My first assignment went well. They called because the mouse wasn't working. Okay not a major issue in and of itself but the real issue wasn't the mouse. It was the collected garbage on the system. Namely spyware, unused but loading applications and what appeared to be a system hi-jack. Cleaned it up, cleaned it out and changed the AV program to a diffrent one at the customers request. Total of 3 hours but they are happy and so am I.

One week later

Monday was a holiday.
Tuesday was meetings
Wendsday was training
Thursday was just for spite
Friday I get my first assignment

That's right boys and girls I get my very first assignment tomorrow morning. Yippee I'm a working man. (Cue the Rush song please.)

So what next for this happy boy. Get the new Girl Friend to come spend some time at my new place once I get moved in and settled. Can't think of a better way to enjoy life myself.

Ducks in order...

When you take on a new job you expect certain things need to be in order for the company and yourself. Well among those things was having to get a checking account. I did that and the actual getting of the checking account was painless its what I had to do to qualify getting my checking account open.

First and foremost you have to have the correct State Identification to open any kind of account. That's a matter of federal law, which I understand. So being in Texas with Washington State Identification wasn't going to cut the mustard. I figured I'll just go get my Texas Drivers's License and be good to go. Well if you own a car with out of state plates (I do) you have to register that car in Texas before you can get a Texas License. Alright, as much sense as that doesn't make to me I just got a Texas State ID. I spent two and half hours at the Texas State Department of Public Safety just waiting for them to take my money, take my picture, print both my thumbs and make me sign my name. Okay done but arghh what an ordeal.

So all ducks in order for my job but I can think of better things to do.

Job Offered, Job Taken

Ah life no matter how much I hate some things about it I will never be bored by it.

2007 is definitely my year so far. VA is raising my compensation, I was offered and I am taking a position as a on call Networking and Systems Tech/Admin/Consultant. Multi titled yes but since the term computer geek is to overly used and broad well. And to really add the topping I have a new Girl Friend who makes me feel like a man. (I maybe high maitenance, but well worth it.)

So let the new year begin (yeah I know but hey....)

New Job Offering

Okay so I applied for a job with Company ABC (Not real name). No biggie I have dealt with these companies before usually the local guy calls you in for a interview. Not ABC, at least not with me. I get an email from the Corporate office from "K" and she arranges a phone interview with me which was done yesterday. Later on today I will have a second phone interview with ABC being conducted by "K" only this one will confrenece in a guy "L" (Seriously these are the First Initials in their names, purely coincedence.)

I am a bit intriqued because last time I had this happen, I ended up at the Ames Research Center in Mt. View, CA surveying the network there for NASA. It was a great gig but costly. I made nearly double what everyone else there doing the same job was making. (For a reason too, and no I will not discuss it.) Yet the cost of everything in that part of CA is insane. It was a great experience and trust me being able to put that on a Resume is a great thing. It definitely gets you noticed, which afterall is what the resume is about.

Already told its a 1099 position (Contract I pay my own taxes, Blech.) Yeah I will be working for myself essentially but, sounds like I will be travelling all over the place. Hmm good thing bad thing contract position, (I prefer contract positions BTW. This is how people should be employed as far as I'm concerned.)

This is a set of dice still rolling on the table, somehow I'm feeling lucky.

Richard M Stallman

Okay before I say anything else I definitely believe in the free exchange of knowledge and ideas. I do not however believe that those ideas should be the only way that technology and software is developed.

I am no fan of Microsoft, matter of fact I no longer will use their products. I run Linux on both my laptop and my desktop computers. Not because I am a Open Source fanatic, but because I find Linux to be a far superior product where it counts. I also don't have to worry about updates that lock me in (and / or down) to some scheme cooked up by MS to control what I see, hear, read and create on my computer.
(Here is my Desktop's desktop)


I am also not a fan of Richard Stallman either. Don't get me wrong he's an extremely intelligent man but he doesn't need to bring politics into the GPL and into Open Source vs. Closed Source debate.

Linus Torvalds has a problem with the upcoming GPL V. 3, so do a lot of other people developing Open Source Software. I'm not saying the GPL didn't need to be updated but to write a GPL with the sole intention of keeping companies like TiVo from using the Linux Kernel as they did, and Digital Rights Management systems as they do is not only ludacris, but dangerous.

Let me explain a couple things about TiVo, I have worked for them, they are good company with a lot of good ideas. They are also a company fighting more lawsuits and potential lawsuits than anyone realizes.

In regards to the TiVo Linux kernel, they made their kernel work exclusively with their hardware. They publish and make available the source code as required under the GPL V. 2 but it won't do you a whole lot of good unless you actually own a TiVo, and know how to hack it. (BTW neither are that hard to do.) The rest of the Software on the TiVo is proprietary and no they don't have to publish it. So the kernel is available and modifiable under the terms of the GPL.

In regards to the DRM software TiVo uses, well they really don't get a whole lot of choice on this matter. Why? Because the content providers aren't giving them any. They either have the DRM installed or TiVo goes bye-bye and buddy they aren't kidding.

Mr. Stallman needs to also realize TiVo doesn't make a dime from the sale of any one of those beautiful DVRs. They are manufactured by outsourced services not TiVo. TiVo gets its money stream from one source. It's subscribers. The service TiVo provides is its real product. Mr. Stallman doesn't like TiVo's Business model because he feels the service should be provided for free. There is however one little problem with that, the cost of running the service must be taken into account as well.

TiVo is a legitimate and legal business model that has to cut a fine line between providing features the customers want and keeping the content providers happy and not suing them. Richard Stallman has no right, or business to place his political objectives in TiVo's way.

Stallmanism is my new catch phrase here. RMS doesn't want to see a tivoised software system and I don't want stallmanism in my software license. Seems we have a conflict of interest here.

One final note. The GPL V3 will not hold up in court folks because of the non DRM clause. That part at the very least will be struck down by the courts when (and it will) gets challenged.

About Me

Okay time to post my resume: Yes in my bog. Why?
Saying who I am tells you nothing about what's important, what I have done and what I know. So here it is:

Shaun C. Marolf

Profile
Strong technical proficiency in MS Windows OS 3.11 through XP Professional, Macintosh OS9, Linux 2.6 Kernel, Linux / Samba Networking, computer system hardware troubleshooting and repair. Comprehensive knowledge and experience in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access, Power Point, Publisher, Outlook, Front Page) OpenOffice Suite (Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Base
Experience
Network Administrator Feb 2005 – May 2006
New Horizon Technologies, Pasco WA Part Time
Provide Systems and Networking Support for Linux Server using Samba 3, MySQL, Apache with PHP for Windows 2000 Professional, XP Professional and Linux clients systems.
Provide full building network support and other businesses on behalf of New Horizons Technologies.
Knowledge Technician, TiVo Support Aug 2004 - Jan 2005
Safe Harbor Technologies. Elma, WA
Level 1.5 Help Desk Support provided support for system installation, networking, and troubleshooting.
Service and Support Technician, Dell Computers Jul 2002 - Nov 2002
Certified Dell Technician. Port Arthur, TX
Performed Level 2 help desk and desktop support.
Conducted hardware and software troubleshooting on low to high-end systems
Provided application support on Win 95, 98, ME, 2000 Professional, XP Home and Professional.
Network Survey Specialist, NASA Apr 2001 - Jun 2001
Ames Research Center, Mt. View, CA
Performed software and systems installations.
Led network survey team tasked with analyzing network client systems as part of the Systems Upgrade Project.
Responsible for maintaining project database.
Education, Training, and Certification
Dell Certified Systems Expert Course: Port Arthur, TX (Certified) July 2001
Automated Data Systems Security Officer: USS Merrill (DD-976) US Navy San Diego, CA 1993 - 1994
Joint Operational Tactical System: (JOTS 1 and 2) US Navy San Diego, CA. 1988, 1994
Satellite Networking Systems: US Navy ASU, Bahrain 1991
Navy Tactical Data System Level 1: US Navy Dam Neck, Virginia Beach, VA 1982
Navy Tactical Data System Level 2: US Navy San Diego, CA. 1988
Held Secret Level Clearance in US Navy.

Basically in a nutshell I do know something about this stuff and what I'm posting here. Also I have found entire quotes of my other blogs translated and posted all over the place so I must be doing and saying something that people want to read about.

Standby though because I know without a doubt I'm going to tick off a lot of people on both sides of any given argument.

--Shaun

First Post - New Blog

Here it is my new Blog Home. Mostly because I keep moving around the Linux community doing this taht and the other thing.

Anyway I'll be doing a lot more here than I could in other places. Standby the world is not ready for me!!!

--Shaun