Tyler Doherty’s Website

Ok, so right now my school, and 99% of other, upper, schools in our school district run Microsoft Windows XP. A ten year old operating system. I am a little guilty too, because I run WinXP on a 12 year old IBM Thinkpad A21p, designed for Windows 98, as an SSH server. That thing is now offically shut down as of now because there are so many parts failing, I’m now using a hacked router for the job. But back to the main topic. Now, I understand why this is happening, because most kids grew up around Windows. Oh, did I forget to mention the servers are running Windows 2000? Haha. dDos here I come. So yes, most kids grew up around Windows, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have a choice in what OS (Operating System) we get to use. Right now, in my house there are 5 Macintosh’s & 2 Linux boxes. All backended by UNIX. A very powerful back-end. Ok, but what does that have to do with refusing to use WinXp at school. Well, I’m used to growing up around minisupercomputers, with great knowledge into the way *NIX OS’s work, and the terminal. Along with that power comes security. There are so many holes in Windows Server 2000, and Windows XP, it’s not even funny. They also *have* to run anti-virus software, otherwise they will get screwed up. So I’ve decided that I will either be able to use a *NIX OS at school, or not use a computer at all. This is my way of peacfully protesting against the forceful way of having to use Windows. Right now Windows has 93% of the market share, and I’d like that to change. Linux has *most of the Sever market share, and my website is running on it right now. Thats because it is free, **Open Source, and easy to customize. Right now, every school has to buy a separate computer for everything they get, and use the site license, which are expensive. If schools used ***Linux then they could just have little work stations that pull everything they need out of a centralized (set of) server(s). No expensive licenses, no expensive computers. There is even an education edition of the most user friendly Linux Distribution (Ubuntu), called Edbuntu, with a bunch of educational software preloaded and a free Office suite of tools, a word processor, presentation, spreadsheet, etc.

Next time I goto school, and they need to use the computers, I will plain out refuse to do so, because of the vulnerability of our information. If they give my a detention, referral, whatever, I will still stand my ground for the fight for choice. Microsoft has locked most schools into having to use Windows, and I believe that can change. I refuse to use Windows for anything other than dev work, testing, and gaming, from the time this gets posted to forever.

NOTE: THIS IS AN OPINION STAED BY TYLER DOHERTY AND TYLERJD.COM. THIS IS NOT A PETITION OF ANY FORM. THIS IS AN EXERCISE OF AMENDMENT ONE. RIGHT TO THE PRESS FREE SPEECH AND PEACEFULLY PROTEST. THIS IS ALSO NOT AN AD FPR LINUX AND NOT PAYED FOR BY THE LINUX COMMUNITY.

**Open Source Licensed under the GPL.

***Specifically Ubuntu Linux.

Tyler school Windows, XP

So a few weeks ago, I went to visit my dad, and we became delayed in Tampa (as I was flying from Tampa to my dad’s house) we were delayed for a few reasons, A) The ramp people had to recount the bags to make sure that we were legal to take off (I was on a very full flight, on a older generation Boeing 737-300). In addition to having to check the bags, they had to put extra fuel on the plane, in case we diverted (there was dense fog in Texas). So People+bags+extra fuel= almost overweight. If we were overweight, they (SWA) would have to kick a non-revenue passenger off, someone like me, but as I was ahead in boarding than another person, they would of kicked her off. But we were not overweight so we went ahead and took off. That is the background story. And here comes where the nerver racking part is. So on approach into William P. Hobby Airport, we were cleared for the final approach, and we (the plane) needed to burn to the extra fuel off before we landed, so the captain called for full flaps and gear to be dropped early. The First Officer was flying, and he was a very junior pilot. As the landing gear and flaps dropped, the airspeed started to bleed off, rather quickly. The plane before the flaps and gear was ~10 knots above target approach speed, the speed at which you should be at on final approach, but as the combination bled off the speed, the plane got dangerously close to stalling. The stick shaker didn’t go off, but by the time the FO figured out that we were getting too slow, he threw the throttle all the way to max, from flight idle. As the plane was and older generation, the engines spooled up at different rates, and the plane banked to the left at 35* and pitched up at around 20*.  The  nerve racking part, other than what just happened, was to think what would of happened if we had stalled, as we were only a few hundred feet above to ground…

The rest of the flight was uneventful, but that is probably the most eventful flight I have ever been on.

Tyler Travel Florida, Houston, Southwest, SWA, Tampa, Texas, Trip

Wow! 8th grade already! It seem like just yesterday that I was starting 6th grade, knowing no one, and now, having an interconnected web of friends between the friends that went to my elementary school, and go to a different middle school then me, and all of my friends in my middle school. I’m friends with a lot of people, from a few of the most popular girls in school, to kids on the other end of the spectrum, and everything in between. I have learned a lot about everything. From learning physical science today, to learning how to ask a girl out. I came from a school that was extremely strict. I don’t think anyone officially asked anyone out in 5th grade, now you can watch down one hallway, and you can see at least 5 relationship beginning and ending. I have learned a lot. I came into the school in 6th grade wearing glasses, no hint of designer clothes, long socks as opposed to ankle socks. If you looked up “geek” or “nerd”, it would show a picture of me. When I heard a cuss word I flinched and almost told a teacher. I have changed quite abit in about 2 1/2 years. If you have known me for all three years, you will know. I now have a girlfriend and feel wanted, instead of a nobody and am not the biggest nerd in the world… well at least I don’t show it. I think that this year is going to be the most fun year of school yet! I mean, the way it has started has been great, and I am not going to let any boring Language Arts classes stop me from having fun. I love both my electives this year, first being Spanish, and the teacher is AMAZING, and second being Drama, with my most favoritest teacher ever (she taught my 6th grade geography class and she was amazing). So as you can see, I’m going to have an amazing year, with amazing friends, and (mostly) amazing teachers.

Tyler Home 8th grade, school