Meet Jane Silber

[TheFridge]

<p>Everyone’s asking about Jane — now we have some answers, straight from the source. As the COO of Canonical and head of business development, Jane plays a crucial role in the breathtaking growth of the Ubuntu juggernaut!</p>
<p>In a lengthy interview at the Desktop Linux Summit in San Diego, Computer World ask about the upcoming Ubuntu 6.06 LTS release and <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/softwaretopics/os/linux/story/0,10801,110860,00.html">business strategy</a>. Meanwhile, the BehindUbuntu team quiz Jane about Canonical’s <a href="http://behindubuntu.org/interviews/JaneSilber/">inner workings</a>, and what she enjoys most about working on the project.</p>
<p><strong >Bonus Newsflash!</strong> <a href="http://behindubuntu.org/">BehindUbuntu</a> has teamed up with some of the Ubuntu localisation teams to bring you great interviews in as many languages as possible! If you would like to help with translations please email <a href="mailto:info@behindubuntu.org">the team</a>.</p>


Link To Original Article (http://fridge.ubuntu.com/node/347)

[jazzmuzik]

So Silber is a DOD person?

[az]

So Silber is a DOD person?

As in Department of Defence?

It says she's a software developer who once worked for a company which made information management decision-making software for the military, used at U.S. Army command posts or on U.S. naval ships.


Must be another launchpad....

[jazzmuzik]

General Dynamics C4 Systems:

"Over 85% of our business is done with the U.S. Department of Defense and federal government agencies."

http://www.gdc4s.com/about/why_gdc4s.cfm

It's good to know who's really running things.

[az]

It's good to know who's really running things.
Do you really think that reflects on her activities as Ubuntu COO? It would seem to me to be a challenging job.

[jazzmuzik]

Not at all. I was just wondering when the DOD connections would be established. Not that I was looking. Computers are critical infrastruture and mere corporations or non-profits don't run critical infrastructure. That's just my opinion.

[az]

Sorry, I was assuming you were pointing it out as something bad.

[mneptok]

Not at all. I was just wondering when the DOD connections would be established. Not that I was looking. Computers are critical infrastruture and mere corporations or non-profits don't run critical infrastructure. That's just my opinion.

Well, I used to run all the support operations for the Be Operating System. Following your logic would lead you to conclude that Ubuntu will soon have yellow windows tabs and be a proprietary software project. :)

All teasing and reductio ad absurdum aside, a person's former roles are just that, former. While Jane's managerial skills and her abilities to oversee complex development efforts were honed while working for a company that was a US-DOD subcontractor, I have a feeling that her DOD connections were about as interesting to Canonical as her taste in shoes. ;)

It is my personal impression that Canonical evaluates a potential employee's suitability to task on their qualifications and not their connections.

As always, these opinions and comments are my own and in no way should be taken as official Canonical policy, procedure, or a reflection of their corporate ethics.

[foolswisdom]

It is my personal impression that Canonical evaluates a potential employee's suitability to task on their qualifications and not their connections.
Connections is often an important qualification in senior positions.

[isotonic]

....and being head-hunted...i suppose that's just another term for fancy connections anyhow!