A Usual Opening
===============
:author: Aaron Ball
:email: nullspoon@iohq.net


Hello All,

For a typical opening post to a new blog, I shall describe in a typical,
boring, and mundane way my purposes and intentions for this blog.

If any of you have been using Linux for a duration shorter than that of your
own life (or post-womb), you have undoubtedly realized that documentation on
most Linux products is not readily available (nor is it even available in most
cases). You also understand that when being inquisitive, the "RTFM" response
usually leaves in one's own heart an empty hole roughly the size and shape of a
loved one.

While frustrating and repelling as these hindrances can be, Linux remains to be
a distant and strangely enticing operating system. The notion of free software
for all just seems too amazing to drop $2,500 on an apple (yes, I am absolutely
biased). Despite the shortcomings that come with software less-tested than
software with a revenue stream (in most cases at least), most people are
willing to forgive a little more in the absence of a price tag. After all, a
fully operational and functional computer that costs only what was paid for the
hardware is hardly an offer to be scoffed at.

[[who-am-i]]
== Who am I?

_Professionally,_ I am a systems admin (Windows and Linux) as well as a
developer (PHP, Javascript, C# and ASP.Net, Joomla, Drupal, and SharePoint).

__Personally__, I am a spoiled Windows user that near the beginning of 2009
decided to give Linux a chance at being my primary operating system. I have
since then settled on Ubuntu Linux and have yet to look back for anything other
than good documentation.

I understand that the mentality of much of the Linux community is that if you
don't know how to use it now, you're not smart enough to figure it out and
therefore should not use it at all. Ubuntu/Canonical seeks to have a different
view on these things. They understand that if Linux is ever to have a market
share close to that of even Apple, it must be user friendly and have some way
for the end-user to get tech support somewhere other than online forums
(outside of the Ubuntu forums of course).

_Through this blog I hope to express the troubles I have run into in my
transition from Windows to Linux as well as the solutions/substitutes I have
found while researching said troubles._ Should anyone have any questions,
please contact me via the comments section or via my e-mail.  I will happily
assist if I can (remember, I am still a sub-par Linux user).

Thanks for reading everyone.


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