Ladies of PCLinuxOS: JRex

Note: This month's PCLinuxOS Lady is a relative newcomer to the forum, having just registered on September 28, 2010.

Can you start off by introducing yourself, and telling us a little bit about yourself? (Real name, where you live, marital status, children/grandchildren, hobbies/interests, etc).

I'm Jennifer Galloway, and I live in Huntersville, NC. I am happily married to Rudge. We have no children, unless you count our two dogs, Molly and Shinjo. I'm very active in my church (chancel choir, hand bell choir, and I'm currently serving on the board of Deacons). My hobbies include watching movies with Rudge, reading, listening to music, and making jewelry.

How did you get started in computers?

Back in 1993, I was the one person in my office who wasn't afraid of computers. Because of that, I got to be the person who installed software on the office desktops, and did troubleshooting for anyone who had problems with applications or connectivity.

What drew you to Linux?

I like the fact that Linux is community­ based. Distros exist because of the power of the group, and they improve because of it.

What was the first Linux distro that you used?

SuSE (I don't remember what version, sorry).

When did you first start using PCLinuxOS? What attracted you?

Rudge is the one who introduced me to PCLinuxOS. He fell in love with it because of the community and the design (he loves the rolling distro).

With Linux having a reputation of being a realm predominately populated by males, do you feel that your being a woman has an impact on your treatment by the rest of the community? If so, in what way?

IT in itself is a predominantly male area. I've been working in IT for a long time, over 10 years. I learned early on that in order to survive, I had to be able to roll with the punches, joke around, and most of all, apply logic to work through a situation. By doing that, I've been able to gain the respect of my male counterparts. The fact that I'm a woman doesn't factor in much as a result (except in making the guys jealous of Rudge for having a geek for a wife).

Do you feel that your use of Linux influences the reactions you receive from your computer peers or family? If so, how?

It gives me a different perspective to approaching common problems. In general, I've found that those who aren't familiar with Linux just don't get what I'm talking about, and those who do are Linux or Mac users themselves.

How do you feel you contribute to the PCLinuxOS community?

Being that I spend basically all of my time in the Sandbox, I think I contribute a quirky sense of humor.