Foundations are SO BORING...
But like, important and stuff.
In January of this year (2022), I decided that I’d go “all in” on being a content creator for the entire year. Ideally, forever, but regardless of how things go, I’m in for 2022 with gusto. Since this is the first time I’ve been creating content on my own, instead for an existing company, I’m starting from absolute zero. (brrrr…)
Thankfully, I’m not learning how to do the stuff from scratch. Since I’ve been creating training videos for the past decade, and writing for even longer — I guess it’s not really starting from zero. But still, having no back catalog of content is frustrating. It’s March now though, and I finally have a bit of stuff.
If you want to learn about Linux, well, I can finally offer a complete “series” or “course” to get you started. The Linux Essentials certification from the Linux Professional Institute is an entry level cert that might not get you hired, but it will absolutely be a way to see if Linux is something you’d like to learn more about. The course is free, and ready to consume right now!
If That’s the Foundation, What’s Next?
To start the year, I focused strictly on getting the Linux Essentials series complete. But now that we have a starting place, I’m a little more comfortable with spreading out the topics we cover. The BASH Scripting course is currently underway (I release each video as it’s completed, so you can follow along as they drop), and there are some standalone videos, along with the beginnings of other series like SSH. The best way to stay up on what’s available is to subscribe to my YouTube channel. (Again: Free)
The other benefit to subscribing and participating at my YouTube channel is that you can let me know what sort of stuff you’d like me to cover. I don’t have a team of researchers telling me what is in demand — so I need input from folks like you!
Wait, I Thought You Were a Web Comic Artist?!?
Oh right! You might be here because of my webcomic, and don’t really care about my YouTube channel at all. Mind you, I’ll probably post some videos that are comic-related at some point, but yeah. Sorry about all this Linux talk. So here’s some info about my characters:
- Blue: He’s me. He thinks my thoughts, struggles with my struggles, and him being “blue” isn’t a coincidence. (I am sad a lot. I know, that’s sad. See?)
- Yellow: She’s based on my wife. Not entirely the same person, but all the good things in Yellow are reflections of the good things about my wife.
- Spot: He’s not a recreation of a particular dog. He’s just… a furry representation of all that’s good in the world. You can buy a plushie here if you want your very own Spot. :)
In future issues, perhaps I’ll focus on a particular character more in depth. But I don’t have any plans to stop drawing my comic, because it’s become my sort of “personal diary” over the past year. MyBigRoundWorld has helped me deal with the Black Lives Matter protests, political and social unrest, and more recently, the war in Ukraine. Sometimes it’s easier to say things as a comic character than it is to say things in real life. And so, I tend to pour my soul into my square little friends.
I’m Bored. What Do You Suggest?
If you like podcasts, I’m a big fan (and semi-frequent co-host) of Reality 2.0, which is a privacy-based podcast run by some of my friends from the old Linux Journal team.
Are you a book fan? My favorite fiction book in quite some time is Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir. And if non-fiction is your jam, I found Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman really, really great. (I actually have TONS of book recommendations. I think I’ll make this a regular addition to the newsletter. Cuz I love reading, and I always love it when people recommend books to ME, so maybe I can do that for YOU as well.
Maybe you’re into nerdy tech stuff? Well… I’m a huge fan of these studio monitor speakers. They’re not too big (fit under my monitor on their side), but the sound is absolutely incredible. Seriously the nicest sounding speakers I’ve ever owned, including all my Sonos stuff.
Until Next Time, Intrepid Adventurers…
This is the first actual “issue” of the Nerdlings Newsletter, so let’s pretend I wanted to set the bar really low. That way every issue can be better than the last! (No, really… he made it crappy on purpose… yeah, that’s it…)
Whether you’re a fan of Linux, or just love Blue’s weird combination of depression and kindness, I hope you’ll stick around. I must warn you, however. Learning is both contagious and addictive. So if you hang around too long, you’re bound to become a better educated and more well-rounded human. And maybe I will too. So until next time:
Learn Everything. Do What You Love. And Most Importantly… Be Kind.