About Us
Last Updated on January 30, 2024 by David Both
Welcome to Both.org where five dedicated individuals converge their passion for Linux and open-source software. Founded on the belief that the power of collaboration and transparency can transform the digital landscape, our blog is a shared space where we explore, discuss, and celebrate the world of open source.
Meet the Team
David Both
David Both is an Open Source Software and GNU/Linux advocate, trainer, writer, and speaker. He has been working with Linux and Open Source Software since 1996 and with computers since 1969. He is a strong proponent of and evangelist for the “Linux Philosophy for System Administrators.”
He has written articles for magazines including, Linux Magazine, Linux Journal, and OS/2 Magazine back when there was such a thing. He formerly wrote prolifically for OpenSource.com, EnableSysAdmin, and Opensource.net. He particularly enjoys learning new things while researching his books and articles, building his own computers, and helping his grandchildren build their computers. He has found some interesting and unusual ways of problem solving, including sitting on one mid-range computer on which I was working.
David has published five books with Apress, “The Linux Philosophy for SysAdmins.” The 2nd Edition of “Using and Administering Linux: Zero to SysAdmin, a self-study training course in three volumes that was released in late 2023. His newest book, “Linux for Small Business Owners: Using Free and Open Source Software to Power Your Dreams,” with co-author Cyndi Bulka, yoga instructor, coach, and author, was published on July 3, 2022. All his books are published by Apress.
Seth Kenlon
Seth Kenlon is a UNIX geek, free culture advocate, independent multimedia artist, and D&D nerd. He has worked in the film and computing industry, often at the same time. He is one of the maintainers of the Slackware-based multimedia production project Slackermedia.
AmyJune Hineline
AmyJune currently works with the Linux Foundation as their Certification Community Architect. She is responsible for supporting the Certification team’s efforts in building and maintaining exams and related documentation for exam products in the Linux Foundation’s certification portfolio.
She is a Drupal Mentor Coordinator, DrupalCamp organizer, and a CWG Community Health Team member. She serves on the board of the Colorado Drupal Association.
Her ongoing experience as a hospice nurse keeps her in touch with many end-users’ challenges. In her continued efforts to make a difference, she helps organize A11yTalks, an online meetup that advocates all things accessibility – one of the core components of building an inclusive web.
Jim Hall
Jim Hall is an open source software advocate and developer, probably best known as the founder and project coordinator of FreeDOS, and for usability testing in open source software. At work, Jim is the CEO of Hallmentum an IT executive consulting company that provides hands-on IT Leadership training, workshops, and coaching.
Don Watkins
Don Watkins is a free and open source software (FOSS) advocate and former correspondent at Opensource.com, where he had the privilege of working and writing with a great group of individuals who are passionate about all things open source, including open education. He advocates public libraries and teaches Python programming using Raspberry Pi computers. You can find him on Fosstodon, and LinkedIn. He is a father, grandfather, US Navy veteran, and Secular Franciscan with an affinity for mindfulness and chocolate chip cookies.
About This Site
We are reaching out to invite you to become a contributor to our growing community of writers at Both.org. Our blog is dedicated to exploring the latest trends, innovations, and insights in the Linux and open source world. We believe your unique perspective and knowledge would be a valuable addition to our platform. We welcome all to participate and we are looking for diverse authors to write for a diverse audience.
We aim to foster a collaborative environment where writers can share their experiences, tutorials, and thought leadership on all things related to Linux and open source technologies. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting in the field, we welcome diverse voices and perspectives.
If you’re interested in joining us and contributing to our blog, please visit our Submissions page – when we get it up – to learn more about our guidelines and submission process. Your contributions can help us create a rich and informative resource for the Linux and open source community.
A Short History – How we Got Here
Many writers like the five of us contributed to the Opensource.com web site where we had found an amazing place to publish our work. The Opensource.com staff provided support for writers; encouraging us, celebrating us, and publishing our work which made it easier for some of us to get books and articles published. They edited our articles and reviewed them for technical accuracy while keeping our individual and diverse voices in our work.
In early 2023 Red Hat made the decision to terminate support for Opensource.com and also terminated the employment of most of its staff. As far as we know at this point, everyone has found new employment.
Opensource.com recognized some of its most prolific contributors with membership in a group we called “Correspondents.” Some of us Correspondents started working on an alternative location with another open source organization where we could continue. Little progress was made over a period of several months and we became quite frustrated.
So, we did the Open Source thing and took matters into our own hands. As owner of this web site, both.org, and with a fast connection to the Internet, I have volunteered to host the smart and amazing writers of Opensource. We have accomplished more in a few days than we had in several months. We did this quickly to provide an outlet for our writers with new stories to publish and to move many existing relevant articles from the old Opensource.com web site to this one.
We are in the process of evaluating long-term options for how we want to proceed. This site was and still is my (David Both) personal web site and I post articles and news about various technical subjects as well as my books and related activities such as speaking engagements and book signings. I’m happy to host these amazing, smart, and prolific writers in part not only because I think it will be good for me and my books but also because I think it will be good for our writers as well as our readers. We are working to map out future directions that will work well for all concerned.
We’ll post more details later. For now we just want to let you know how and why things are changing.