My Reality

http://mdkidz.tripod.com/

Age - How old are you now? When you started your site?
20, I've been running My Reality since 1994 - I was 15.

Marital Status - Married, single, divorced, living with a significant other? If married, what is your spouses name?
Married, Dan

How old are your kids?
My Daughter is 2, My son is 1.

I have 2 cats. A Female Calico: Zamania, and a male Long hair tabby: Pharoah.

Occupation - What kind of work do you and your spouse do?
We own a small business - http://www.blueorb.com

Hobbies - What do you like to do, besides keep this site?
Read, study, play with my kids, hike.. stuff in general.

I was born in California, lived there until recently. We just moved to Oregon.

Why did you start writing your Web site?
At first, it was just a place to keep in contact with friends and learn and expand my programming knowledge. This is who I am, This is what I know.

I have family living all around the world. It isn't possible to go see them regularly. This website provides a way for us to keep in touch, so they can watch my children grow.

Do you discuss your children on your site? Why or why not?
Yes, In some ways. Because of the insecurities of the Internet, I purposely try to keep some details of our life vague. But for my family, I do keep journals of what my children are up to.

I try to.

How much email feedback to you recieve from your site? Is it mainly positive or negative?
Because of my views about pregnancy and parenting i do recieve quite a bit of both positive and negative feedback. I enjoy it all though. It provides a way to learn and grow.

Have you met any new friends because of the site?
No not from this site directly.

Has your motivation changed over time?
Yes

Do your friends and family know you keep this site/read it? If so have you had any really negative experiences as a result? If not why?
Yes my friends and family read this site. I get mixed reactions about it. Again mostly from my views about pregnancy and parenting.

How has your Web site benefited you? Your friends? Or total strangers?
It provides me a place to write out my triumphs and frustrations. It gives people a chance to know about me.

Not a thing.

What are your favorite things on your site?
Some of the artwork, and my children.

What do you look for in an personal Web site, as a viewer?
For information about the writer, who they are, what interests them.

What is "one word" that would describe your site?
Tough.. Umm Dh says "serene", I try to be informative.

Because of your site do you consider yourself a Web celebrity, an exhibitionist, a public figure, a writer, an innovator, or something different?
Umm none of the above. I consider myself to be a teacher, and a friend.

How do you tackle the mechanics of Web design and how do you deal with your frustrations when you can't do what you envision.

LOL I make it work. you try new angles and tactics until you force the square into the circle :) I haven't yet met an idea that I couldn't make work :)

Why do you think people are interested in your family, what they do, and/or what they have to say?
I don't know, you'd have to ask them :)

What compels you to design beautiful pages and to write from the heart (beyond just the usual question of "why do you write a Web site?")

Because it's fun. It's fun to think up new ideas that haven't been done before It's fun to draw those ideas into existance. It's fun to hammer away at the code to bring those ideas into reality. It's fun to learn.