[kwlug-disc] Asterisk/OpenWrt on router presentation

[unsolicited]

L.D. Paniak wrote, On 03/03/2009 1:17 AM:
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> Hash: SHA1
> 
> 
> 
> Raul Suarez wrote:
>> I'll name my response "About black boxes and the meaning of the universe"
>>
>>> Black boxes, vs. not, e.g. LinuxMCE vs. OpenWRT:
>> - We cannot know it all. It is even frequently dificult to define our needs, let alone understand the solutions.
>>
>> In this FLOSS universe the key is that you can either
>> - Get a clear box and DIY or 
>> - Just underestand the need a get something that's a black box to you along with support from someone for whom it is not a black box or
>> - Somewhere in between.
>>
>> I see the KWLUG presentations as that "somewhere in between" due to the 2 hours limit.
>>
> 
> The two hour limit puts an upper bound on what can be done in a
> presentation.  Of course, the saturation point for almost everyone is
> reached well before that.
> 
> One objective of my presentation tonight was to lay out the how-to for
> the modifications I made to my router in a permanent, accessible wiki
> for interested people to consult at their own speed.  It took me more
> than two hours to figure out how to get the job done and I'm the one who
> gave the talk!  Maybe someone will get hours of entertainment starting
> off on the same path and make the black box a little more transparent.
> 
> In a presentation you are trying to "sell" something in the sense that
> you motivate people to go afterward and investigate options they never
> considered before:  hack a router, try your software, go to your
> website, read your paper...  The talk is not the whole package. For it
> to be successful, it has to be just the start of the process.

Let's remember, what Raul is commenting on was posted before the 
presentation.

Make no mistake Lori, thank you VERY MUCH for tonight's presentation. 
I certainly enjoyed it - the 'free for all' format elicited a lot of 
very interesting things.

Most presentations, certainly this one, cause me to come home and poke 
around looking things up. As I write, I've just finished reading most 
every page on the wiki. I wouldn't have known to look there without 
your presentation to kick my re-interest.

Part of the point I made, which you reinforce, is that one cannot 
cover all the details in any presentation. One can only attempt to 
describe the shape of a world, and reference where further details can 
be obtained.

As Bob points out in the wiki - OpenWRT documentation is a morass. The 
wiki (crashcourse) itself is refreshing. (Thanks Bob! Lori too?) 
Essentially ... here' how to get up and going to a basic level of 
functionality. Directly, and quickly.

Black box. Mission critical. Wiki delivers.