Heroes of Linux and FOSS: Ken Starks, AKA Helios

LXer Feature: 04-Oct-2007 This was originally going to be a comment attached to Build 'em Right, Build 'em Strong, Build 'em Linux. Then it grew and grew, and I decided that Ken deserved his own feature. And then I realized that there are a lot of unsung heroes of FOSS, so watch this space for future installments. I encourage all of you fine LXers to write your own "Heroes" features- there are a lot of people out there who deserve some recognition.

This seems like a good time for a Ken Starks retrospective. This is the man who, despite some rather gnarly health problems churns out blog entries and interesting Linux projects by the truckload.

My personal favorite is the Hacking Pirate Granny. Yes, Ken corrupted a resident of a Senior Citizen Assisted Living Center:
86 Year Old Great-Grandmother Hoists The Jolly Roger

Ken marched on Washington DC to battle the RIAA. I couldn't find any links, unfortunately (drat you Ken, they're in your blog somewhere!! I looked and looked and looked! What did you do with them?)

Ken and associates got a Tux-sponsored car in the Indy 500, despite a considerable amount of whining from the supposed community. Free advice to the do-nothing whiners: lead, follow, or get out of the way.
Tux enters the Indy 500

Migrated an entire business from Windows to Linux:
One Small Business Gladly Gives Microsoft the Boot

Ken's blog entries about this vastly entertaining and suspenseful saga came to a screeching halt, due to a gag order.

And now he's running a program that delivers computers and low-cost Internet to schoolkids:
Build 'em Right, Build 'em Strong, Build 'em Linux

It's hard to imagine how a man who needs to earn an income and battle a serious illness, or even a totally healthy person with nothing else to do, can find the time and energy to do everything that Ken has done. Way to go, Ken!