[svlug] DTV transition, and SVLUG

[Rick Moen]

Passing along to help out James, who's not yet a member of this mailing
list (but I've invited him to join).

----- Forwarded message from svlug-owner at lists.svlug.org -----

Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2008 16:43:06 -0500
From: James Miller <James.Miller at fcc.gov>
To: svlug at lists.svlug.org, volunteers at lists.svlug.org
Subject: Wednesday December 3 Meeting

I am a former Unix / Network Admin in the Bay Area currently employed at
the Federal Communications Commission and serving as the DMA Coordinator
to the North State California Chico-Redding area and working on special
projects.  I am interested in providing an information session on the
Digital Television (DTV) Transition that will occur nationwide on
February 17, 2009 and especially the role that technically savy
volunteers can play in helping folks at risk in the transition.  As you
know when the DTV transition occurs all full-power Television Stations
will cease analog television transmission and transmit only DTV signals.
Analog televisions will not be able to display those signals without a
"converter box" and the FCC is currently conducting a variety of
outreach efforts throughout the nation.

 

I will be in the SF area over the course of December through February
and in SF area the week of 11/30-12/4 and am speaking with LUGs and
other groups in the area (Aside: spoke to Nacho-who's sadly in Boston
this week--and Peter at SMAUG.) 

 

My experience working in the Bay area in the late nineties was that many
folks active in LUGs were also doing a variety of volunteer activities
in their communities, such as refurbing old PCs for people in need and
providing training or other educational activities for people in need--I
worked at Resonate in Mt. View at the time and was over in East Palo
Alto on occasion.  My hope is that folks active in the technical
community doing such work might also inform at risk communities about
the DTV Transition and also offer some help for folks who have yet to
get converter boxes or are otherwise unprepared for the transition.

 

If you're on the list and are doing something that we could help partner
with or would have time to discuss and offer any ideas I'd greatly
appreciate talking with folks.

 

(Hope this is an appropriate crosspost to svlug and volunteers...)

 

Warm regards,

 

--

James Miller, Attorney Advisor

FCC Office of Engineering and Technology 

Private and Confidential Attorney Work Product
 

----- End forwarded message -----