Talk:Eugene XO User Group

Slow progress, but it's going. The curser pad wants human electricity. My fingernail gives better control than my finger pad. A stylus might work, but it would have to be copper, short, with good skin contact and smooth enough to leave the plastic undamaged over time. I'll stay with the fingernail.

Working while plugged into the wall outlet is not a problem.

Reading through the confused mess of the online documentation is painful and informative and mysterious and nonspecific/basic/pedestrian enough for my level of profound computer ignorance. So tell me how the little kid is supposed to figure this out again?

I think the neighborhood view is valuable. Don't yet know enough about mesh. I assume the green circles are hot and working now, but what is the half-filled blue circle with the padlock?

The screen goes to standby black after 10 minutes or so. That's a nice touch. Of course, I thought the machine had died until I pressed the Enter key.

I would sure like to meet with you guys. Word on the street is that the Goat coffee shop on Madison next to the tracks has the best connectivity signal. Last time I was there it looked like a dive but I guess they're hot, for some reason. Having no experience with WiFi, I'll go anywhere you like to meet and confer. Please advise.

--Weirdwilbur 19:44, 22 December 2007 (EST)

Whats wrong with this page?

I wonder why part of my text is in the shaded box? I didn't do that. Obviously I've done something wrong, but it looked okay while I was typing. Oh well. --Weirdwilbur 19:50, 22 December 2007 (EST)

It is the Wiki formatting convention that paragraphs prefixed with spaces are put in a monospace font. You should instead separate paragraphs with a blank line. Check Help:Editing for more Wiki formatting tips. --IanOsgood 21:07, 22 December 2007 (EST)

Get Together?

Want to challenge ourselves to all get the tmobile accounts going and meet at Borders or Starbucks? My best dates are January 3,4,5,6. -JKrauss

Hello Eugenean XO'ers. I added myself to the introduction page. Pleased to meet you. And I would like to get together. I'm anxious to see the mesh network in action. I got configured on T-Mobile and I've tried the Hot Spot at Starbucks on Broadway and Pearl successfully. I also tried at Safeway tonight and that worked. The wi-fi spot that does not work so far is the public library--I wonder if it is the WPA security issue that the wiki FAQ points out does not work with the XO. I'm still exploring that. I'd have to meet in the evening after 6 p.m. The 3rd or 4th of January would be good dates. MaryG.

HI MARY! It only takes two of us so maybe we should circle in on the 4th after 5:00. I had trouble with WPA but this blog entry explains how we solved it blog

Yes, let's

I’m good for Starbucks @ Broadway & Pearl on the 4th @ 6:30PM, if that’s good for you. I was able to get on the T-Mobile @ the Wandering Goat yesterday but I’ve got some questions about it having more to do with my not being familiar with WiFi, I think. I guess we’ll find each other by our funny looking computers.--Weirdwilbur 00:04, 28 December 2007 (EST)

OK Mary and Wilbur, let's plan on the 4th at 6:30 pm at starbucks downtown. Mary: I had trouble with WPA but this blog entry explains how we solved it blog - JKrauss

I'll see you both then! More connectivity news: WiFi at Indra's Internet Cafe in Cosmic Pizza works easily with the XO. The Library's WiFi is NOT offered with WPA or WPA2 security so that's not the problem. I have a theory--tell you Thursday. MG

Just to be clear---the 4th is on Friday. Still okay I hope. I'm happy to change nights if you prefer. --Weirdwilbur 21:57, 30 December 2007 (EST)

Yep Friday's the day, OK? Starbucks? Use the t-mobile gift? Jane

Okay, I'm the date-challenged person in the group. Friday the 4th--got it! MG

Jane: What is WPA? I tried to use your blog link to find out but the link failed to take me where I wanted to go. --Weirdwilbur 02:19, 1 January 2008 (EST)

Dear Jane and Wilbur--I forgot that I'm working Friday night til 8pm. Soooooo, either I need to go back to asking for our meet-up to be on Thursday, 1/3, at 6:30 or meet later on Friday. Prefer Thursday! I'm sorry for the complication...Happy New Year, MG

Thursday is fine for me. How about you, Jane?--Weirdwilbur 23:26, 1 January 2008 (EST)

Sorry, Thursday is my son's birthday. We could meet later on Friday, say start at 7:30? MG joins us at 8:00? I can also meet another time, just not Thurs. ALSO - Is everyone OK with the RG stopping by? I talked to Anne Williams today and she thought the paper might be interested in doing a story. I like the idea of bringing more local XO'ers out of the woodwork this way

Later Friday night is fine with me. The RG is okay with me, I suppose, if that's what you want to do, but it seems a little odd.--Weirdwilbur 22:23, 2 January 2008 (EST) Jane here -- chances of RG coming is slim, yet if Anne or someone else comes I was thinkingit was more of a lurking situation, not interviews. See you at 6:30.

Keep Original Meet-up Plan!

Hey everyone--keep the original plan of Friday, January 4th, at Broadway and Pearl Starbucks at 6:30 p.m. That Starbucks closes at 8 p.m. even on Friday night so meeting later to accomodate me won't leave enough time to power-up XO's, try out mesh, meet each other, and get interviewed. I know there'll be a second chance for me to meet you. You've got three now (Mark added his name to the events listing attendees along with Jane and Wilbur) -- that seems like a critical mass to go with the first Eugene XO users group meet-up. Have fun and keep me posted on next get together. MG

OK mary, got you. Thanks for the go-ahead.

The meeting is in an hour and the storm appears to be upon us. Still want to do this?--Weirdwilbur 20:27, 4 January 2008 (EST)

So did the storm keep the little XO's from meshing or did some of you meet? MG. 1-7-08

Yes. We did meet. Mark, Linda and her husband and my bewildered self. I learned some, got some questions answered. I would like to meet again, but the tables at Starbucks are small and they needed to close at eight o’clock so there was a bit of time pressure. Wilbur 1-16-08

Start of Next Meet-Up Discussion Including an XO Location Problem

I'm so glad some of you got together. For the next time we don't have to be limited to Starbucks just because of the T-Mobile WiFi. I've been picking up wifi at places like Cosmic Pizza (the Strand Building), Peruginos, Paradise Cafe (and Les Schwab!) If we can find a night when there's no band at Cosmic Pizza/the Strand that might be a location to try.

I'd love to suggest we meet at Eugene Public Library in a study room but here's the dilemma that I need to have someone else test out: The library is the one location where I can't get the XO to work! In certain rooms or areas the XO freezes -- sometimes without working at all after powering up, and sometimes freezing after some short period of use. In no location in the building can I complete the wireless connection. Nobody I know thinks the Radio Frequency ID technology that is used for materials check-out and security is the problem. I have checked and the city wireless network is not WPA or WPA2 which is good according to the OLPC wiki. I've written to the OLPC help desk and the response so far was a link to the OLPC wiki page on how to reload the operating system. No way am I doing that -- at least not before one of you tries out your XO in the library. It doesn't make sense since the XO works in all other locations...Thanks, MG 1-16-08

WiFi Access At Home

So, I called T-Mobile to see what it might cost to upgrade their free year of service so I could go on-line from my home, saving me the bummer of driving down town just to play with my new toy. They said that they cannot give me home WiFi without my buying into their regular telephone service. They suggested that I call Comcast. (My home computer runs on the Comcast cable service.) Comcast told me that I have two options: they can come to my house and install their ‘wireless router’ for $150 plus $2/month, OR, I can buy my own wireless router, for $50 to $100, hook it up myself, and I’m done. Comcast uses both ‘Linksys’ and ‘Netgear’ brand routers, so I will buy whichever I can find at Circuit City. I know they have Linksys in stock. Comcast's only warning is to be sure to setup the WEP (wireless equivalent protection) security lock. When you set up the WEP you have to choose a security phrase, without which no one else can use your band, or see what you are doing on your computer. --Weirdwilbur 23:40, 1 January 2008 (EST)

The Linksys wireless works great at home with the XO. The best part is that the router appears to have no ill effect on my desktop computer. Weirdwilbur 1-7-08

That's great--thanks for letting us know. I had the most fun with my XO today picking up wireless Internet at Les Schwab (in Salem) while I waited for my tires to be rotated and balanced. They have free coffee too! I used the book reader format for the screen and started to read a Willa Cather novel from Bartlebys.com. MG

That's great! I want to do the same. Please tell us (me) how you made the book-download happen. Wilbur 1-16-08

That's great! I want to do the same. Please tell us (me) how you made the book-download happen. Wilbur 1-16-08

I use an Airport Extreme at home and can connect with no problems. Use ASCI for passphrase. Using 656 ship.2 on G1G1 XO. I have also connected to wireless links in Motels in Portland and Bend with the XO. I have acquired a Linksys USB 2.0 Network Adapter to try a Cat5 connection. (Model suggested on OLPC Wiki as usable.) Has anyone tried a cabled connection to a home network? XOsatellit Coquille OR.

Using the XO

Didn't mean to give you a misperception about the book. I didn't download it. I just found one on the Internet at Bartlebys and read it while I was still on the Internet. Downloading would be "advanced XO" for me to figure out! However, on the figuring it out side I have bought a flash drive and learned how to save a document from the XO on to the flash drive and open it on my home computer--did that with a photo too. Also saved a document from my home computer on to the flash drive and opened it up on the XO. MG 1-16-08