One question though, is there a way to get a copy of malone? is it open source?

I’ve used bugzilla, mantis and sharepoint in some cases and it will be grat to have an application that can manage the information of all the bugtrackers together.

e’ve recently published “Beginning Ubuntu Linux: From Novice to Professional” by Keir Thomas, and I’d like to send you a complimentary copy to be reviewed on your blog.

More information about the book is here: http://www.apress.com/book/bookDisplay.html?bID=10086. Just yesterday, it received a 9/10 from a Slashdot contributor: http://books.slashdot.org/books/06/03/29/1437217.shtml!

If you are interested, please respond with your shipping address, and I’ll send a copy off to you next week. And if you’ll be at LinuxWorld next week, please stop by the booth (1040) and say hi!

Apologies for the e-mail from nowhere – this is an impulse e-mail. I googled HBD as a possible working title for a technology seed fund I am in the process of getting going and of course hit on HBD Cape Town. Since I ran a kind of VC in South Africa (actually more of a development capital fund, and targeted exclusively at BEE deals – 1995-2000 was rather too early to make it successful but it was fun and I learned a lot) I of course read on, dreaming of Cape Town, and it all looks like good stuff. Well done & good luck to the team.

Back to the UK and why this e-mail. It’s just nothing ventured etc. I’ve been running an interesting tech seed investment operation based inside a UK govt quango (NESTA.org.uk – if you go to the website just beware that the website is aimed very much at the general populace and therefore the human interest angle) for the past 4 years and have got it to the point where it is pretty sensible commercially. It’s also – I think – very interesting in terms of dealflow (we’re the largest single source of seed capital so see a huge proportion of the best tech deals in the UK) and also for some of the people we have working alongside us (we have a pool of close on 100 mentors and lord knows how many consultants who all seem to love the early stage stuff so work for us for a fraction of the rates they charge VCs). And now I want/need to take the team out, because it is getting so stifling inside the quango. End of story, start of a very long road.

So why contact you? No really good reason, just a sense that you might possibly be interested in taking a look and offering friendly advice. You’ve been through the start-up phase yourself, and set up HBD to look at the seed stage (and beyond) in South Africa. We could be interesting if you have any desire to hook into the broader UK tech or venture scene (I gather you’re living in London). Whatever. If you are remotely interested do call on my mobile – 07984 783814. Equally, feel free to ignore, and apologies for taking your time.

Best wishes

Mark White

I dont udnerstand most of the things you are speaking about on this blog, but would just like to say that you are a true inspiration and have given many people more hope in life.

You must be the proudest South African around, wait, second to Nelson of course.

BTW – did you know Ubuntu was mentioned in a US TV series? Yes, it was and the pilot epsiode of the show had a few SA references. The owner of a IT company had a similair path to success like yours, and it used Miriam Makeba’s ‘Click’ song.

Ciao, from London
L

http://www.markshuttleworth.com/archives/18#respond

that’re waiting moderation, thanks