Geek Speak

I'm well on my way to becoming a Ubuntu (Linux) fan-girl (fan-woman?.)

Dave & I just completed our second successful (2 out of 2!) Ubuntu 9.04 install.

We finally broke down and set up a second bootable drive in Dave's computer and now we're running Windows 7 & Ubuntu along side eachother, which I may say is pretty neat.

Isn't Ubuntu pretty?:













I'm still in the "figuring out how everything works" phase in Ubuntu, but with the experience I gained from using it on my old box, I've learned how to get around in the terminal using commands. It's amazing how I can do pretty much anything I can do on a Windows OS on this system and it's OPEN SOURCE! If I had kids, I'd set them up with Ubuntu on their computers, less risk of virus' which would lead to a decrease in frustion for me as parent.

There are organizations for women involved in Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), which I would love to be involved in at some point (perhaps during a school break.)

My favorite part of installing Ubuntu was when you were done with the installation CD, you were instructed to "Please remove the disk, close the tray (if any) and press ENTER to continue". I liked that it said "Please" and menioned "if any" in regards to the tray. Politeness and attention to detail, I like that.

Hello world.

Since Alyssa Menneto got all awesome and started to blog about her semester in London (which will most likely be more interesting than my situation- since she's livin' it up going clubbin' over there at Tiger Tiger) I decided that I needed to use my blog account.

I just started attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) as a grad student working on my Masters of Science in Human-Computer Interaction. Up until about two years ago I never imagined I'd be studying anything of like that, but I must say I am happy I found the program and happy RPI wanted me too. The program feels like a natural place to pick up where I left off as an undergrad (a comm major who was very heavy into visual communication, graphics, photography, and other technology.) So far, it seems to involve a variety of topics I am very interested in. I'll be sure to share my work & details about this adventure as they unfold.

I've always been a fan of technology- up until a few years ago I was somewhat intimidated by it, thinking I wasn't savvy or smart enough to harness (help create) it. I was always a user, but now I am happy to be getting deeper into the world of helping to make it.

I just completed another Adobe Dreamweaver tutorial, I am really digging the program. It's great that I can take what I have learned in the past about HTML and use the program to expand my horizons in the page building world. I would like to learn a little more about other programming languages, like Java. I read a little bit about Ruby and Ruby on Rails too. (I'm open to any advice anyone might have too!)

In my Theory & Research class last week, we were asked to reminisce about a favorite childhood memory of technology. I spoke of the times my brother and I would slither over to the neighbor's house to play their Sega Genesis, in particular the game Altered Beast. Lately I'm not really into gaming, but there's something about 1990's era video games that just put a grin on my face.

I especially liked this Satan-thing that repeatedly threw his face at you.

I'm also getting married next year, to a great man named Dave Levis. I'll also have to share details about that adventure too. I just busted him looking at centerpieces @ theknot.com.
It was very sweet. I'm lucky that he cares about the wedding.