Speaking / Signing @ SGVLUG

I hope to post some recollections about my work with the BBC later today, but until then, I have an announcement to make:
Tonight, I will be speaking to the San Gabriel Valley Linux User’s Group about my experiences writing Dancing Barefoot.
I’m nervous and excited, because this is my LUG, and I’ll be speaking to people who are far more skilled in the *nix world than I am.
Here’s what their site has to say about the appearance:

Topic: How I Used Linux to Write and Publish Dancing Barefoot
In this short talk, Wil Wheaton dispells some FUD about word processing on Linux, explains how he used Open Source tools to write and publish his book, and reads a short selection from it.
Actor, Blogger, Author and Linux Weenie Wil recently published a collection of autobiographical short stories called “Dancing Barefoot.” In this presentation, he will talk about how he used Open Source tools to write, edit, and publish the book, specifically OpenOffice.org, Kwrite, and the gimp.
Wil will bring a few copies of his book to sign after the presentation.
Wil Wheaton is best known for his acting work as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek The Next Generation, and the classic Rob Reiner film Stand By Me. Most computer geeks, however, know Wheaton as a frequent poster at Slashdot, Fark, and his own website, wilwheaton.net. Wil is a passionate Linux advocate, and has spent countless hours trying to dispell Microsoft FUD. He’s been responsible for fives of Linux converts. He is also a card-carrying member of the EFF, FSF, ACLU, and a vocal privacy advocate. Though it’s only been available online, and has recieved virtually no mainstream media attention, Wheaton’s first published book, “Dancing Barefoot,” has sold out three printings, and is set to reach a mainstream audience later this year.
He lives in Pasadena with his wife and her two children, and frequently hikes to Echo Mountain.

Directions to the meeting are here. If you’re in or near Los Angeles, I hope you’ll stop by and laugh at my jokes.

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43 thoughts on “Speaking / Signing @ SGVLUG”

  2. Wish I could. Come to Chicago some time and I can guarantee you at least two supportive audience members. Until then…. good luck tonight!

  6. Ah, well, too bad this won’t be a simulcast! Maybe a transcript? Ha, this is a funny line is the ad, “He’s been responsible for fives of Linux converts.”
    You’ll be great, Wil. Have a blast.

  8. You’ll do fine I’m sure, you seem to have a good history of glowing reports from everywhere you’ve been to speak! It’s not, after all, like you’re violating that most important rule ‘talk about what you know’.
    At least, I hope you know about the process of writing your own book…

  9. About the description “lives with his wife and her two children”…. What happens if Wil and his wife have a child together? Does the description become “lives with his wife, their child, and her two children”? Why make the distinction in the first place?

  14. Yeah, I don’t understand the distinction about who the biological parent is either. In Japan there aren’t any of these ‘in-law,’ ‘step,’ or ‘half’ modifiers for relationships. There’s just one word for mother, for example. I think it creates a lovely sense of family and closeness. Plus you can kill up to 3 birds with one stone when saying “Mother is driving me crazy.”

  15. I choose to describe Anne’s kids as “her kids” out of respect for them, and their relationship with their father.

  16. I think the distinction is necessary. When I was a child in a divorced home, there was no way I wanted to be referred to as my step-dad’s son. He wasn’t a bad guy or anything, but kids tend to be stubborn about that kind of thing.
    Glad the Japanese get by without it, but, well, they’re Japanese. You know how they are.

  17. The line about ‘fives of Linux converts’ cracked me up, too.
    Have fun, knock ’em dead, and don’t drink too much Vitamin Water. 😉

  18. Hey, Wil! You’ll do fabulously tonight . . . no doubt! And like many others, I’m hoping your speaking tours will advance far beyond California. I’m hoping for a visit from you to Maryland or D.C. Can you imagine the havoc you could reek in our nation’s capitol?! WWDN forever!

  19. Good luck with your LUG thing. I’m sure you’ll r0x0r in front of all the h4x0rz. 😉
    Please update soon… I can’t wait to hear what you have to say about Arnold the Governator. Anyone see the Daily Show special on the situation? They claimed Arnold groped Hitler. Now that’s funny.

  20. You’ll do great Wil! Just picture them in their underwear… no.. on second thought, picturing a LUG in their underwear could be a mentally damaging situation!

  25. Sounds like fun!
    I’ve been wondering… how many copies of Dancing Barefoot have you sold? Three printings sounds like a lot, but…
    Good luck!

  26. You Go, Wil!
    I have no doubt you’ll do splendidly, as even the speaking engagements you think you do poorly at, people always come away from happy.
    I’m a long-time reader, long-time geek, first-time poster. 🙂 And I just want you to know that it’s so IMPORTANT to see a left-wing, intelligent, cynical, funny, REAL person letting people know how it really is. I respect you SO much for putting your heart out on your sleeve, and you make me feel just a little bit more hope about the future (and even the present) of our world. You are hella cool.
    And with a comment like that, how can you do anything but succeed tonight? Heh.

  27. Wil,
    I had no idea that you were a Linux fan. Do you actually utilize Linux to maintain your site, write your books, and perform daily computing tasks, thereby eliminating the need for anything Microsoft? Or, is it purely a good faith gesture of support for a potentially emerging standard that hasn’t been embraced by the mainstream computing public?
    I’ve tinkered with the BeOS, Lindows, Red Hat, and Amiga’s OS, so I can completely understand the appeal. Just curious.
    Good luck at the conference. I’m sure you’ll be among a highly welcoming group of enthusiasts.

  28. Best of luck to you, Wil! I loved Dancing Barefoot and have been using you as an example to my composition classes. . . you are an amazing writer!

  29. Wish I could as well. Of course the two times I have had a chance to see you this summer were both amusing. Good luck Wil!!
    -gil

  32. You know when people are over confident, they usually blow.
    Being nervous, I am sure you will rise to the occasion.

  35. Unfortunately, I haven’t been anywhere near the San Gabriel Valley in years…but, if you ever come to Denver, maybe we could arrange for you to give a presentation to CLUE, the Colorado Linux Users and Enthusiasts (http://www.clue.denver.co.us), the oldest Linux user group in Colorado and in the country.

  36. I sense that the talk is a sort of test run of what may end up as a more fuly developed bit at some point, perhaps book 3, less likely, an infomercial.
    Your schtick seems to be not just do it yourself, but tell people how you did it yourself, in a way that make people want to find out what it was you did. That reminds me of tom jennings, http://www.wps.com,
    who rebuilt his 63 rambler to run on natural gas, and wrote a book about how he did it, although he is better known as the author of fidonet.

  38. Hey Wil,
    I was there last night, and I just wanted to say that you rocked. I’m not a linux guy (Mac OS 9 and X primarily), I came out just to hear you talk. And boy did you deliver!!! The first part on writing and publishing in Linux was fun to listen to, and quite informative as well, but the crown jewel was your reading of the story of WFS. I’ve never been to a book reading before, and it started out a little ho-hum for me. But very quickly you captivated me with your simple honesty and storytelling ability. Even though I’ve already read the story two or three times, you had be laughing and crying with you like it was the first time. You brought a depth and freshness to it that was beautiful. You are a fabulous author and a wonderful actor. I’m lucky enough to live in Pasadena, so I hope I get another opportunity to see you read sometime soon.
    Scott
    v0.7b baby!!!

  40. As a non-Linux using person, I’m curious about one thing – what the heck is FUD? I’m guessing it’s anti-Linux propaganda, but what does it stand for?

  41. FUD stands for Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.
    It’s a strategy Microsoft uses to dissuade people from using Mac or *nix products.
    Eric S. Raymond published some documents called “The Halloween Documents” a few years ago. There’s more information there.

  42. To add to what Wil said, you can find the Halloween Documents by visiting . The most recent one, “Halloween IX: It Ain’t Necessarily SCO,” was “released” on June 16, 2003.

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