About Me

Using Linux since 1995 (Slackware 3.0), I have a strong interest in open source software and signed the Ubuntu Code of Conduct in July 2007 and am commited to the Ubuntu Project.

I specialise in Human Computer Interaction and am actively involved in design of interfaces better suited to intuitive human use.

I develop software more as a hobby than anything else but am comfortable with Python and Java, although I actually learned to code COBOL and C++ when I was at university, so naturally fall back to C++ for a lot of work. I always enjoyed writing COBOL but "The use of COBOL cripples the mind; its teaching should, therefore, be regarded as a criminal offence." (Dijkstra, 2006).

Currently I’m in the early stages of developing a system to improve the adaptation of wireless networking in Ubuntu. There’s not much movement with this project at the moment as I have a lot on with career courses, university projects and recovery from illness - I think realistically there will be a release around 9.04.

I enjoy web development too - maintaining a blog, a wiki and a number of other projects. I’m comfortable with HTML and CSS, as well as JavaScript and can hack my way around PHP although I must admit that I’ve never taken the time to learn it comprehensively.

Contributions

Documentation Team

I’m a member of the Ubuntu Documentation Team and have been a committing core member since last year. I specialise in Internet and Networks (Desktop, not Server Guide) and the Switching from Windows guide as well as general bugs and requests.

I also assist PhilBull with students in the DocuMentors program.

Internet and Network

I rearranged and rewrote swathes of this section of the system help prior to Feisty Fawn's release including the introduction of a wireless networking trouble-shooting section. This section was updated and revamped again prior to Hardy Heron and has seen a large number of improvements for Intrepid Ibex.

This is a fairly fluid section of documentation and requires a large number of patches between releases to keep up to date with advances and changes.

Switching from Windows

This guide, available on the Live CD, was completely rewritten as topic based help for Feisty Fawn. It is a general guide to Ubuntu and it differences to Windows as well as a guide to installation and dual booting with Windows. Regretfully it lacks the prominence of a desktop shortcut on the Live CD.

Programming

I made significant changes to the Java section prior to Intrepid Ibex, consisting of:

• Introduction
• Description
• Installation
• Hello World example

Should this receive a positive reception I intend to migrate the entire current topic to the same format and increase the range of languages, initially focussing on Java, Python and C.

Artwork

I have completed team logos but am particularly proud of the Documentation Team Logo - which I think encapsulates what we do, simply and cleanly:

• Current Ubuntu Docs logo
• Current Desktop Training logo

Ubuntu Desktop Training

During the first run of this project (prior to Hardy Heron) I was brought in as an XSLT specialist. Utilising my experience in the Documentation team to provide transformations and style sheets to create Student and Lecturer PDF books as well as specifying a dblatex option sheet for the Makefile.

After release, I also met a requirement for those on limited speed connections by introducing transforms and Imagemagick options to significantly reduce the file size of the finished PDF.

I also had some input into the Ubuntu Desktop Course, providing a number of XSLT transformations and assisting in compressing the final materials.

This time around, under a new project manager, I am involving myself more actively with the development of processes and tool chains, answering docbook, and XSLT questions. I am currently developing two tutorials for the team - DocBook and Bazaar.

I have also reviewed, edited and in several sections rewritten, Chapter 9 - Getting Help.

Ubuntu OpenWeek

I took the Contributing to Ubuntu Documentation session on Friday 07-Nov-08 at 21:00 UTC.

Forum Community

I am a member of the Unanswered Posts Team and spend time each day answering those posts which, what ever reason, have not been answered.

Open University Integration

I have started a Launchpad team and am awaiting the Open University's approval to migrate their Windows supplied course software to Ubuntu packages.

Future Goals

I would like to continue to help users making the transition to Ubuntu from other systems and to promote not just switching but also integrating.

As I have more time available I would like to take more active involvement in development work, particularly interface design, QA and improvement. This is something I would like to integrate into research into how people interact with information technology.

I intend to remain committing documentation and to expand the Programming section.

As a student of the Open University, I intend to promote the Launchpad team I started and to develop a team package archive to assist new students to install course software under Ubuntu and to support them through out (Linux is currently unsupported by the university).

To this end, I hope to start a LoCo team for the university, due to its size, distributed nature and common interest many users feel themselves separate to other groups.

Testimonials for Membership Application

Dougie is a long-term contributor to the Ubuntu documentation project and (as is apparent from the description above) is one of the most active contributors both of documentation and discussion on the mailing list. He is well worthy of Ubuntu membership -- -- mdke 2009-02-23 08:09:22

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