[tlug] Thanks for Organizing a Great Party

[craig oda <craig@example.com>]

I could also smell the yakitori and karaage.  The excitement felt like I never left.  It all came back - sharing information, loud laughing, having fun, and making friends.  These are the driving forces for the open source movement and the spread of Linux.

Linux is a philosophy as much a technology, one that is based on a spirit of self-reliance, innovation, and helping out your neighbor.

You asked a great question about the creation of TLUG, back in 1994 on the TWICS forum running on VMS VAX from DEC. The Linux forum was only a small part of the bigger system that dealt with life in Japan, education, and technology.  From the moment Jim created the topic, we felt that Linux was special, not just the technical features, but the culture.  At the time, Sun Microsystems had a competent UNIX called SunOS 5 based on BSD and HP had HPUX.  These systems were fine, but didn't inspire passion in the same way that Linux did.  Linux was different because it was so hackable.  That hackability fostered a culture of creativity, where boundaries were only limited by our imagination.

The hackability and the difficulty in getting Linux to run with Japanese characters at the time created a real need for us to figure things out ourselves.  There were early pioneers like Stephen Turnbull that slaved away on Linux documentation for our Japanese systems.  I still remember an epic printing guide that he wrote.  Thanks.  I remember getting kernel patches from Jim by email, epic parties that lasted until 2am at private homes, and kernel compilations at bars. 

The group that you're part of has a long and very rich history.  An important part of the group is to have fun and make friends.  However, there's also a role TLUG plays in connecting the Japanese Linux community to the rest of the world.  Thank you to everyone that continues the mission.  The world is in your debt. 

Regards,

Craig (former TLUGer)
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Craig Oda

skype: craigoda