User:Ironiridis/DragonFire1024 Bike Trip

Jason ON WHEELS!!!
So, it seems that DragonFire1024 is going about the country on a bicycle soon. While on the road, he'll hopefully be doing reporting and be reported on at Wikinews. It sounds to me like a great opportunity for some on-the-scene reporting and photo essays.

I figure that Jason will need some tools, so I'm trying to compile a list of things that I can contribute for his trip.

List

 * Laptop
 * If Jason is unable to acquire a sponsored laptop, I'll be glad to get one, add some wifi, and ship it to him.
 * Any computer I provide will need an operating system. I can provide either:
 * Linux (with Gnome/Fluxbox, USB drivers for cameras, wifi, etc)
 * Windows 2000 (w/ wifi drivers)
 * A Laptop Bag
 * The bag I have in mind is extremely durable and can (and has) withstand a ridiculous beating. It's large enough to contain paper, electronics, batteries, and so on.
 * A zippable handlebar bag
 * I have my own bike and I bought a bag for the front of it a while ago.

What else?
So what else can I provide? I've got lots of "stuff" that I don't really need anymore, though I need to determine what will actually be useful.


 * Software
 * Hardware
 * Tools

I have a GPS that I can send, too. It's fairly dear to me, so I'd like it back when things are over. Does anyone else have one that they can send, perhaps with the understanding that it may become lost/stolen/broken? If not, I'll consider sending mine.

I'm fairly adamant about the laptop Jason uses running Linux. It would make sense, with the spirit of Wikinews (and indeed, the entire Wikimedia project) being freedom. However, in the interest of a familiar interface being easier to use, especially in a long, stressful journey, I'd be willing to abdicate and put Windows 2000 on the laptop.

I'd choose w2k over any other Windows operating system because it is the most recent Microsoft OS that does not contain provisions and tools for built-in spyware. It functions really well (I use it for my programming at work) and is easy to configure.

On the Linux side, I wouldn't use KDE for the interface. It is much larger and much slower than Gnome. Both Gnome and KDE are incredibly large when compared to Fluxbox, which may be sufficient for the job. KDE also has a questionable "open-source-ness", with its reliance on Qt.

Comments
Please edit, update, add to, or mock this page. Anything you have to donate/loan? Anything you want to say? Go nuts.


 * (initial revision) irid:t 20:25, 3 August 2007 (UTC)