About

Didn’t you promise you’d never blog?

Probably. However for a purely written content driven website a good blog system is perhaps the best CMS you’ll find. It’s lovely to be able to say “that information is on my website” when I’d like to escape quickly and also to record solutions that give it a month or two I’ll probably forget well before the next time I actually need to use them.

Employment

I am currently a home-based Linux Server / Helpdesk Administrator for an established web hosting company in the South of England.

In the past I have worked as a Systems Engineer at the Environment Agency and as a GIS Technician for a local highways office.

Technology

On a daily basis I work with CentOS/Redhat, OpenSuse, K/Ubuntu and Windows. I spend a large portion of my time each day sorting out web and email oddities. To paraphrase that great philosopher Homer Simpson “tools like Cpanel and Hsphere are the cause of and solution to many of life’s problems”.

I wrote the dissertation for my degree on Anonymity applications and try to keep my knowledge up in this field whenever I have some spare time, you can find the pages on this topic in the menu above.

I am currently learning Rails and after having programmed web apps in ASP.NET for my Degree course, it’s a definite breath of fresh air.

Home Working

Many people ask me what it is like working from home, the short answer is that for all the downsides; intellectual (and occasionally physical) stimulation that you loose not having co-workers present in the same room (or stationary cupboard) there are upsides; no co-workers who insist on having the blinds closed in the summer with the electric lights on, no person sitting across from you who persistently tries to convert you to his religion or infect you with whatever winter delight he’s current carrying.

Not having to pretend I enjoy wearing business clothing such as a full suit is also liberating, however it is wise to wear something and maintain a certain level of grooming, remember fellas – home working can be hazardous to your relationship.

The major positive to focus on is that I get to stay home and have cheques mailed to me and I don’t do so through the use of a web cam.

Hobbies

One of the hideous things about the wealth of informtation the Internet gives you access to is the realisation that you’re never going to be able to process all of it. That said I like to dabble in

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Psychology
  • Philosphy
  • Video Games
  • Drums
  • Guitar
  • Zany Schemes
  • Cycling
  • Frying
  • Photography