You’re invited to come. Please do – I think you’ll definitely learn a lot.

Date: Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011
Time: 6:30 – 9 pm
Where: 11885 Lackland Rd., St Louis, MO 63146
Map: http://g.co/maps/6gg9g
Directions: http://www.sluug.org/resources/meeting_info/map_graybar.shtml

Here’s the description:

John Gruber, the inventor of Markdown, describes it this way: “Markdown is a text-to-HTML conversion tool for web writers. Markdown allows you to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format, then convert it to structurally valid XHTML (or HTML). Thus, ‘Markdown’ is two things: (1) a plain text formatting syntax; and (2) a software tool, written in Perl, that converts the plain text formatting to HTML. … The overriding design goal for Markdown’s formatting syntax is to make it as readable as possible. The idea is that a Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text, without looking like it’s been marked up with tags or formatting instructions.”

This talk by Scott Granneman & Bill Odom will cover the basics of Markdown’s syntax, key variants of Markdown, tools for composing Markdown (including vim, of course!), and ways you can easily transform a plain text file written in Markdown into HTML, JSON, TXT, LaTeX, man, MediaWiki, Textile, DocBook XML, ODT, EPUB, Slidy and S5 HTML and JavaScript slide shows, RTF, or even Word!

If you have any questions, please contact me. Hope to see you there!

Here’s the complete description:

It’s becoming crystal clear that tablets and other mobile devices are leading the computing revolution into the next decade, and at the forefront (at least for now) is Apple’s iPad. Scott Granneman & Jans Carton will demonstrate iPad apps that they find particularly useful, cool, or amazing – sometimes all three at the same time! You’ll see apps for everything from video to games to reading to productivity, and much, much more. We guarantee you’ll see something that makes you think, and something else that makes you go “Wow!”.

The meeting will be held at Graybar Electric Co., Inc. at 11885 Lackland Road, 63146. Directions are at http://sluug.org/resources/meeting_info/map_graybar.shtml, & a Google Map can be found at http://goo.gl/maps/jnpX.

However, their loss is your gain. Here’s the outline for the book. Yes, it’s sadly outdated. Yes, it focuses quite a bit on SUSE, but that was what the publisher wanted. Yes, Linux has come a LONG way since I wrote this outline. But I still think it’s a damn good outline, and you may find it interesting for historical reasons. So, enjoy!

The small mobile devices so prevalent today can encourage a talkative habit that some people may find hard to break.

“People get so used to doing it all the time,” said Scott Granneman, an adjunct professor of communications and journalism at Washington University. “They don’t stop to think that being on a jury means they should stop. It’s an etiquette thing.”

Moreover, he added, the habit can become so ingrained in some people – even those on juries who are warned repeatedly they should not Tweet or text or talk about they case they are on – that they make excuses.

“It’s habitual,” Granneman said. “They say ‘It’s just my friends and family reading this.’ They don’t know the whole world is following this.

“Anybody can go to any Twitter page. There may be only eight people following you, but anybody can go anyone’s page and anybody can reTweet – forward someone’s page: ‘Oh my God, the defense attorney is so stupid.’ That can go on and on and on.”

• Don’t Click on the Blue E!: Switching to Firefox
• Hacking Knoppix
• Linux Phrasebook
• Podcasting with Audacity: Creating a Podcast With Free Audio Software

(I’ve also contributed to two others: Ubuntu Hacks: Tips & Tools for Exploring, Using, and Tuning Linux and Microsoft Vista for IT Security Professionals.)

Google Apps Deciphered is a guide to setting up Google Apps, migrating to it, customizing it, and using it to improve productivity, communications, and collaboration. I walk you through each leading component of Google Apps individually, and then show my readers exactly how to make them work together for you on the Web or by integrating them with your favorite desktop apps. I provide practical insights on Google Apps programs for email, calendaring, contacts, wikis, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, video, and even Google’s new web browser Chrome. My aim was to collect together and present tips and tricks I’ve gained by using and setting up Google Apps for clients, family, and friends.

Here’s the table of contents:

• 1: Choosing an Edition of Google Apps
• 2: Setting Up Google Apps
• 3: Migrating Email to Google Apps
• 4: Migrating Contacts to Google Apps
• 5: Migrating Calendars to Google Apps
• 6: Managing Google Apps Services
• 7: Setting Up Gmail
• 8: Things to Know About Using Gmail
• 9: Integrating Gmail with Other Software and Services
• 10: Integrating Google Contacts with Other Software and Services
• 11: Setting Up Google Calendar
• 12: Things to Know About Using Google Calendar
• 13: Integrating Google Calendar with Other Software and Services
• 14: Things to Know About Using Google Docs
• 15: Integrating Google Docs with Other Software and Services
• 16: Setting Up Google Sites
• 17: Things to Know About Using Google Sites
• 18: Things to Know About Using Google Talk
• 19: Things to Know About Using Start Page
• 20: Things to Know About Using Message Security and Recovery
• 21: Things to Know About Using Google Video
• Appendix A: Backing Up Google Apps
• Appendix B: Dealing with Multiple Accounts
• Appendix C: Google Chrome: A Browser Built for Cloud Computing

If you want to know more about Google Apps and how to use it, then I know you’ll enjoy and learn from Google Apps Deciphered. You can read about and buy the book at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Google-Apps-Deciphered-Compute-Streamline/dp/0137004702) for $26.39. If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact me at scott at granneman dot com.

Podcasting with Audacity: Creating a Podcast With Free Audio Software is designed to get you podcasting as quickly as possible. The first few chapters show you how to install Audacity, plug in your microphone, record your first podcast, and get it online as quickly as possible. The following chapters cover podcasting-specific topics, such as adding background music or conducting interviews. Finally, the remaining chapters focus on how Audacity works, with lots of tips and tricks to make complicated editing even easier.

Read an excerpt: "Edit Your Podcast" is available on the Web or download a 950 KB PDF. An unedited version of the book is available under as a wiki under a Creative Commons license at the Audacity website.