About Me
Hey! It's great to have you here! If you're keen to learn a little more about me, you've come to the right place - read on!
I'm a lifelong technologist, having taken my first steps into the world
of computing somewhere in the early 90's.
How'd it all start? Damn, that's a tough one. 🤔
My journey began back before the Internet had become a thing in Australia.
I was extremely fortunate to grow up in a household with a computer — I was
exposed to the computer technology from a very young age. My father, whilst
not necessarily a computer enthusiast, was rather familiar with them — jockeying
the operating system to do his bidding, using all the commonplace methods
of the time, that'd likely seem like utter madness to the younger computer
user cohorts of today.
It was madness though...
It was a DOS world, and Windows 3.1 was the new kid on the block. Software
was built by wizards, and games were played in 16 colors. Want to play some
SkiFree? Sure, better get to digging up that floppy. Things not quite going
to plan? The three-finger salute (Ctrl + Alt +
Del) was a reflexive action for many.
It's hard to fathom what we put up with back then, but it was all we knew.
It was a time of discovery, of learning, and of growth — reminiscing, through
the rose-tinted glasses of nostalgia, it's hard not to feel a sense of longing
for those times. Or perhaps, just the feelings that those fledgling experiences
with computers evoked.
But I digress... My dad was the guy that set the wheels in motion. It wasn't
intentional, but it happened all the same. I was a curious kid, and the IBM
machine that sat in the entryway of our family home was a beacon of intrigue.
I distinctly recall the hardcore "thunk" of the power switch, as the machine
roared to life. The screen flickered as the boot sequence progressed, from
the BIOS all the way through to the familiar C:\> prompt. It
was a world of possibilities, and I was hooked.
It wasn't long before I discovered
BASIC, and with that, I commenced my ascent (descent?) into the realm of
programming.
Years passed, and my interest in technology only grew. I, like many, was introduced
to video games and sunk countless hours into them. A distraction from more
productive pursuits perhaps, but the games themselves would only serve as
kindling for a fire that would continue to burn off into my adult life.
Prior to finishing primary school, I'd gotten in the habit of repurposing
old discarded computers (typically i486s,
Pentium IIs, etc.) and setting up all kinds of networks between them. Sometimes,
I'd utilise a null-model to 1v1 with my brother over a serial connection,
and at other times, I'd source a hub and some cheap NICs so that I could host
a 4-player game of CNC Red Alert. Those times were just the best!
By the time I hit high school, I was pretty clued up on most things computer-related.
I continued building my own machines, obsessing over games, and learning how
to code. I'd dabbled in a few languages by this point, but it wasn't until
I discovered C++ that I truly felt everything click into place.
Like all intrepid young programmers, I set out to build a game.
This is a work-in-progress, and will be updated as time permits. ⏳
Recently
Curious where I've been spending my professional energy lately? Take a look at my recent career experience.