the Village Knittiot

As far as computers go I think that I am pretty much like your average person. I like things to work. I don’t want to feel like I need a PhD in physics to use something. And despite having *some* idea about what is going on with my computer, I am still pretty much in the dark about how it works, what to do if something goes wrong, etc. I tend to let Mr. Knittiot get things to a working order, and then I try to keep everything as it is so long as I can do what I need to do. In other words, I do not muck. Not a lot anyway.

Once I get used to The Way Things Are or learn about something that seems interesting, I tend to think about it for a very long time, maybe even mention it 5 or 6 times, then casually illicit the help of my household TechnoGod (I, of course, do not immediately avail myself of that help, as there is still change/adjustment time needed). I feel extremely fortunate in this way, because I know not everyone has a household TechnoGod, especially not one like Mr. Knittiot who is a little bit like a cross between the Computer Whisperer and a Technical Savant.

Anyway, since I first started learning about Linux, the Open Source Initiative, and The Free Software Foundation (among others), I have been watching and reading and thinking and feeling a sense of excitement — almost like anticipation. I kept finding my non-technical self doing things like starting conversations about the theoretical superiority of Linux, and deciding that it is important to have a philosophy about technology. And when Mark Morford posted a rant about why it is silly for Americans to spend as much money as they do on PCs when they could run the all powerful and ultra secure Mac, I actually emailed him and told him if he was a real rebel, he would be using Linux — I, of course, being a current Microsoft Windows user (if you could see me right now, you would see the sheepish expression on my face).

I have asked Mr. Knittiot 6 times over the last several months to install Linux on my laptop, which has always been greeted with enthusiasm, but when he woud then say, “Great, let’s set up a time!” I would say, “Sure, okay…” And then change the subject. In my mind Linux meant becoming a Mucker, something I am distinctly not. It meant leaving the familiar safe womb of Windows and venturing into a whole new galaxy. I was scared — even despite the security blanket of said household TechnoGod (maybe I should knit a little deity statue).

Well, Sunday afternoon I took the plunge. Which was really more like Mr. Knittiot coming into the den (where I was happily knitting and watching Buffy) and saying (for the umpteenth time) let’s put Linux on your box. And me finally saying, “Okay, I’m ready.”

There are a lot of words that Mr. Knittiot uttered on Sunday. I thought I was doing pretty good understanding every 7th or 8th one. Even so, the process went pretty well. I learned, though not as much as I should have. And as of Monday afternoon (Mr. Knittiot wanted to spend Monday “Mucking” with the system himself) I am a Mucker. I have been successfully booting into Linux, checking my email, posting to the blog, browsing the web, setting my preferences, and learning about the brave new world that is Suse 9.2. In short, the world has not fallen apart, and there was minimal disruption to the technological flow of my life. I am participating in something that I really admire, and I’m learning how to be a Mucker. Power to the people!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005 at 10:01 am and is filed under this Techie Life. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.