikes, Netherlands, Photos, Travel
Well, I’m discovering that just like beater cars, old junker bikes have lots of things randomly go wrong with them. I was biking into town yesterday when I heard a distinctive pop-hiss as my rear tire went flat, so I walked it to the closest bike shop I knew. They sold me a new inner […]
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On the meaning of the word “hacker”
August 21st, 2008 · 2 Comments · Free software, Hacker culture, Technology
When I tell people I’m traveling around the world studying hackers and free software activism, some of the most common reactions I get are along the lines of, “Isn’t that illegal?”, “Make sure they don’t steal your credit card number,” or “I can’t believe they’d let you meet with them.” Reactions like these betray a […]
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