I may have mentioned this in passing once or twice before: I don't actually like technology. I'm not a gadget person. I don't see why I need to upgrade my Blackberry to something more "open" or "current." I'm not the first to rush into the latest social media Web site and I still can't figure out how Google Wave is going to revolutionise the way I communicate. What I do care about is making technology accessible to people who are currently cut out of the arena. Whether it's fear or finances or some other barrier, I am passionate about leveling the playing field for people who feel left out. Last night I got to spend a little bit of time with two others who are also passionate about making their industry accessible.

I've been fiddling around with multiple computers this year. I hate it. But I realized today that what I really want is this:

I want a single workstation for peripherals (monitor, keyboard, mouse) that allows me to hook into multiple machines. I want to be able to change computers as easily as changing desktops. It sounds so simple when I say it out loud like this. The solution seems obvious: on each desktop place a different VNC (or some kind of remote desktop) connection which is maximized. Will VNC (or equivalent) allow me to hook into the remote hardware the way I want? Is this really the solution that I'm looking for? Is it possible it will be this easy?

Probably not. But stay tuned just in case I've finally found the answer to life, the universe and multiple computers.

With yet another fail at an open source conference, I wanted to spend a few minutes to tell you about something that took me 20 minutes and will, I think, have a real impact on the life of one girl.

This week I started an award at my former high school for a senior female student that has demonstrated creative use of technology. She doesn't need to have the best marks, she doesn't need to have sustained performance. She just needs to have shown a sliver of inspiration and interest in technology to be rewarded and encouraged. In the game of Alice's Restaurant and World Domination, you have to start by doing one thing different. Here's the FAQ on why I did it and how you can start your own award too.