I guess you’ve stopped by this page to find out a bit about the person writing this blog. I suppose I ought to put you out of your misery then 🙂
OK, I have a history of working with OS/2 and Windows, but prefer to work with Linux these days. The OS/2 bit is getting to be pretty ancient history now though! I also do the odd bit of work with Macs of various ages. Most of my own Mac kit is pretty ancient too. Not quite as ancient as my small collection of retro machines though, many salvaged from a horrible end of some sort. They mainly let me relive the days when computers hadn’t had the fun ripped out of them by the modern world of Microsoft Windows. Thank goodness for Linux is all I can say. It makes computers usable.
Work wise, I run my own business, /aptanet/. I mainly do ICT support for small businesses and charities. Clearly this means I have to keep my hand in with Windows, but thankfully the server side of things is mostly Linux, and there’s plenty of fun to be had with Apache, PHP, Perl and web based applications for some of the web sites I manage.
For fun I sail, when I get the chance, and keep a boat in Langstone Harbour. I also have a wife and to sons to devote most of my free time to. It has to be said that I do enjoy computers for fun as well, that’s retro with the likes of the Sinclair, Acorn and Commodore micro computers (amongst others) and Linux (which gives a spill over into work), I’d never class Windows as fun 😉
I’m also keen on wildlife and the environment (particularly cetaceans, but I’m really not fussy!), although wouldn’t class myself as an expert in any way.
I am also involved in a variety of groups and associations, so let’s put them in a list as being the easiest way:
- Councillor at Havant Borough Council
- Vice Chair of Governors at Morelands Primary School
- Governor at Purbrook Park Secondary School
- Portsmouth & Langstone Sailing Association: Tudor SC Rep and Secretary
- RYA: Portsmouth and Langstone Area Rep
- Langstone Harbour Board: Board member (HBC), past Chair of Advisory Committee
- BDMLR Marine Mammal Medic
- Run Portsmouth Linux User Group
- Founder and co-run Repair Cafe Havant
- Run Waterlooville Memory Cafe, and Trustee of Waterlooville Area Community Association
- Member of Dementia Friendly Havant Borough
- Liberal Democrat and Green Liberal Democrat
- That’ll do for now 😉