The Ubuntu Community Council is the primary community (i.e., non-technical) governance body for the Ubuntu project. In this series of 7 interviews, we go behind the scenes with the community members who were elected in 2013 serve on this council with Mark Shuttleworth.
In this, our third interview, we talk with Laura Czajkowski about her work from the Ubuntu LoCo in Ireland to her current role at Couchbase.
Tell us a little about yourself
A little about me, I hail from Castleconnell, Co. Limerick Ireland and moved to England 4 years ago and now live in Guildford with my 6 hens and a pug called Bash. I am passionate about open source and communities and will happily talk about these subjects over a beverage or two for hours! By day I’m the Developer Community Manager at Couchbase, where I work with the developer advocate team talking about Couchbase Mobile and Server.
What was your first computing experience?
I was given an Amiga 500 as a kid and played games for a chunk of time till I went to secondary school/high School and did Computer Programming in Basic for a year.
How long have you been involved with Ubuntu?
I got involved in Ubuntu around ‘06/07 sometime
What are some of the projects you’ve worked on in Ubuntu over the years?
I started off being involved in my loco and on IRC and from there just jumped straight in and onto various projects. Ubuntu Ireland Ubuntu UK,Membership board, LoCo Council Ubuntu Leadership (development of leadership), Ubuntu Bug Control, Ubuntu Bugsquad, Ubuntu Accomplishments, NGO project and Ubuntu Women
There is so much choice out there hopefully you can find something that excites you to get involved.
What is your focus in Ubuntu today?
I’m on the Community Council, helping and supporting people where I can. I’m logged on permanently on IRC in various locations czajkowski on freenode if you ever want to talk or bounce ideas about Ubuntu and the community and I’m involved in the loco communities.
Do you contribute to other free/open source projects? Which ones?
Couchbase 🙂
If you were to give a newcomer some advice about getting involved with Ubuntu, what would it be?
We’re a welcoming community, and open to people who have varying experience levels and expertise. Try different things out and find out what works best for you. In Ubuntu there are many ways to contribute to be involved and have fun. Some of my closest friends are those I met from being involved in Ubuntu.
Always have fun. Always ask for help, and know it’s ok to ask for help. Always know it’s ok to take a break and come back. Always welcome!
Do you have any other comments else you wish to share with the community?
Nothing is perfect and everything can always be worked and improved upon. Ubuntu is no different, it’s not perfect but you do have a voice and a community you can talk to on IRC, Forums, Mailing Lists.
Have fun using Ubuntu and share your experience with others where ever you can.
New to this series? Check out our previous two Community Council interviews: