Time for an interview!  Fellow Ubuntu Membership Board Member (that is a mouthful) Idleone agreed to part of the series. Thank you!

1. Tell as much as you’re willing about your “real life” like name, age, gender, location, family, religion, profession, education, hobbies, etc.

My name is Giovanni Chiazzese, my friends call me John or Johnny. I prefer Johnny I am 38 years old. I was born in Montreal, Canada and I also lived in the USA for 10 years. I speak 4 languages, some better than others, but I can make myself understood in all of them. I suppose my only real hobby is trying to help Ubuntu as much as I can.

2. When and how did you become interested in computers? in Linux? in Ubuntu?

I started using computers around 14 years ago after I saw my sister on IRC one day and told her that all those people she was talking to were all telling lies, a couple of weeks later I was hooked to IRC. I was interested in installing linux and after a miserable attempt with Mandrake. I told a friend about my experience and he suggested I try Ubuntu. This was  right around the time 5.10 was released. I tried a few other distros after that but none of them had the amazing community of Ubuntu so I kept coming back. I’ve been running Ubuntu as my only OS for 5 years.

3. When did you become involved in the forums (or the Ubuntu community)? What’s your role there?

My first involvement was when I ran into a snag with java, back in the 5.10 days we didn’t have nice easy packages. I joined #ubuntu and pretty much never left. I did support, as much as I could with my limited knowledge, then one day the IRC Council put out a call for operators and I was accepted.

4. Are you an Ubuntu member? If so, how do you contribute? If not, do you plan on becoming one?

I am an Ubuntu member and it is one of my proudest achievements. Second only to being elected/chosen  to the Ubuntu Membership board. When I first read the acceptance email I printed it out, it is sitting right here on my desk next to me.

5. What distros do you regularly use? What software? What’s your favorite application? Your least favorite?

Only distro I use is Ubuntu. My favorite application has to be Xchat, it is always the first thing I install.

6. What’s your fondest memory from the forums, or from Ubuntu overall? What’s your worst?

No answer given.

7. What luck have you had introducing new computer users to Ubuntu?

I haven’t really tried to “convert” anybody to Ubuntu. When someone asks me about Ubuntu I tend to focus on the community aspect instead of the technical. I figure if they are willing to try it out after they hear about how awesome I think the community is I did my job. How would I measure when they have been converted?

My mother does use Ubuntu on her laptop daily. She had got herself a new one and I took it and installed Ubuntu without asking, she hasn’t asked me for any help yet.

8. What would you like to see happen with Linux in the future? with Ubuntu?

I would like to see more schools switching to Linux, if they chose Ubuntu that would be great too.

9. If there was one thing you could tell all new Ubuntu users, what would it be?

The only reason I am an operator in the Ubuntu IRC channels and now part of the Ubuntu Membership board is because of all the great people in this community that showed me through their actions and hard work and patience towards me that I could be more than what I am.

I am Because you are.