Interview: Learning about Open Source with Hackett and Bankwell
The SCaLE team recently had an opportunity to speak with Jeremiah Gray of Intarcorp. Jeremiah and Intarcorp publish “Hackett and Bankwell“, a educational comic about Linux, open-source, and free software. Intarcorp is a Media Sponsor of SCaLE 7x.
SCaLE: Tell us a bit about yourself. How did you first get involved with Linux and open-source?
Jeremiah: I first used open source web software as early as 1999 and started playing with Linux in 2000, but I didn’t really do much with it professionally until my web development work required me to get more involved with server software in 2003.
SCaLE: What other open-source projects, communities, and groups do you participate in?
Jeremiah: Part of the reason for starting this project was to help build up the economic infrastructure surrounding Linux. For the most part, if you want to put Linux skills to professional use, you’re looking at a really narrow spectrum of available employment opportunities. I figure if I could sell educational comic books, I could help draw more people to Linux-based operating systems and increase demand for different software products. One of the areas that has especially appealed to me is video editing software, and I’m currently hammering out the final details to contribute to the LiVES project.
SCaLE: What is your professional background? Have you always been an artist?
Jeremiah: I have worked as a web developer and administrator for the past 8 years. I have worked for large corporations and small startups doing all kinds of consulting work. Though I was a pretty mean illustrator back in elementary school, my artwork is limited to concepts and sketches nowadays. For the artwork in “Hackett and Bankwell,” we now have a core team that consists of an illustrator and a colorist.
SCaLE: What inspired you to start writing writing a comic about Linux and open-source?
Jeremiah: Over the years, I have seen a number of stories about European and Asian countries switching over to Linux, and I wanted to do something that would help make Linux-based operating systems easier to understand for Americans. In The United States, we are inundated with proprietary software products that separate users from the underlying technology. On the one hand, this is neat inasmuch as it empowers baby boomers to upload pics to their myspace profiles. On the other hand, it’s a competitive disadvantage for technology consumers here in The States because they are pigeonholed into using proprietary software, giving them very little input in their own destinies. Moreover, like I said, I wanted to do my part to help the ecosystem so as to drive more users to Linux-based solutions. Whether they become software developers or visual artists, bringing Linux to new users will provide more eyeballs, feedback, and perspectives to the people producing the software, which will ultimately yield better software.
SCaLE: Who do you see as your target audience?
Jeremiah: “Hackett and Bankwell” is for people who maybe tried Linux before, but got confused and ditched it. When I initially started developing the content for the comic, I wanted to create something that would’ve made understanding GNU/Linux easier for me when I was in high school or college. The goal is to introduce new users to the vocabulary and concepts in context and in plain English.
SCaLE: In issue #1 Woody introduces the team to Linux, FL/OSS and their history. What adventures do you have in mind for them next?
Jeremiah: The first series of issues focuses primarily on the command line interface, but it’s important to start users out in an area of familiarity. Correspondingly, issue #1 starts with a quick overview of the history of GNU and Linux, as well as a brief hands-on example of GUI operation. Issue #2, which will soon be complete and available, introduces to the reader to the command line. I initially envisioned the comic as a cartoon manual more than a comic, but issue #2 will feature a little more narrative and much more visual style to live up to its comic label.
SCaLE: Do you plan to cover individual applications or other more technical topics?
Jeremiah: I have a folder full of ideas for individual application tutorials, but we’ve been focusing production style and presentation for the past year, working to develop a format that makes the information as easily digested as possible before we go hog wild with all of those. The next issues in the series will focus on more advanced command line operation and will seek to increase users’ shell proficiency.
SCaLE: In your most recent issue the Interplanetary Pictures team begins their transition to open-source and free software. What open source and free software tools do you use in designing, creating, and publishing Hackett and Bankwell?
Jeremiah: For script development, I use open office, and I make wireframes and storyboards in GIMP for the artists. Our web server runs LAMP, and I administer the site with vi.
SCaLE: Have you encountered any road blocks as you attempt to work with open source design tools?
Jeremiah: GIMP has been really useful for rough draft compositing and sketches, but the artists do the final production work with proprietary software. This is largely because they come from the commercial software world and work more effectively with the tools and interfaces they already know (not to mention with the software they’ve already bought). This reality actually underscores my desire to bring more users to Linux-based operating systems. As more users deploy Linux-based solutions for visual (and audio) media production, the developers will get more feedback on usability and QA, which will hopefully lead to improved software which will entice more FOSS-based graphic artists.
SCaLE: Are there any plans to create print versions of the ebooks?
Jeremiah: Well, “Hackett and Bankwell” #1 started out as a print product, and we made an ebook available this fall in order to help get it into broader circulation. Given that it covers an Ubuntu installation, it seemed appropriate to print it so that people reading along would wipe their Windows boxes and keep reading. Issue #2 will likely start out as an ebook with a print version available down the line. It’s nice to have a physical product to distribute, but we want to get straight to producing the next issue.