[freegeek-startup] wordy introduction from an FG-Vancouverite

[ifny]

well hello fellow up-starts,

my name is ifny & i'm one of the vancouver canada crew. i've been
meaning to introduce myself for a while now, but it's been
one-more-thing-first one-more-thing-first...i'm sure you're all
familiar with that!

since feburary, i've been going to portland regularly on bicycle
ambassadorials. that's how i met phil, & that's how i met the geek.
not only have i had the tour, but i've eaten there, slept there, &
hung from the rafters there (literally! that was some party!). i've
wrestled there too (1 win, 1 draw, with inconclusive rematches).

i started to clue in to what kind of place i was in while helping
clean up after some event. later, after checking it out & chatting
with fellow FG-coveters back home, i started fantasizing with
increasing vividness about getting one going in vancouver, but really
didn't know how to go about it. since spring i've also toyed with the
idea of an internship, & was getting pretty close to getting up the
gumption, seeing as i've recently started a 'self-directed
sabbatical.' but i was still trying to figure out how i would apply it
once i got home...

then one day a guy named david quit his job & called a meeting, &
things started falling into place. now team vancouver is going for the
whole hog!! i leave for portland tonight...

i look forward to learning from others on this list, particularly
about the challenges & rewards of the startup process, & maybe
inspiring each other with our initiatives and chutzpah!


by way of introduction, here are some relevant ifny details:

TECH

-deep & abiding loathing for propietary software cartels. while i'm
not a programmer by any means, i consider myself a sophisticated user,
particularly as far as social/political implications & applications go
(irc, forums, listservs, drupals, & other
collaborative/intercommunicative tools)

-somewhat versed in copyleft & free software issues & IT history.
strong desire to make open/free software & OS's more accessible to the
public, particularly less traditional or vulnerable/marginalized
communities. this includes women, vancouver's downtown eastside (skid
row), first nations (native americans), children trapped in the
suburbs, anarcho-punks, ukulele players...

-20 yrs exp on computers, but not linux & the rest of the gang  :(
that will change :)  i love my unix kernel, even though i haven't
earned it! i work on a powerbook g4 crawling with free/open/purloined
software.

-affinity with the tech community in vancouver. sometimes we even ride
bikes all night together.


COMMUNICATIONS/PR

-set up/moderation of community oriented mailing lists/collaborative
sites, with user friendly interfaces such as yahoogroups & blogger
both in canada & japan.

-general PR at home & in japan: been a media fixer, organized rallies,
press conferences & releases, written articles, given interviews &
interviewed others.

-produced graphics, posters, flyers, brochures. layout/editing experience.

-currently doing a campus radio show twice a month, & developing a
cycling community portal site in drupal.

-variegated experience as a public speaker/performer, from a rodeo
clown at the deadbaby downhill festivities in seattle, to a lecturer
on war at an art opening of young political cartoonists in iran.


EDUCATION

-taught photography, language, computers & experimental music to
adults & kids in canada, japan, lebanon & iran

-organized/particpated in skillshare/peer teaching events


ORGANIZING/FACILITATING

-committed community organizer, lately focusing on the cycling
community. you can see my most recent project here:
http://bicyclebee.blogspot.com

-experience with & fondness for consensus models, collectives, diverse
voices, radical transparency, cross-pollination, focus on process.

-fundraising experience: raised lotsa cashola for refugees in japan,
experience fundraising/gathering resources for various bike causes &
collectives in creative, sassy ways.

-involved in political actions (primarily social justice) in canada,
japan, lebanon & iran.

RECYCLING

-experience in waste management, recycling, salvage. familiar with
vancouver & surrounding townships' waste/recycling infrastructure &
have driven a dump truck to many of them. saved lots of computers from
the waste stream. up till now they've mostly gone to traditional
computer recyclers, but here's hoping they can end up in people's
living rooms more often!

-kept pet slugs.