Interview

This is an interview of which I was the subject. I thought it was kind of fun and have included most of the text here.

Tell us a little about your site, including the interactive story?

I actually have two sites: Internet tips and secrets at http://www.internet-tips.net and Renaissance Faire Adventures at http://www.renaissancefaire.org

The later site is seriously under construction. Most of my spare time has been devoted to writing articles for Internet Tips and Secrets.

My concept with the site is to help people learn about the internet. why? Because the best thing that people can do is communicate, and the internet is about communication. With communication we can all overcome our differences and learn to live together in peace and happiness. Communication solves everything and allows people to get over any and all problems.

The site is getting very popular - I am now getting over 150,000 page views a month and growing fast!

The interactive story is intended to allow people to participate actively in my site by adding to the story. It's like an old renaissance game, where you get several people together and each one adds one line to a story. When I go to the Renaissance Faire every year I really enjoy seeing this kind of play - it's fun. So I found a script and installed it on my site and now people add to the story. I just wish more people would add more lines more often...

How did your quilt page get started?

It's another way to show people how to communicate with each other. You see, graphics images can be powerful communications devices. They can tell people great things about how one feels and believes.

You do a wonderful column for the Den, can you tell us how you started with this?

I wanted to find some way to contribute to society on a regular basis. I realized that I've gained quite a bit of knowledge over the years and I have a gift for being able to communicate that knowledge to others in a way that they can understand. I use that gift to help people understand how the internet works, what it's for and how to use it.

How long have you been interested in computers?

Believe it or not, when I was in high school (way back in 1978) I had no interest in computers at all. I didn't see that they were much use, and to tell you the truth, in those days they were not useful at all. When I started college I needed to fill up a schedule and just kind of randomly picked a computer class. I fell in love immediately and wrote a very good (for the time) computer game which involved two wizards fighting. Before long I was rewriting the computer's operating system in my spare time. One of my teachers started a company, made me an offer, and I was suddenly employed in the computer field. I quickly became a "guru". I did the difficult stuff - recovering files from crashed disks and things like that. That was 22 years ago, and it's been a wonderful career.

Who is your favorite author?

My absolute favorite author is J.R.R. Tolkein, who wrote the best book of all time - the Lord Of The Rings.

Another is a science fiction author named Mike Resnick. He has written a number of books about mankind's future expansion into the galaxy.

I also love the works of Piers Anthony, who has written a large number of science fiction and fantasy books. The Xanth series is one of his best. It's based in a world where everyone has one magic talent. The series is fun to read - light-hearted and happy.

What is your favorite memory?

Every day that I see my lovely wife is a new, favorite memory. Every time I see her smile my heart warms up and I feel fulfilled.

When and where were you happiest?

Every single day is a new day and I am happy every day. Just being alive and healthy and able to contribute to society is all that I ask.

What was it you wanted to be 'when you grew up'?

Free to live as I wanted to live, able to create what I wanted to create, and most of all, to be free from arguing, nagging and whining. I just wanted people to leave me alone and stop trying to make me into something that I didn't want to be.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Casting a spell on my wife and convincing her to marry me.

What is your favorite snack?

Cheddar Cheese

If there was one thing you could change with a magic wand about the world at large what would it be?

I would take off everyone's blinders for a few minutes and show them what the world really is made of and where we all came from. That would really shake things up.

Do you belong to other online groups or rings? If so which ones?

RAOK, Miskers, Unique Souls, White Spirit Lights, Heart Of Gold, Computer Friends, Ring Leaders, Ring Managers. I run a number of rings myself - about a dozen of them). My site is listed in over 250 webrings.

What is your philosophy in life?

(1) All problems are solvable. In fact, no one needs problems and it's best to just decide to eliminate them from your life. (2) Communication can solve anything, (3) In spite of what the press would like us to believe the world is actually a very nice place to live and there are more good things going on around us than bad things by far, (4) We all need to contribute to society in some way, (5) Stay ethical, (6) What goes around comes around

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