Slackware Salute to Eric aka AlienBob
 

Hi,

I missed this email from Eric since I was playing golf the last few days; As a fellow Slackware user, I wish there was some way we as a community could help this generous Slackware team member. His contributions are unselfish and well produced thus very reliable for the Slackware community. His contributions over the years have been monumental.

Latest being the SlackwareLive ISO for the community to share a great distribution with our non-Slackware friends. We can give the SlackwareLive for them to test drive Slackware with little effort.

It is sad that corporations must trim and move work to other cheaper facilities. Our major employer in the Central Illinois area is Caterpillar. Their downsizing has caused many to move elsewhere to gain employment so they can continue to support their families.
I really feel for people who must sacrifice so they can continue to feed and support their family by relocation into areas unfamiliar and sometimes foreign to their lifestyle.

Any ideas as how we as a community can help Eric so he can continue his support of the Slackware community?

Eric, please forgive me if this over-stepping but since you posted to the email list then I saw no harm in sharing with members that have not subscribed.

BTW, Eric you have provided loads of time and effort to our community and myself. I wish to send you a big Thank You.
:hattip:

Very well-said, Gary! I echo the sentiments you eloquently stated. As a lead developer for Slackware Eric has freely given his time and expertise to greatly benefit our community.
Over the years Eric has helped me countless times with his sage advice and software contributions.
I wish you well, Eric, in your quest to find a new position. Your new employer will be very lucky to have you!

George

Slackware Salute to Eric aka AlienBob
 

+1 from me.

+1 from me as well.

I also cannot begin to express my gratitude for all Eric has done for the community over the years. I try to give a small donation to his efforts when ever I can. Here is the URL form Eric's blog for those who are interested in donating something for his work.

https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/we...72275b28239088

Eric has done so much good for Slackware. Best luck to him.

Hi guys, there is not so much you cando , nor do I want you to "do" anything. I will point potential new employers to this thread though :-)

Somewhere in the last week of September I should have a formal interview of a technical nature. I am after a job which requires a combination of organizational/management skills as well as deep technical skills (of the sort where a RHCE is a minimum skill requirement). I think I convinced the hiring manager that my organizational skill set is OK, but he wants his architect to grill me when he returns from holiday. This is a function which apparently they have been attempting to fill for a year, without success... no one who applied so far was good enough. That sets the bar fairly high for me.

Failing that, I will turn to Red Hat, Suse and the likes, or Yacht/Randstad. I am not ready to start a business of my own, I do not possess the skills to make that work out well.

What about gofundme account, it not asking for handouts, it's us returning gratitude for what you have earned. I just started using slackware early this year/late last year and I don't want to have to start another linux endeavor. Hope the best for ya.

Sites like gofundme or patreon are catering to short-term goals. I need work until I retire: i.e. a steady job. Living off donated money is not an option. First of all, I am not the one who develops Slackware, I am just one of the minions. Paying for Slackware would be more beneficial in the long term, since without Slackware we'd all be in deep shit.
Second, donations are hardly reliable even if Slackware survives the next 15 years. The donations I have been getting these past years have been gratefully received, and they pay for the server hardware at home and the cost of drawing power from the electrical grid 24/7. It also pays for the online server rent (bear, brin) and domain names. But it does not, did not, and will never do anything serious toward supporting my family. I would have to start capitalizing my Slackware related work, and that is something I will never do. What I create, I do for free.

So please all of you: keep using Slackware, make sure Pat's finances stay healthy and his interest in Slackware does not wane, and we will all benefit.

In the meantime, I will still deliver packages and ISOs and provide mirrors, and keep the Slackware Documentation Project alive. It's just that the priorities have shifted and that will impact my (gratis) output.

I understand it's not an permanent solution, I figure some of the revenue could help out until you get something steady. Whatever you decide, we'll have your back either way. Good day.

And I thank you as well.

I, as I hope many others, thank you for what you have provided in the past and what you are able to provide in the future.

Sure do appreciate your time and effort. Thanks a million

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU Eric !
 

Thank you SO much for all of your prolific work over the years on Slackware.

Any new employer would be fortunate to have the opportunity to have you join their organization.

Chin up Alien, this is going to be a POSITIVE change in your life!


I encourage everyone that has benefited from Eric's work to visit his blog http://alien.slackbook.org/blog/ and hit that donate button even to just contribute any small token sum. It is your expressed thoughts of appreciation that counts. This man SO very much deserves it.

The best of luck finding a new postition, Eric.

I'm sure something will come along.