Age - How old are you?
mid-20s
When did you start your Web site?
This site was started in 2000. I had another site previously that I can no longer gain access to.
Occupation - What kind of work do you do?
Jack-of-all-trades.
Location - Where are you from? Where are you now?
Massachusetts
Why did you start writing your Web site?
I began this site when I was working on my Master's degree. So many people write interesting essays in the course of their post-secondary studies, and no one ever sees them beyond the professor grading them. This site was an attempt to lead by example and encourage other people to make their work accessible to a broader audience.
What is your site about?
As I said above, the reason this site exists was to encourage people to make their college work available to a broader audience. The archive section is there to facilitate research into the subjects I keep track of. You may be aware that weblinks frequently expire or are changed, and you can no longer find something that was easy to find before.
Do you communicate with readers of your site?
No.
Have you met any new friends because of the site?
Everyone I know knows I keep this site. They may look at it from time to time. I know they have int he past. I have never had a problem with it.
What are your favorite things on your site?
I still like my dissertation. Initially I chose a subject that I thought would be easy, so that I could just dash off a thesis and go home early, but when I went to do the work on it the subject turned out to be more itneresting than I had originally anticiapted. So that was a pleasant surprise.
When looking at other people's Web sites what do you look for as a viewer?
I look for it to be easy to get around. I don't want to see any flashing lights or hear the MIDI version of macarena on continuous playback. I don't want to have to wait 20 minutes while your homemade shockwave movie loads itself. Nice and simple, easy to get around, that is what I look for.
Because of your site do you consider yourself a Web celebrity, an exhibitionist, a public figure, a writer, an innovator, or something different?
I am an encyclopedist.
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.
As I said above I look for a simple, straightforward page. Backwards compatible if possible.
I deliberately kept my page as simple as possible. I occassionaly check it with the Lynx text-based browser and it holds up to that test pretty well. I want it to be accessible to everyone on the internet, not just people with gigahertz processors and T-1 connections.
