Originally published at: F44 Mindshare Elections: Interview with Mackenzie Stewart (monkeybean12) – Fedora Community Blog
This is a part of the Fedora Linux 44 Mindshare Elections Interviews series. Voting is open to all Fedora contributors. The voting period starts Monday, June 1st and closes promptly at 23:59:59 UTC on Friday, June 12th 2026.
Interview with Mackenzie Stewart (monkeybean12)
- FAS ID: monkeybean12
- Matrix Rooms: I tend to use these Matrix channels, Fedora, Fedora EPEL Matrix, Announcements, Introductions.
Questions
What is your background in Fedora? What have you worked on and what are you doing now?
My background in Fedora is using the Java programming language from Oracle and I have worked on games and graphics with Java language. I am currently writing computer programs for other computer languages which are Python, JavaScript in nodeJS and Building/Maintaining WordPress websites using PHP, HTML5 and CSS3.
Please elaborate on the personal “Why” which motivates you to be a candidate for Mindshare
I want to help bring people together and support the culture around Fedora, not just the technical work. Fedora is more than just an operating system to me — it’s a community. I want everyone who contributes, whether they code, design, or help run events, to feel valued and know their work matters.
How would you improve Mindshare Committee visibility and awareness in the Fedora community?
I would propose a recurring, informal ” Monthly Community News” session—open to all—where Mindshare members discuss why certain decisions were made, rather than just reporting the results. Also to be a place for any updates or events to be introduced or announced so that it may generate more interest to all.
What part of Fedora do you think needs the most attention from the Mindshare Committee during your term?
Mindshare should act as the “connective tissue.” I want to focus on creating a standardized, project-wide mentorship framework that assists sub-projects in bringing in new contributors.