User:Dlgauthier

Dlgauthier
Sam Gauthier (dlgauthier) at the Orpheum Theatre (Minneapolis, Minnesota) during production of the 2005 Broadway Revival of Sweet Charity, which starred Christina Applegate.
Born	David Lawrence Gauthier (1957-04-01) April 1, 1957 Minneapolis, Minnesota
Citizenship	US
Organization	pooderNet
hello world
Website	samg.freeshell.org
Signature

[ sandbox ]

Contact Information

Name: David L (Sam) Gauthier
Address: 1310 Lancaster Ave
City/State/Zip: St Louis Park, MN 55426
Email: poodernet@gmail.com
Website: http://samg.freeshell.org/

Education

College/University: Berklee College of Music (1979)
Concentration: Composition
Second Concentration: Violin
Degree: Bachelor of Music
High School: Hopkins Eisenhower (1975)

Work

Occupation: Stagehand
Employer: IATSE Local 13
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Time period: April 1973 to Present
Description: Audio Engineer, Followspot Operator, Lighting Programmer

'delightful email'

From: "Jimmy Wales" <jwales@wikia-inc.com>
To: "Sam Gauthier" <samg@freeshell.org>
Subject: Re: Thank you
Date: Monday, January 04, 2010 2:30 PM

What a delightful email! Thanks!

On 1/2/10 3:48 PM, Sam Gauthier wrote:

Mr. Wales, James, Jimbo (whichever you prefer):

My name is David Gauthier (userid: dlgauthier), My nickname is Sam, so across the net I'm known as 'samg'. While I had heard of Wikipedia, I had not paid a visit until I noticed that whenever I searched in 'Google' (whose 'Knol' cannot hold a birthday candle to Wikipedia), a Wikipedia article appeared in the top 3 or 4 hits. Knowing that 'popularity factor' is part of what sets Google apart from other Search Engines, I decided to follow a link to your (imho most significant application of the MediaWiki software system), and it was 'Love at first site' (sic:-)

While I haven't been in a position to contribute (on a financial level) to your cause, I try to help the cause by using word-of-mouth, to explain to those who feel that, since anyone can post, the information won't be reliable. I use the analogy of a newborn child: as it grows, it learns things (some true; some false), it then learns to differentiate between what is true and what is false. Babys don't exit the womb in a finished state. There are so many eyeballs using Wikipedia, it becomes more authoritative every day. (I've never had an article come up that merely told me to 'Go f*** myself', although I'm certain this has been attempted more than once.)

In the 15 years since I first experienced the WWW (using Netscape 1.22 :-), I have never experienced a site that best embodies what I believe the 'early pioneers' (the 'pocket-protector guys' at MIT, Stanford, Lick, Ted Nelson, and Bob Taylor among them) had hoped this 'experiment' would become. A tool to give *everyone*, regardless of geography, economics, or culture, a chance to better all of Mankind.

If I were suddenly forced to choose one (and only one) site to access, it would without a doubt be Wikipedia. You're efforts will change the course of Mankind forever. You are supported entirely from donations from the user-editor-creators. I will join them as soon as I am able.

PS - I make my living as a Stagehand. My passion is the History of the Internet (althought I *can* print 'hello world' to a screen in a host of different languages :-)

Along with Vint Cerf, Lick, Bob Taylor, Larry Roberts, Tim Berners-Lee, and Marc Andreesen, you are one of my heroes. We all need our heroes, for you inspire us to be the best we can be at what we love.

Thank you once again, and have a Happy New Year!

--Dlgauthier (talk) 10:03, 1 November 2011 (UTC)