![Smiling librarian standing in front of bookcase](/sites/default/files/2023-02/PhilShapiro2023OSDC.jpg)
Phil Shapiro has been an educator, teaching students from pre-school to graduate school for the past 35 years. He currently works at a public library in the Washington, DC area, helping youth and adults use their public Linux stations. Between 2007 and 2012, he blogged for PC World magazine on various technology topics and currently writes for Ars Technica, MAKE magazine, FOSS Force, TechSoup for Libraries, Computers in Libraries, Information Today magazine, and Opensource.com. Visit him at his antique ebook store.
Library Journal Movers & Shakers Award, 2024
And see his library dance videos on YouTube.
WashPost - The Man Who Gives Computers to Kids (May, 2000)
PCWorld - Does Free Software Restore Dignity?
PCWorld (original article)
I like to teach. David tenor guitar
The Day My Mind Became Open Sourced
Professional associations and organizations I support:
Internet Press Guild
Women in Film & Video
Washington Apple Pi
Northern Virginia Linux Users Group
Virginia Macintosh Users Group
Omaha Linux Users Group
Columbia Area Linux Users Group
Let's Play America
HacDC
East Harlem Tutorial Program
Higher Achievement
Small Things Matter
Carpe Diem Arts
Vietnamese American Services
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Journalism I support
MAKE magazine
NPR
Hackaday
CoolTools
FOSS Force
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"All of the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today." - Chinese proverb
"The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." - Eden Phillpotts
Authored Comments
Design an online polling method that allows for more than one correct answer.
Barry Peddycord's analysis is convincing. I'm swayed by his thinking.
I do hope that Twitter spends more time and effort explaining their service to the public, though. I spend too many hours each week at my public library job explaining Twitter to newbies. People who don't "get it" are not able to contribute their fertile ideas to the common good. In a knowledge economy, we not only need all hands on board. We need all ideas on board, too.
We can never know where the best ideas are going to come from. I fear some of the best ideas might not be seeing the light of day.
Phil