To be honest, after several years of asking myself that same question, I don't know for sure. What I do know about myself is that I seem to have a different perspective from the average on alot of things. I enjoy thinking about things and sometimes I even manage to kid myself that I might have thought of something original.
Fortunately such times are increasingly rare these days.
Given that I am a biased observer of myself I can't really give you a satifying answer to the question. So I am going to go with a cop out, I am who see before you. Part of me is here in these pages, in the public postings I make on the BBSs and news systems I frequent. I take full responsibility for what I do and say wherever I am. I don't believe in trying to pretend that I can be someone else, because I can't. The best I can do is present aspects of myself and hope to deceive with that.
So, what you see is what you get. Maybe that is what I am then, a Desktop Publishing System...
For those who want the boring details read on further. For the more
sensible among you I advise escaping
You will have to excuse the strong pink tinge to the image, the picture was taken while I was playing with a friends image capture board under not exactly ideal lighting conditions. Indeed daylight was coming in from my left and the 12 bit video capture board seemed to have a few hernias with it. If I get a chance I'll try and take a better image of myself.
This is not easy though - as, like most people, cameras seem to hate me with a vengance.
I was born in 1971 in Wellington, New Zealand. I have lived in that town ever since. For those who have never been here, or to New Zealand, it is a beautiful place. I didn't appreciate that so much until I went on a trip and had a brief peek outside NZ.
I went to St Marks school as my primary/intermediate school and then on to Wellington College. I can't say I particularly liked Wellington College as for all it's alleged strong 'academic' stance it has a definite bias towards sporting activities. I hated it. It is with some pleasure I received news that the principal, well not the principal but the one who was there when I was schooled there, has finally stepped down and retired. Now the school may actually live up to some of it's claims.
From college I went on to University and eventually came out the other end with a BSc in computer science. University was fun. So much fun in fact I nearly screwed it up entirely in my first year there. So for all you students fresh to university life, if someone offers you a go at a computer version of the Risk game - turn them down. Before you become addicted!
Indeed I carry that addiction on to this day and still enjoy a good game of Risk when I can get it.
Nowdays I work for the 'Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences' as a programmer come technician. Interesting work at an interesting place. Thinking of work I have worked most holidays while I was student at a fairly wide variety of places, including starting a company I part owned with two other people. A full CV is available on request.
In my spare time I enjoy reading news, reading books, seeing movies, listening to music, the odd walk, making terrible puns, programming (although of late I don't do that much in my spare time, more in my work...), the odd bit of writing and I maintain an FAQ and an archive of, public domain/Freeware/Shareware, software for Acorn computers. And of course I enjoy mucking about with my friends, well when they arrive on time of course...
Currently I live with my family, although I hope to remedy this in the near future. I rather enjoy the love and affection that the dog members of the family afford me and quite enjoy spending some time with them.
Finally I am at that stage where I am trying to decide what my long term goals are. I am debating where I want to live and for whom I want to work. I have amased a considerable degree of expertise with Acorn computers and I would like to put that to use. My current job does not make use of this experience and much as I enjoy the work I feel this is something of a pity.
I was thinking of moving to England for a time. But now a mildly more ambitious plan is taking shape. I am seeing if I can get work from England, but stay here. Something I'd love as I get the best of both worlds that way. One thing my first major trip overseas has reinforced on me, the way of life here in NZ is special. And I like it here, it may not have the completely urban feel to it that London or Chicago did, but by the same token it isn't so crowded and impersonal here.
So it seems that Wellington is blighted with my presence for a while yet.
I have a few pet peeves that really annoy me...