Beth Lynn Eicher to present Computer Reach free software initiatives at Harvard University

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CHICAGO IL, MARCH 19, 2013: Beth Lynn Eicher, a free software expert with fourteen years of free software support experience nationally and abroad, will be a featured speaker at LibrePlanet’s conference at Harvard University, March 23-24.

This annual conference brings together global free software community developers, activists, academics and computer users to promote the distribution of free software throughout the world.

She will be representing Computer Reach, a nonprofit organization based in Pittsburgh that refurbishes used computers and places them in underserved communities all over the world in an effort to bridge the digital divide. She was a key player in developing the Ubuntu Linux program at Computer Reach.

Beth Lynn Eicher was invited to speak at the conference because of her extensive international work through Computer Reach, including a recent trip to Ghana during which 100 refurbished computers loaded with Ubuntu Linux software were installed in schools in several cities.

 Beth Lynn serves as the Free Software Director for Computer Reach.

To date, Computer Reach has provided over 4000 computers to schools and community centers in seven states and twelve countries. For more information about Computer Reach, please visit http://computereach.com

 

Into the Digital Darkness

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Last week Pete and I plunged into the ‘digital darkness’ as we embarked on a 6-day Caribbean cruise. This was the first time in over 20 years where we didn’t leave a forwarding phone number, we didn’t check our emails, I even locked up (yes, in a safe) my phone, tablet and chromebook.

The first day and a half or so was a bit nerve-wracking and I worried that I forgot to tell someone something that they might need to know before I got back.  Did I leave any loose ends at work etc?  Surprisingly, I didn’t worry so much about the kids; they are older teenagers and my mom was with them.  However, I did miss them, a lot.  But by day two I was relaxed and had no anxieties about not being tethered to the world via the umbilical cord of technology aka the internet.

Pete and I while in the ‘digital darkness’ managed to find the sunlight and get the appropriate first time cruise goers sunburn complete with sunglass lines and all. It was fun!  We enjoyed parasailing, swimming with dolphins and petting a manatee.  Though I have to admit the whole time I was with the manatee I kept singing the Veggi Tales song, Endanger Love (Barbara Manatee).

 

Matt Ritchel of the New York Times offers 8 tips to a great vacation in his June 2012 article, ‘Vacation Sabatage: Don’t Let it Happen to You!‘ Those tips include:

  • Start Now (Learning to let go and relax)
  • Leave Your Context at Home (Turn your gadgets off)
  • Endure the Boredom (Fight through the need to be constantly doing something)
  • Get Over Yourself (Your workplace will not implode if you’re not there.)
  • Don’t Prepare for Your Own Death (Building up expectations and not having them met)
  • Channel the Three-Day Weekend (Your mantra: it’s not a week’s vacation, it’s a series of two three-day weekends, plus a bonus day.)
  • Stop Flirting With Work (Trying to fit work into a break can be both frustrating and creativity limiting)
  • Don’t Worry About Re-entry; Most of it’s Spam (Your in-box will survive)

A quick Google search and you’ll find many articles full of suggestions for getting the most out of your vacation, as for myself (and Pete) plunging into the digital darkness was awesome for us and I am looking forward to doing it again.

It was an amazing vacation and one that I needed more than I realized.  Now I’m back refreshed, happy and ready to take on the world.

Lessons Learned from 2012 and Happy 2013!

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If the world ended today, would you be proud of yourself?

Yes; one of the most valuable lessons I learned in 2012 was to just be the person I wanted to be and not the person other people wanted me to be.

While I may not have done as much on the volunteer front, open source, or Ubuntu as I would have liked; I did, however, learn some valuable lessons which included:

    • To let my kids grow up and be who they are–make their mistakes, let them learn from those mistakes without shaming them or sentencing them to life-long guilt sentence (Even though I have awesome kids, they are still teenagers, and this lesson and its value to my kids is one I  struggle to remember daily – I can be a bit overbearing and controlling where people I love are concerned.)
    • I learned that the saying ‘do unto others as you would have done unto you’ isn’t nearly as powerful as ‘treat/communicate/interact with others as they prefer to be treated/communicated/interacted with’ (the way I wanted to be treated wasn’t always the best way, my preference isn’t others, and there is a time and place for everything, but being vulnerable enough to learn from others and do things outside your typical way of doing things is totally awesome)
    • I learned to ‘mean what I say and say what I mean’. (No one is going to take control of my life and live it for me; I had to overcome the fear and just do it!)
    • I learned that even after 20 years of marriage there is still a lot to learn about one another and you can never love someone too much. (My husband is amazing, but like any relationship it takes work and I hope our next 20 years is as strengthening, loving, and as amazing our first.  I learned not to worry about what others think, that in the end of the day when my hand finds his and as he wraps his arm around my shoulder and we whisper, “I love you” it doesn’t even begin to express how much we really love each other.)
    • I learned that it’s ok to own my ‘wounds’ and that everyone has some kind of wound. While theses scars aren’t visible to the human eye, they were experienced in my actions, felt in my touch and heard in my words. And I know at times, those like me who have these “invisible” wounds feel pain can be almost overwhelming if not dealt with. (To overcome the damage done by trama(s) I had to acknowledge those things happened, the effect those trama(s) had on me and those around me, know that I didn’t choose to have those trama(s) happen to me, they were out of my control. I had to  lose the negative feelings and  move forward. Even baby steps in a forward direction are steps to progress, growth, and strength – I think this will be a lifetime of coping but at least now I have those skills)

Me learning to be me :-)

Part of the fun of finding my footing in 2012 included, hiring a trainer and working out, losing weight and adopting a healthier lifestyle.  Then in August I decided to have some major cosmetic surgery, but that was only after I had spent two years dealing with the “inside me”. My physical appearance was not the first thing I worked on it was the last because no matter what I did to the visible me, it wouldn’t have brought any peace or happiness until I started being me. :-)

The one thing that ties all my lessons back to my community involvement is being open and transparent and the value in the applying the tools and philosophies learned through open source involvement to everyday life.  Learning to not be afraid to fail; asking for help, and sharing what you learn with others are great habits to develop. (Many many thanks to all my open source friends who helped me without ever knowing how empowering they were.)

On the work front my job with Linaro went from a full time contract position to a full time employee of Linaro and as such I am now its Community and Social Media Manager. The learning never stops and for that I am forever grateful.

I think I have mentioned before that I don’t like making resolutions because in the past I would set really unrealistic goals.  However, in 2013, I want to actually accomplish the things on my list, I just have to make the list first :-) More on that later.  In the meantime here is my 2013 wish for everyone:

Happy New Year! May 2013 be your year to shine. May you find all the happiness and success your life can hold.

May you be surrounded this year by the love of family and the laughter of friends and a hope in your tomorrow’s.

May you find peace in all your journeys throughout 2013. Be true to yourself and don’t afraid to be who you are meant to be and not who other people think you should be. Own your successes and failures and remember the ones who matter won’t mind the real you and the ones who mind don’t matter!

As always, remember to smile – Happy New Year!! :-D

Identifying Weakness – A New Perspective

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I’ve been working really hard this last year on self-improvement–personal, project, professional. I noticed earlier this year how hard is was for me to identify my strengths and even harder than identifying my strengths seemed to be discussing my weaknesses.  However, I gained a better understanding and new perspective on identifying and targeting weaknesses.

A conversation with my trainer gave me a new perspective about targeting weaknesses.

Trainer: You don’t look happy. Aren’t you happy with your progress?
Me: I am. It’s just I’ve reached that point where we are starting to isolate muscle groups and while I know I am strong; it’s amazing to me how weak certain muscle groups are.
Trainer: Yes and now is where the real work begins. Can’t you see the difference in the last 6 months.
Me: Yes, but it just dawned on me, I have to eat every couple of hours, drink even more water and really focus and push myself. Before when I would I come in here [the gym] and work out at all, I mean if I did anything at all, I could feel progress, now I have to do even more. (ok so I was whining slightly when I said this)
My trainer smiled.


As I drove home from my workout and thought about the conversation I had with my trainer, I thought about how my life was similar to these muscle groups. Overall, I am organized and I just get stuff done. However, as I become more efficient and master skills in one area the weaker skills become more obvious and I have to focus and work on those areas. This doesn’t mean I am weaker professionally or personally it just means it’s time to target those areas without causing loss of progress in the areas where I am strongest. When you become stronger in one area the contrast to the weaker areas become more clear.

I also thought about how it’s like that in organizations as well. As some teams, managers, departments etc get stronger and more efficient, this too highlights weaker areas of an organization. I thought about how great leaders can see this in advance and work to strengthen these areas before they fail. Just like good trainers work on various smaller muscle groups so that by strengthening the weaker muscles the whole of body becomes even stronger. I also don’t think it’s necessary or even possible to turn every single weakness into a strength. I do think it is possible and even necessary to decrease the contrast effect.

Now, no one likes to have their weaknesses pointed out, I certainly don’t. I now have a different perspective on what it really means to identify these weaknesses and work with “trainers”.  Trainers can be mentors, leaders, coaches, spiritual guides and more.

In a self-reflective moment I thought, “What areas in my personal and professional life are weak? Who are the “trainers” I should be reaching out to?”  I realized my workouts are never just about hitting the gym, it’s far more reaching than that.

For me, I think by identifying what I’m good at helps me see where I  need to improve.

I looked up some resources for identifying strengths and weaknesses and how to improve on these areas. Here are a few links I found insightful:

Many thanks to all the “trainers” in my life! :-)

Do you have insights to this topic or references that you found helpful?  Feel free to share and join the discussion.

Overcoming Impostor Syndrome – A Work in Progress!

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This is not a subject I am blogging about lightly or without a lot of thought and effort. (I think it’s been in my drafts folder for almost 6 months now) However, it is a topic that is important to me, so I wanted to start the discussion.

Until 2009 I had never even heard of Impostor Syndrome. While at the inaugural Community Leadership Summit (CLS)  I made some self-deprecating joke and my friend Emma Jane Hogbin asked me if I had ever heard of the term. I told her no, and she went on to explain it to me.  Later the same day, Kirrily “Skud” Robert and I talked about it some more.

I attended OSCON 2009 and throughout the week and on the flight home I thought more about this Impostor Syndrome I had just learned about; however, the reality was I just learned there was a  term for something that I in fact understood more about than I was willing to let on at the time. I looked up more about it and decided if I was ever going to be me, I mean authentically me I needed to do something about this self-doubt, low self-esteem and this feeling like I wasn’t good enough, in other words I needed to get over feeling like I was an Impostor because the fact was,  I wasn’t then, I’m not today and I certainly don’t plan on being one tomorrow.

According to the Geek Feminism (GF) wiki, “Women experiencing impostor syndrome may be less willing to put themselves forward, feeling that they are not qualified…” Examples include:

  • not applying for jobs, promotions, and other employment opportunities
  • not submitting papers to conferences or journals
  • disclaiming or understating their experience/skill when speaking or writing
  • nervousness about talking to others in their field, especially if those others are perceived as highly skilled/experienced
  • feeling like a fraud
  • worrying that someone will find out their lack of qualifications and fire them
  • having higher stress
  • over-preparing for tasks
  • attributing successes to chance or luck

The GF wiki also list ways to combat this syndrome which are broken down into the following areas: For those who suffer from Impostor Syndrome, For Friends and Colleagues, For Friends and Colleagues 2, For Hiring Managers, Conference Chairs, etc, but the wealth of information doesn’t stop there; check out the further reading section for more information.

The sad thing for me was that there were so many ‘well intended’ (and I use the term loosely here) people who didn’t help. They didn’t help me and they certainly didn’t help others (not that I think everyone was put on this earth to help me, mind you, but “Primum non nocere” or  ”first, do no harm” should apply to everyone not just doctors–words harm too.) They told me things like, “Well the only reason you are successful in Ubuntu is because of who your husband is.” Or other statements, “You should stick to the non-technical stuff like documentation, you aren’t technical enough.” Ha, ever tried to use docbooks, edit a wiki, what about a man page without some technical knowledge of the system or application you are using.  Oh the list goes on and if I think about it too long I really get pissed off.  Especially when I think about how many women don’t help other women, instead they let professional or personal jealousy get in the way and they sabotage each other or worse themselves.

So, what did I do about it? I called a therapist, yep you read that right.  Not ashamed to say it or admit, I’ve spent the last 2 years dealing with it and I can honestly say I am better for having done it.  What I’ve also found out in the last 2 years as I open up about combating this myself is the number of not only women, but men in FOSS who have gone or are going through something similar.

One of the suggestions for combating Impostor Syndrome is to blog about your experiences, so I guess today is my start. While I am confident in my abilities and my skills, there was a time, not to long ago I doubted them, and I questioned if I was “good enough”.  I would hate for one person I know, to be going through something similar and feel like I wouldn’t understand.  I do understand and I know it’s an obstacle that can be overcome.

I turned to Dr. Terry Ledford, who recently published a book called ‘Parables for a Wounded Heart: Overcoming the Wounds to Your Self-Esteem and Transforming Your Perception of You”

The description description of the book asks, “Do you tend to be self-critical or negative about yourself? Did you experience painful childhood events that wounded your self-esteem? When children experience criticism, rejection, trauma or abuse, they may perceive that they are to blame. Such painful events can alter their identity, not who they are, but who they believe that they are. A wound of the heart is formed. A wound of the heart is a hurt or a series of hurts that affects your core being, sense of self or self-concept. “Parables for a Wounded Heart” is a breakthrough guide to help you heal your heart wounds by combining the proven principles of Cognitive Therapy with the emotional power of therapeutic stories. This program will touch your heart and bring new insights allowing a deep and lasting healing for your self-esteem. Dr. Ledford guides you through this process with great insight and compassion allowing you to see your past negative experiences and yourself in a very different way.”

Many of the stories in this book and the subsequent exercises you can do,  I had the opportunity to discuss and complete with Dr. Ledford in our sessions or in his Self-Esteem Workshops. I am sure there are many excellent therapists and self-help resources out there, I’m just sharing with you the resources I found helpful.  It pains me to think that anyone (man or woman) would have to deal with self-doubt, low self-esteem, or Impostor Syndrome a day longer than they have too.

One of the other interesting things that happened during the last couple of years was realizing that the philosophies and tools we use in Open Source Projects combine with the lessons I was learning from Dr. Ledford really re-enforced and helped me to be a better, more productive, successful and happier me.  I am so glad Emma, Skud, Rikki Endsley and other women who were at that first CLS pulled me aside to talk.  It has and continues to be a lesson I build on daily.  A big “Thank you” also goes to the Ubuntu Women Project especially members  Melissa Draper, Elizabeth Krumbach, Penelope Stowe, and Leigh Honeywell who are all amazing mentors for women who want to get involved in technology. Thanks, y’all!

It also helps that I work with engineers on a daily basis at Linaro, who challenge me to become better and never assume I can’t do something;  instead they seem to assume just the opposite, they assume I can do anything I put my mind to and I’ll ask for help when I need to.  That is empowering!

Do you have an inspiring story about overcoming Impostor Syndrome? In 2013 I’d like to have a monthly hangout and invite others to join in the discussion, I’m not the expert and I can only share my experiences, but I’d like to invite others to share theirs as well as experts in the field to facilitate some of these hangouts. Thoughts?  Shoot me an email and let’s get this ball rolling.