I love podcasts, and one of my favorites is a program called Linux Action News (AKA Linux Action Show). To those who haven’t heard of it (it’s among the most popular Linux-related podcasts) it features topical Linux discussion, including recent distro updates. The hosts have been consistently responsive whenever I’ve tweeted them, and it occurred to me that they’d probably love to talk about Whonix if we reached out to them. Frankly I don’t even know whether they’re aware of the project, as they’ve never mentioned it, but they cover Tails and Tor updates all the time, so I think this would be right up their alley!
As I see it, this has the potential to garner substantial exposure to thousands of people, which could really be a boon to the Whonix community. But it’s just an idea, and I’m interested in hearing everyone else’s thoughts.
I think reaching out to them would be a great idea! Would you be willing to tweet them to see if they might be open to the idea? That may be a good start.
Okay guys, so Chris Fisher (host of Linux Action News and founder of Jupiter Broadcasting, the network to which LAN belongs) proposed a potential guest slot on another Jupiter Broadcasting program Linux Unplugged. I’ve been familiarizing myself with the show, and I think the format of the show, along with the platform in general (thousands of listeners) amounts to a really awesome opportunity to generate a ton of new awareness of, and interest in Whonix.
Jupiter Broadcasting is based out of Seattle, WA where I happen to live. I would be over-the-moon excited if Chris is down to do the episode in person in studio and everything. I haven’t run that by him because I want to guage your feelings on where this is going. I’m thinking you guys could give me all the big stuff you want me to make sure I discuss, and I’ll make sure every last sentence is covered. But I don’t want to go any further in planning this without your unanimous blessing. So … Thoughts?
It would be awesome if you were given the opportunity to spread the word about whonix. I do have a few questions:
Is the program scripted or does the host ask whatever he/she feels is important? The reason I ask is the guest, (you) would need to have a very good understanding of whonix -technical and otherwise- if the show was not scripted. If it was (scripted) you could write down all the talking points and post it on the forum for feedback prior to the show. Just an idea
Are you OK with public speaking or talking on camera.
Do you have time in your schedule to prepare for the show if it does look like its going to happen?
Thanks again for taking the initiative to do this!
All good questions, the second and third of which I can answer undoubtedly in the affirmative - I’m very comfortable with public speaking, and I can definitely make time for this. As for your first question, the primary reason Chris suggested Linux Unplugged as an alternative to Linux Action News is that the latter has a very strict format, whereas the former is more flexible in its structure, allowing for guest roles and off-the-cuff (unscripted) dialogue. That being said, it’s perfectly appropriate for me to discuss with Chris before anything else precisely what Whonix-related materials I can credibly address on the show. I’m familiar with much of the Whonix official documentation, however there are tangential topics I’m not at all in a position to address (like the early history of the project – not technical stuff per se, but more background info).
So I’ll shoot another DM to Chris and see what specifically he foresees for discussion, and I’ll return here with what I find.
Lastly, since I’m effectively forfeiting my anonymity anyway, I’m @theGNUminati on Twitter if anyone wants to connect.
I’ve had midterms all this week, so spare time has been in short supply. That being said, I’d like to make some time this weekend to compile some notes for my participation in Linux Unplugged next Tuesday. All the technical matters are very well laid out in the official Whonix documentation, but I’d also like to be able to discuss the background of the project to give listeners better context. If I compiled questions for you guys (for example, the early days of the project, its relationship to Tails and Tor in general, et cetera) would you guys be willing to provide basic answers?
Linux Unplugged has a pretty open format, so this will be more of a chit chat than a presentation. As I’ve indicated, the audience is familiar with Tails (Chris has discussed it multiple times on Linux Action News), but one huge goal of mine will be to convey the unique applicability and inherent value in Whonix. From following Whonix keyword searches on Twitter, it seems many casual followers of privacy-related Linux stuff are under the misconception that Whonix and Tails are somehow direct competitors, and that perhaps one is “better” or “worse.” This is a silly idea to me, because Whonix is not about making Tails obsolete - they’re two uniquely valuable distros that cater to distinct needs, and they each have their own special applicability. So that’s one thing that’s pretty important for me to get across, and I think one way to introduce that idea is to delve into the beginnings of Whonix, what was forked from Tails, how that’s changed over the years, that sorta thing.
Hopefully that example illustrates my reasoning for wanting a little more background knowledge on the project. I think with context, I’ll be much more capable of conveying the key points. Because the format of this podcast is pretty lax and conversational, I think it’ll be beneficial to not just list bullet points about the features of Whonix, but actually tell the story of what it is, in a way that attracts broader interest.
I’ll start jotting down questions for those of you who’ve been here from the beginning. We have plenty of time - the show records next Tuesday.
