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Here are some of the dedicated Webcentre staff:
And a number of people so talented, so worthy and so willing to be called upon that they rate a mention here too:
In the mid-80s, I spent six inscrutable years in Japan working for a great little computer company which later got swallowed by a giant (Toshiba). Some of my time was spent refereeing a development team consisting of stroppy Kiwis, Irish, Nihonjin, Koreans and one token American. When I wasn't doing that, I was jet-setting all over the world, learning interesting things about the insides of hotels, airports, offices and restaurants.
In '89 Vicki and I spent a few fantastic months re-visiting these places, and discovered that they had museums, architecture, scenery and people! Then we came home and settled in Christchurch, New Zealand, which is a great place to live.
And started this business...
When at work, I manage the rest of our team and devote my remaining seconds to designing and developing software, generally high-performance client/server database and Web applications. Most of this is done using Borland Delphi, and runs on WinNT and its successors. At the moment, I'm up to my neck in electronic publishing applications, particularly Web automation and ecommerce. I really enjoy this stuff!
Otherwise, I sail every chance I get, fly whenever the bank balance is almost in the black, travel whenever I can't get away with flying (and I'm dying to get back to Antarctica!). I also dress up in funny clothes and pose as a 12th-Century scoundrel, and read endless books to David and Perry and Erica. That is, when we're not up on the roof playing petanque.
I write stories too, at least one of which was described as "amusing" (Alex Heatley), "Splendid stuff" (New Scientist, Feb 20, 1999) and "You cannot be serious!" (Dave Jones). It even got published in Phlogiston.
I've got proof!
I've also been known to act, but I won't bore you with the reviews...
Email Peter (be gentle).
After abandoning Auckland to start a Canterbury science degree in astrophysics, I wandered through a startlingly diverse range of departments in search of a major, and ended up with the perfect academic background for a science journalist — I know a little about everything, but not a great deal about anything in particular.
I spent my sojourn in Japan working for a science and technology database and, later, as a science and front-page editor for one of the four main English daily newspapers, The Daily Yomiuri..
I'm a self-confessed science groupie, which explains 10 years of work on the New Zealand Science Monthly and my current role as managing editor of SciTechDaily Review. But the bulk of my time these days is spent in project management for SPIS, advising clients, organising site development and keeping an eye on the long-term view.
Actually, the Web stuff can be a lot of fun and very satisfying. I really enjoy the strategic planning side of things where we can help people think beyond the next six months. It does mean I spend far too much time slaving over a hot computer though...
Other things I do include being Chair-entity for the New Zealand Skeptics, which involves (among other things) early morning calls from radio stations every Friday 13th. *sigh*
If I'm lucky, I get to put on my 16-gauge steel helm and camail, my breastplate, my padded gambeson, my knee and elbow pads, my groin protection, my puncture-proof trousers and my boots, and go out and shoot arrows at Peter (see SCA).
If I'm really lucky, I hit him.
Email Vicki — she doesn't bite. Honest.
After a decade or so as a university student and part-time tutor, I sort of drifted bit by bit into a job with this place. Not as much fun, but the money's a bit better and I still don't have to have a haircut or wear shoes.
Aside from slaving at work, I sleep, read, argue, listen to music, procrastinate, play games... you know, sort of like everyone else really. Some day I may get around to updating this page and doing a comprehensive sloth page.
Email Phil.
After five years on a factory floor I left and headed for England, then came back and started at The National College of Design and Technology with a course in Computer Graphic Design. What was to be one year and back to England become another year at the College getting my Diploma in Multimedia. After some months of contract graphic/web design work I was lucky enough to get the job here and I've been working hard ever since.
Usually if I'm not on my computer or doing something around the house I find some time to sit back and read, draw or just watch some DVD's.
Email Nigel.
I hang round the office and do whatever is required to keep it going. I keep the accounts, do some software support, some web maintaince, try to fix the servers when the crash and make Vicki's moffees
Well I have two school age children that I'm primary caregiver for so I don't actually have a lot of "my" time. I write and play several role playing games (even been paid for it on occassion). I listen to jazz a lot and once upon a time I did even play piano.
Email Andrew.
During the Uni I had been working for a small company writing accounting software in FoxPro 2.6 (anyone remembering it?). After graduation I took a well deserved 3 months break, doing nothing
As I said, we love to travel so we try to visit as much of New Zealand as possible. We're also interested in scuba-diving (that one time diving in Mediteranean Sea was so amazing), so maybe one day we'll be able to find some warmer waters to go down again. During the winter nights we usually watch TV (some will say it's a bad habit) wondering about the inteligence and stupidity of human race... During the summer, we go out with friends, you know, have a chat, a BBQ and a couple of beers I still hope one day I'll have my own, private, powered aircraft (scale model, that is) and also I hope I'll manage to jump off a real aircraft (with a parachute at my back, of course).
I quit smoking at the age of 9. As a teenager I was a fan of the game of GO. Now I am a computer programmer trying to spend as much free time as possible with my wife Nicoleta and young son Cristian (born February 10, 1998).
Although I am fully employed at Romania's national telephone company, in May of 1998 I found myself drafted into the role of International Software Development Agent Extraordinaire for SPIS Ltd. What this basically means is that I took my lifetime career opportunity :-) !
I live in Sibiu, which is an historic town in central Romania, and enjoy it here.
And please use TurboNote — since SPIS has found a clever way to spread it to over 200,000 users (as of May 2000), my best reward is to see everybody enjoying it!
Many thanks to Emil Fickel from Germany for his advice and ideas, Paul DiLascia for replying to my e-mails in July 1998 and especially Bartosz Milewski for being the guru of a great site: http://www.relisoft.com.
Email Alexandru Matei
"If this program works, it was written by me. If not, I don't know who wrote it" Paul DiLascia - MSJ