PART 7: GOIN' COMMANDO

If you've read the my "story" up to now, you really need to get a life. However, I don't think my situation's unique. I think there are lots of people out there who've been beat into submission, not wanting to do the PC or Mac thing, but not seeing any viable alternative. It's sort of like politics. You hate the Republican candidate, you hate the Democrat candidate, but who the heck else are you going to vote for? It's all the same, so you either vote for experience or for looks. Either way, the complaining will start as soon as the guy (or gal) takes office. It's the same with Microsoft and Apple, and I don't want their "support." I don't want their products. I don't want to do business with them anymore.

Most experienced computer users have tinkered with Linux at least once. I had done it almost a decade ago, and then again last year. Things have obviously improved and become more user-friendly, so I decided to "Go Commando." This doesn't just mean using Linux. To me, "Goin' Commando" means getting away from all the big companies that are trying to rule the computing world. I understand what they're doing, and I don't blame them for it. I just hate dealing with it. A long time ago, the Internet was about freedom from commercialization and the free exchange of ideas. The U.S. military (apparently, with some help from Al Gore) created the Internet, but users made it into what it had become by the early 90's. We wrote and we read each others' stuff. We posted messages on UseNet newsgroups and listservs. We uploaded files onto FTP sites and we downloaded each others' stuff. We used free software that was GNU-licensed: Emacs, Pine, Pico, RN, TRN, FTP, Telnet, and hundreds of other applications. We figured out how to make things work, and if we couldn't, we knew how to "man application-x" in command-line Unix to look up an answer. If that didn't work, we went looking for someone who knew more than we did.

And back in those days, files and applications lived on the network, not on our PCs and Macs. We didn't need floppy disks, CDs, DVDs, or USB flash drives. We created our files online; we saved our files online; we kept them out there; and we didn't have to pay for it. I want those days back, and I think it's possible to do it. That's what "Goin' Commando" is all about.

So, I've gone with Linux. I don't want hassles right now, so I chose Freespire. I remembered from last year that Freespire installed quickly and ran properly. Ubuntu and all the XYZ-untus out there caused me varying problems once I installed them, so I decided against them for right now. Later on, who knows? Red Hat, Ubuntu, or whatever fits the situation will be fine with me. I'm not loyal, nor should have to be locked into any single operating system. I find this idea liberating.

Even with Linux, I want to keep my dependence on software to a minimum. Of course, a Web browser is necessary, and I like the Mozilla thing because it's open-source and it's free. I like Firefox, at least for now. SeaMonkey's cool too, and I hope it gets some market share. I hate to see any one of these companies or projects get too big. However, OpenOffice and anything else that lives on my computer is not appealing to me. I know they do many things that Microsoft Office or Apple iWork do, but this is just more of the same, as far as I'm concerned. I want to make and keep my files online, just like the good old days. I played with GoogleDocs for a while, and this is a fine set of applications. However, Zoho's suite of products seems much more in line with what I'm looking for.

Zoho is totally online. There's nothing much to install and keep on my system, except the plugin that allows me to edit documents offline. That's OK in my book. I can start a document at home, and I can finish it at work. I can email to my friends, or they can collaborate on it with me. That's the way I want it. That's what "Goin' Commando" is all about.

Finally, everything should be free. It's not about the money, by the way. I can afford it all. It's about the freedom. It's about the collaboration. It's about the community that I want to feel part of, just like the good old days. It excites me. It inspires me. It makes me want to get out there, join in, take part, and contribute. That's what "Goin' Commando" is all about.

I'm not a programmer. I'm not a techie. I'm an experienced user who wants to learn more. I appreciate all you folks out there that make this possible. You are the un-sung heroes of our era. I'm not smart enough to be one of you, but I can be a supporter. I can promote your work. I can give feedback. I can tell others about what you do. I can teach them how to use your products. That's what "Goin' Commando" is all about.

There are dozens of free, Web-based applications out there that allow me to do so many different things online. I don't need to buy, download, or install them onto my machine. The applications live on the network, and that's the way it should be. That's what "Goin' Commando" is all about.

This is Web 2.0. Online applications that are easy to use and easy to share. They connect us to one another. They put us in touch is so much more information than we'd be able to find, buy, or figure out on our own. Wikipedia is incredible. Blogging is incredible. Social networking sites like Facebook are awesome. Social bookmarking with Digg and Furl is fantastic. Folksonomies are unbelievable. Zoho is out of this world. Skype is absolutely fabulous. RSS feeds are phenomenal. Podcasting is empowering. YouTube is informative and entertaining. All these applications and so many others are what "Goin' Commando" is all about.