How puppy linux found me the girl of my dreams...;-)
Posted: Wed 09 May 2007, 22:25
Hi Everyone
Ive been just about absent from the forum over the last few months, I feel some explanation is necessary. How Im going to write Im not quite sure...Im not quite sure if it should be in here or under "off topic". If the title wasnt "*truly* off topic", then it would be. As you know from this thread, I set up a cybercafe at our local community centre using Puppy. This is used by many of the local people for accessing email, applying for jobs, researching, IM recreation etc.
One day about three months ago, a (rather good looking if I say so myself) woman came into the cafe, wanting to use Skype to telephone some solicitors in Spain. We tracked them down using google maps and the Spanish telephone directory online, and had some important documents sent over. Stacey (as she was called) had access to a XP computer at her mothers house, but, although being an expensive model and only a couple of years old, ran so slow it was practically unusable. Virus warnings flashed up constantly which put her mother on edge, in between spam spyware messages. Her mother had got so worried by this that the computer had practically become something that they dare not use. She much preferred the puppy computers in the community centre for their solid reliability, and because there was so much more software available. This was despite the fact that the entire ten pc cybercafe cost just a tenth of the price of the single home computer.
Since this was pretty curious, I got chatting and found out about Stacey and her situation. She had grown up locally, but had gone off the rails as a teenager and ended up in Benidorm, Spain. There she had fallen into the wrong crowd and the "party lifestyle which resulted in her becoming homeless. A local "club owner" had taken her in, with whom she had an on off relationship and had fallen pregnant. Immediately on finding this out, she returned back to England and had her daughter Jessica in 1999.
When Jessica was five, her father in Spain gave repeated re-assurances that he would sell his club and give up the "lifestyle", and settle down to be a good father to Jessica. Stacey and Jessica returned to Spain where they lived for a year together and another year apart. Nothing that was promised changed and Jessica was growing up fast, and starting to take things in from her environment when her father had her at weekends - drugs, drink and vice. After a holiday back in Britain over christmas 2005, Stacey, and Jess, took the decision to stay in England, and give access rights here to Jessicas father, away from the influences of Benidorm.
After they returned to England, Jess settled quickly into life here and quickly forgot what Spanish she new, and cought up and began to excel at School. Jessicas father visited a couple of times and seemed happy with the arrangement. Jessica was thriving in her new environment. 11 months and 19 days afterwards, two policemen arrived at Stacey's door, and told her that she was accused of child abduction, that she would have to attend court and be sent back to Benidorm. They took both of their passports and left, with instructions that they were under police observation and must not stay anywhere else. The action was brought using an obscure and ancient international agreement called the Hague convention, which explicitly states that "welfare is not a consideration". Stacey and Jessica must return to Spain, where they would have to live in an apartment provided by Jessicas father, with no means of financial support, they would not be eligeable for legal aid, and it could take anything up to two years to complete.
Stacey told me she wanted to set up a website - www.jessicasvoice.org.uk, and create as much publicity about her case as possible on the TV, newspapers and the radio. I set her up a site from the cybercafe in an evening using the open source Drupal CMS, our company linux hosting account and the puppy powered computers. Stacey quickly became a linux convert, and found her way around the new system in no time at all. Through the website we have heard from many mothers, often fleeing abusive relationships and intolerable situations, that have been forced to return to those situations in countries with questionable justice systems. Often their lives have been put in danger and the trauma has had dire consequences on the development of the children.
Over the next few months, I got gradually more and more involved in the case. I worked with Stacey on viral marketing, running a website, and in dealing with the press and the media. We visited Downing Street and enlisted the support of politicians who were hoping to reform the Hague convention to take child welfare as a consideration. At one time we were denied legal aid to fight the return, so we raised £10,000 with the help of generous donors to carry on. Over time I grew very close to her (and Jess) and I admired the determination with which she fought the system. We seemed to have an unnerring knack of communication. One thing led to another and we fell head over heels in love. On the 19th of March this year, we tied the knot. It was a great day, with the funds from the reception being donated to our legal appeal.
Through the use of open source software, we are able to effectively manage a media campaign, legal documents, email, scanning, printing, edit websites, making phone calls and publishing pictures. Stacey has twice now been ordered by the high court in London to cease activities on the website, but this just makes other people on other sites talk about it more. We managed to apply pressure on the court to allow Jessica's views and opinions to be canvassed (even though they were eventually ignored by the court). This means that all other children must have their views heard in court in future cases too, which is a start. We are still fighting the case on a day to day basis on donated and otherwise outdated P.C.'s. Our final court date is on the 12th of June. Even if a return order is made, the advice that we were able to exchange with other mothers and legal experts will allow us to challenge it. Currently we are trying to raise another £7000 in time to file a residence order in Spain. Despite the case costing the U.K. taxpayer more than £100,000 so far for lawyers and court fees, our legal aid will not cover applications to foreign courts, despite our legal system awarding the non-english speaking father all of his costs.
The internet, and affordable access to it, is critical to injustices being exposed, people to arm themselves with knowledge, and apply pressure to create change in our social and legal systems. Puppy linux and open source is a crucial part of allowing that to happen. I am sorry that the case has taken up so much of my time, because it is such a worthy project, for environment, social and economic reasons. I believe that this technology will revolutionise how we live our lives, account for our actions and find solutions to problems. Allowing this technology to be dominated by a large Bush-funding corporate monopoly would set the human race back years. Thanks again everyone for contributing to such a great project.
Heres a few pics
Wedding day
Wedding invite...puppy linux and openoffice.
New blogger on the block
Petition to the Prime Minister
Ive been just about absent from the forum over the last few months, I feel some explanation is necessary. How Im going to write Im not quite sure...Im not quite sure if it should be in here or under "off topic". If the title wasnt "*truly* off topic", then it would be. As you know from this thread, I set up a cybercafe at our local community centre using Puppy. This is used by many of the local people for accessing email, applying for jobs, researching, IM recreation etc.
One day about three months ago, a (rather good looking if I say so myself) woman came into the cafe, wanting to use Skype to telephone some solicitors in Spain. We tracked them down using google maps and the Spanish telephone directory online, and had some important documents sent over. Stacey (as she was called) had access to a XP computer at her mothers house, but, although being an expensive model and only a couple of years old, ran so slow it was practically unusable. Virus warnings flashed up constantly which put her mother on edge, in between spam spyware messages. Her mother had got so worried by this that the computer had practically become something that they dare not use. She much preferred the puppy computers in the community centre for their solid reliability, and because there was so much more software available. This was despite the fact that the entire ten pc cybercafe cost just a tenth of the price of the single home computer.
Since this was pretty curious, I got chatting and found out about Stacey and her situation. She had grown up locally, but had gone off the rails as a teenager and ended up in Benidorm, Spain. There she had fallen into the wrong crowd and the "party lifestyle which resulted in her becoming homeless. A local "club owner" had taken her in, with whom she had an on off relationship and had fallen pregnant. Immediately on finding this out, she returned back to England and had her daughter Jessica in 1999.
When Jessica was five, her father in Spain gave repeated re-assurances that he would sell his club and give up the "lifestyle", and settle down to be a good father to Jessica. Stacey and Jessica returned to Spain where they lived for a year together and another year apart. Nothing that was promised changed and Jessica was growing up fast, and starting to take things in from her environment when her father had her at weekends - drugs, drink and vice. After a holiday back in Britain over christmas 2005, Stacey, and Jess, took the decision to stay in England, and give access rights here to Jessicas father, away from the influences of Benidorm.
After they returned to England, Jess settled quickly into life here and quickly forgot what Spanish she new, and cought up and began to excel at School. Jessicas father visited a couple of times and seemed happy with the arrangement. Jessica was thriving in her new environment. 11 months and 19 days afterwards, two policemen arrived at Stacey's door, and told her that she was accused of child abduction, that she would have to attend court and be sent back to Benidorm. They took both of their passports and left, with instructions that they were under police observation and must not stay anywhere else. The action was brought using an obscure and ancient international agreement called the Hague convention, which explicitly states that "welfare is not a consideration". Stacey and Jessica must return to Spain, where they would have to live in an apartment provided by Jessicas father, with no means of financial support, they would not be eligeable for legal aid, and it could take anything up to two years to complete.
Stacey told me she wanted to set up a website - www.jessicasvoice.org.uk, and create as much publicity about her case as possible on the TV, newspapers and the radio. I set her up a site from the cybercafe in an evening using the open source Drupal CMS, our company linux hosting account and the puppy powered computers. Stacey quickly became a linux convert, and found her way around the new system in no time at all. Through the website we have heard from many mothers, often fleeing abusive relationships and intolerable situations, that have been forced to return to those situations in countries with questionable justice systems. Often their lives have been put in danger and the trauma has had dire consequences on the development of the children.
Over the next few months, I got gradually more and more involved in the case. I worked with Stacey on viral marketing, running a website, and in dealing with the press and the media. We visited Downing Street and enlisted the support of politicians who were hoping to reform the Hague convention to take child welfare as a consideration. At one time we were denied legal aid to fight the return, so we raised £10,000 with the help of generous donors to carry on. Over time I grew very close to her (and Jess) and I admired the determination with which she fought the system. We seemed to have an unnerring knack of communication. One thing led to another and we fell head over heels in love. On the 19th of March this year, we tied the knot. It was a great day, with the funds from the reception being donated to our legal appeal.
Through the use of open source software, we are able to effectively manage a media campaign, legal documents, email, scanning, printing, edit websites, making phone calls and publishing pictures. Stacey has twice now been ordered by the high court in London to cease activities on the website, but this just makes other people on other sites talk about it more. We managed to apply pressure on the court to allow Jessica's views and opinions to be canvassed (even though they were eventually ignored by the court). This means that all other children must have their views heard in court in future cases too, which is a start. We are still fighting the case on a day to day basis on donated and otherwise outdated P.C.'s. Our final court date is on the 12th of June. Even if a return order is made, the advice that we were able to exchange with other mothers and legal experts will allow us to challenge it. Currently we are trying to raise another £7000 in time to file a residence order in Spain. Despite the case costing the U.K. taxpayer more than £100,000 so far for lawyers and court fees, our legal aid will not cover applications to foreign courts, despite our legal system awarding the non-english speaking father all of his costs.
The internet, and affordable access to it, is critical to injustices being exposed, people to arm themselves with knowledge, and apply pressure to create change in our social and legal systems. Puppy linux and open source is a crucial part of allowing that to happen. I am sorry that the case has taken up so much of my time, because it is such a worthy project, for environment, social and economic reasons. I believe that this technology will revolutionise how we live our lives, account for our actions and find solutions to problems. Allowing this technology to be dominated by a large Bush-funding corporate monopoly would set the human race back years. Thanks again everyone for contributing to such a great project.
Heres a few pics
Wedding day
Wedding invite...puppy linux and openoffice.
New blogger on the block
Petition to the Prime Minister
Should I do a poll to see how many people this has happened to?
