dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

i have just finished my final day with my employer.
his parting gift to me after 9 years of service was to give me only half my final paycheque.

i had resigned after having to make a tough choice between finishing the open source onedotzero controller, or staying in work to do his closed project and letting down all the people in the collaborative endeavour.

i had hoped and prayed for the future to be bright and was planning to use this final paycheque as a buffer. I have put applications for jobs at nokia and surrounding companies, but I have simply run out of time.

i believe in this platform with all my heart and have been involved with it for a long time and think I have been making a difference.

i cannot afford now to go to the summit (hotels and airfare is only one small fraction).
i have to stop everything and concentrate on finding a local job to keep my family afloat.

we simply cannot afford to pay the bills.

if anyone can help, i have a paypal account on my server: http://liqbase.net

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Good luck pal. I would imagine that the onedotzero controller is a pretty cool feature on your resume ;)

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Wow.... Very bad news...

What your employer did was not legal, by the way.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

We all talk about how open source helps our operating system and our apps. Features and bugfixes come so fast and furious with all the help. People here want a part of marketing and brainstorming and everything else having to do with Maemo.

Let's apply this to getting lcuk a job. If anyone has any openings, please pass them along to him ASAP.

It's the least we can do for him.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Please try to come to the Summit anyway.... We all want to see you!!!

I'm sure you can get all your meals paid for, at least... I'm sure we can all chip in for your train/bus fare, too.

The Summit is also a good networking opportunity for you, and I don't mean WLAN.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

nokia should step up and if they can't offer him a job hire him for a project so the transition period will be smoother... if they can buy dopplr for millions i am sure they will be able to hire a great Software Architekt

lcuk thanks for the onedotzero project & sorry to hear it has cost you your job

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

yes qole it is a great place.
which was why i put a lot of faith in getting there.

it is the end of the end though - i come back from the summit with no way to last until word comes through.
this month i am ****ed.

btw, he technically is entitled because apparently i have to work the full year to get my holiday entitlement.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Your donation button points to a "tbrooke" address, is that correct?

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

yes qole :)
tracy brooke, mrs le coq

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Come on everyone, pass around the virtual hat, and pitch in a few dollars or pounds or rubles or rupees.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

thank you

Heinrich Schäfer
Alan Bruce
Samppa Savola

if people can be as generous as you guys I hope we will be able to make it.
i feel so bad having to request donations in this manner.

the bank has just informed me the final cheque wont even have cleared in time.
a cluster **** and not what i expected at all.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Don't. I don't even want to hear you say that, man. People love ya, remember? :)

I'd send you a few bucks myself, but I barely have enough for myself right now with this huge move looming over my head. In the meantime, I'll put my feelers out for jobs for you.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Hi lcuk,

Don't go like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_the_lucky_stiff it is pretty normal to change jobs at times. The trick is to not post how desperate you are but to see this as a chance and communicate (out of a forum) with people about what you want.

Greetings

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

I must say that I envy _why's ability to be so well known and yet remain so anonymous. He even managed to speak at conferences under his online name.

I really am starting to think that in the 21st century, our online personas are just as important as our "muggle" names...

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

yes, this part was not planned at all.
Its the first ever job I've left and never heard about being short changed, so expected and planned for mostly a full final wage.

thank you very much for your donation, it means a lot.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

lcuk

Sorry for the news.

A suggestion - moving your employment bit to the top of your liqbase web page would highlight it better - no point in having people have to go to the bottom to find the important stuff...

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

I feel for you, Gary, having just escaped 6 months unemployment.

I will gladly help where I can. Nokia managers would be CRAZY not to hire you ASAP.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Would a collective push from members of this forum be useful to that aspect? If it is we should go for it.. or attempt to. ?

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

texrat, that is the hope

you guys are amazing :$

a massive thank you to the generous people from the community who have donated and offered help so far
Varghese B George
Thomas Waelti
Andrew Flegg
Tim Samoff
Stephen Marsh
Kees Jongenburger
Gerald Koblentz
Heinrich Schäfer
Alan Bruce
Samppa Savola

all the people in my irc box too, I do hope to have an open future.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Whatever it takes for you to feel comfortable coming to the Summit, man. It will do you good to be surrounded by friends for a few days.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

:( so many sad things happening lately...

i hope you can still come to the summit! and qole is right, when you're around like minded people, it can help ease the stress.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

This is really sad news. I hope you will get a job soon, lcuk.
I'm pretty confident that you'll get a job soon. Your work is simply amazing!
I think the Nokia Maemo team would be the ideal employer for you.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

i hope you get a new work soon.
we love you!

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Lcuk, dont feel bad about asking - in thse tough times we are all in the same boat - even having a job now is not a permanent security - but at least we will help each other in these times.

I admire the work you do... and being an immigrant worker, I know the strugles one has to go through to last thru tough times ...
so our commiserations are with you - and a financial helping hand to what ever extent we can all pull.

Dont feel bad for asking. You did everything for the tablets without asking. So this is your day for asking man.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

It depends on how that push takes shape. For my part I will check with my LinkedIn contacts and see what I can do.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

come on, guys! you are not goin' to spend 600$ for the N900 which you obviously don't need without giving some money to a great contributor to the community who just needs the money!

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Loads of Nokia jobs here

http://nokia.taleo.net/careersection...ia.state=false

Sadly not that local, but needs must

Good luck to you lcuk
Mike C

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Ok, Gary, step one: join www.linkedin.com, create a profile, and add me to your network. Add qole, timsamoff, sjgadsby and baloo too (there's a LinkedIn thread here that may help). We'll take it from there. ;)

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

They have been adding plenty in bursts, especially lately. Most of the cool new jobs are in maemo and internet business.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Wow Gary you don't waste time!

Make sure to add Roope Rainisto, Quim Gil and Tero Kojo as well.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Sad news :(

Anyway, please come to the summit. I'm with Qole, we can fund you easily there, divided for all of us will be like peanuts :), and will be very good for you for sure.

Best luck.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

I do not waste time because I have no time.
I have created the account and added all I can right now, thanks for the pointer.

I am so proud of you guys for this help, I have a growing list of people who have donated and if it keeps up at this rate will be able to get over this rough patch and should make it to the summit :)

It is incredibly humbling to read your kind words and to accept the amounts small and large people have donated so far.
the list on my website is growing and I will try to keep it updated.

http://liqbase.net

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

I tried to help a bit too. Nothing much, but I need to draw a limit otherwise I'd donate all I have :)

I am myself a factory-worker wishing I was a coder, so I envy your skills and do hope you find a new job really fast. I briefly looked at liqbase, and eventhough I don't know yet what I would need it for, the program looked cool so I want to find something to do with it :)

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Feel free to add me as well: Jason Carter, Quebec City. :)
http://www.linkedin.com/profile?view...US&trk=tab_pro

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

i have already indicated I will go wherever I have to to do perform my duties.
I have applied for the roles which fit my profile and whilst in London at the onedotzero festival did all I could to increase my profile.

I *really* like the community round here and personally think I have found my true calling, my entire family have their fingers and toes crossed.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

Your family here has them crossed for you, too.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

I have few contacts in the US and India (sadly not much in UK). Feel free to add me at linkedin (vkv.raju@gmail.com - Kasi Viswanath)

Thanks for your work and BEST of Luck (to Lcuk ;))

Cheers,

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

I have now completely filled in my linkedin profile and added everyone I can think of.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/gary-birkett/16/550/41b

Doing this has reminded me of some of the other work I have done around the community, and all I can do is smile and the support you guys have shown this evening.

Tracy is checking the finances and we are trying to find out if we have enough to come.

please donate if you have not already :$

i will update the site after I have slept.


this is the first time I have ever stepped away from a job and hope to never have an experience like this again.
I was naive to think my boss would treat me fairly, especially after I spent as long as I had with him am still shocked and upset at this turn of events.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

I'll donate as soon as I can get on my laptop on a secure connection. I am on my n800 @ Architecture school @ UMD. I'm a graduate student so I don't have much to give but I hope what I can contribute helps.

You have a great mind and great skills as a coder. Don't lose hope.

Re: dropping out of summit, out of the game.
 

I don't really know you, but I saw the video of you demonstrating liqbase @ the summit last year... so I feeeeel that I know you .....

so I threw a few squid into the pool

Add me on linkedin people - I'm lonely
http://www.linkedin.com/in/ajkerr

...even though I am in a completely different industry - it can't hurt!