about

Some of the who and the why

Following in the steps of the proverbial cat, I have always been curious. Earlier in life that manifested primarily in breaking things as I tried to figure out how they worked. Its fair to say my techniques were far from subtle, often involving a hammer and a flathead screw driver. In my defense, its unlikely most five year olds would have had a much more fruitful time understanding the workings of an integrated circuit board.

Over time my methods softened, though the curiosity continued, as had the tinkering, sometimes fixing. This will age me, as pretty much any reference to a specific technology, but I was the one who took apart the VCR when the tape got stuck. Not particularly because I was the best at it or most qualified, I was the youngest of four, but it was my inclination to do so. Having put the hammer of a previous age down, and replaced it with the somewhat correct screwdriver, actually fixed the thing.

Eventually I stumbled into doing things with computers, though not for not trying to do something else, preferably that didn't involve staring at a screen all day. I needed a job and there was demand for people versed in computers. Since that first job there have been several, and in each I was more or less able to invent what it was I did day to day. And I'd often tell people that I would do the work for free, just for the pure joy of solving problems, of scratching that curious itch.

More recently, I've been thinking about my place in the world and how my time is spent. Yes, VCR's need fixing, and companies large and small need software written to facilitate their business, but perhaps doing those things aren't what the world needs more of.

goals

These words and accompanying pages, are an attempt to turn the above thoughts into reality. To learn about myself, about others, communicate with you, figure out better ways of doing things and help others benefit from our combined wisdom.