I've decided that I'm going to make some updates to my main FAQ... and while it's nice to maintain some history....... it will simply be longer than I want it to be.
So I've decided to host the information/random babblings that have appeared on the main page..... here when they are replaced.
Dig?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1st post-------------------------
I have yet to get my feet wet with the FAQ...
Perhaps it's time to take the plunge.
I'd first like to note that I'm strongly opposed to using the word "wiki".
I hate that word.
But eh.... some things you just gotta live with.
So I guess this is my cell.
*looks around* ..... not too shabby I suppose.
From what I can gather, a slight introduction is in order.
Here's goes...
*cracks knuckles*
Although there's not much mystery to it, my name is Michael.
I'm somewhere around 23 years old and I was born in Lancaster, New Hampshire. (United States)
I've moved around a lot in my life.... and I truly have no idea what the count stands at right now, but I'd be willing to guess it'd be somewhere in the upper 20's. Who knows....*shrug* ... I don't particularly care to.
At present, (November 2002)... I live in Keflavik, Iceland.
As I'm a part of the U.S. Air Force (and have been for 3 and a half years), I don't have a big hand in where I choose to live. I've been living here for about 5 months, and I've got another 7 to go.
I spend almost all of my free time at the computer. While I don't fit the typical profile of a "computer nerd"... I suppose I'm willingly, well on my way.
Around the Asylum I'm one of the 4 "trustees" for the Photoshop section, as well as the Photoshop Pong section.
Hrmm... I don't really know how I ended up as a moderator over the Photoshop section.... I think it was a vote..??... not sure. As far as the Pong section, however, that started up with Weadah and myself messin' around a little bit one night. We spoke to Doc about it, and unbeknownst to me, the idea had been brought up before.
At that point, I offered some of my time to lay down the rules and to very actively moderate the forum and keep things lively. After a few months, real world issues demanded my full attention, so I couldn't stay up with the stuff going on at the Asylum. Thankfully Wakkos stepped up to take on the duties of moderating, and essentially "saved the day". Many thanks for that, Wakkos .... you've been a great help since day 1.
In recent days, I have assumed control of the Pong section yet again. Wakkos and I have had a few discussions about the future of the Pong section, and in all reality, it seems pretty grim. That's a good thing... and a bad thing.
In case you haven't been following along (and I'm sure you haven't been.... and I don't blame you, either) Photoshop Pong is in the works to sprout off into it's own "sister site" to the Asylum.
There's a chunk of individuals that have put in a lot of time and effort for a fresh site design and a tasty bit of back end coding. While this project as has taken far longer than any of us ever wanted it to.... in the end, it'll be worth it.
So it's a good thing that traffic has died down in the Pong forum, while we prepare to make the switch to an actual site for it............ However.... it's bad thing that traffic has died down, because the early days of the site will heavily depend on Asylum participation to get the ball rolling, and to spread the word.
I suppose in some form or another, I'm the moderator of Ray.
Which, if you weren't already aware, is nothing more than a joke that has spiraled rediculously out of hand.
In recent times, I suppose I've become somewhat well-known for these cheesy photo manips. WebShaman has taken these little jokes far better than almost anyone else at the Asylum would have. I'm glad he's got more patience and is more level-headed than me.
Speaking of things I'm well known for.... there's that whole sock puppet issue.
Another instance of a little joke being taken to extremes.
Observe --> download sock puppet video
So yah... I've got a knack for being a bit kooky.
That's all I have to say about that.
One of the other things I enjoy at the Asylum is helping out in the Site Reviews section.
I spend a lot of time reading about web "presentation", as well as analyzing sites at places other than the Asylum. I consider my opinion to be pretty "good". (if there is such a thing)
I try to be fairly comprehensive with my site reviews.... and at the same time, I must admit, I'm a tad harsh.
I'm a freak about colours. I'll spend hours on my own layouts tryin' to get just the right scheme layed out, as I believe it really helps carry the "feel" to the site.
I found the Asylum in early November of 2000. Well.... at least that's what the little do-hicky under all my posts, says.
In fact, I found it sooner than that. I fould it in the wee hours of the morning while searching "photoshop and flash" (or something like that) at excite.com's search engine. I think the Asylum was probably on page 27 or something rediculous there-abouts. (I think I'm one of the few inmates that found the Asylum prior to finding Hands On) I was bored, and I was desperate. I had shown up so I could learn some Flash (this is back when Flash 4 had just come out). Every "cool" gaming clan was starting to put up flash intros to their site, so I started pokin' around and asking questions about how I could make one for my clan. Heh... silly me. Finding the Asylum, in some respects, was like a wish I had made on the "Monkey's Paw".
*smirk*
I originally had done a bit of lurking... then registered under an old on-line gaming name that I used. Shortly there after, I realized how much of an idiot I was... and that I had more to learn than I ever imagined.
At that point, I hadn't really pissed anyone off...... but I had been put in my place two times in one week. Rather than getting pissed off and engaging in flame competitions like I had seen on so many other sites, I decided to get educated.
So I stopped posting... and just read for a while. I'd follow the links people would leave for tutorials and give them a shot on my own. THEN.... in November of 2000 I re-registered with the Asylum under the name of "taxon"..... which was then later changed by request to a more "conventional" name - Michael.
My attempt to learn Flash 4 was successful..... it helped me succeed in creating multiple flash intros for my gaming clan.
Thankfully there are no remnants of those intros these days... I think I'd probably have to kick my own ass for making them. Back in those days, there were only about 5 people that ever browsed the Multimedia/Animation forum.... so getting help was difficult. Thankfully, Fig has always been around to help things along down there. And while he may never know.... he helped me more than he could imagine.
Knowing Flash wasn't enough to satisfy my taste buds. I wanted to know more. And quite possibly the only reason that I don't play computer games online anymore, is because of the Asylum, and Photoshop.
I know it may sound silly, and seem like I'm saying that I spend hours on end at the Asylum... (although I do) .... it's not exactly like that.
The thing about the Asylum was, the talent. The out-right talent and the willingness from people to help when you made an honest attempt at something. Whenever you didn't give it your best shot, or half-assed something, someone out there would "call" you on it.
This close, some-what small..... tight-knit community had a lot of character in it.......................................... and it was a constant reminder that there was someone out there always improving themselves in the digital realm.
So I gave up gaming altogether.... and joined the photoshop bandwagon.
Progress was slow... and I was often far more happy about making something than I probably should have been.
*smirk*
I can even remember this one time.... I took a photo of myself....... ran about a million filters on it, and then posted it up in the Photoshop section with a one or two line comment that said something to the tune of.... "Yah... I was playing in photoshop... and I made this guy....... and it kinda reminded me of that guy from the Fanstastic 4....... you know... the fire guy".
If someone came in and did that today, I'd tell them to take these $.05 cents and go add it to their "I need to buy a clue" fund. I didn't get roasted too bad in the thread I don't think. But the lack of response, and the rolling eyes was enough to give me a kick in the ass.
Like many new folks at the Asylum, I spent a lot of my early days in the Big Sig section. I'd spew out sig after sig of janktified jagginess. Jeezus I was horrible.
But then, this one day... out of boredom, I post up this sig that has my own head on it. It had my face on the left... and then the back of my head on the right. It was accompanied with some cheesy border... my name... and a rediculous tag line. ("walking in darkness"... i believe it was)
Well..... there was a bit of a response...... not a lot.
Then this one guy posts back into the thread...... he took my sig and messed with it a little. He changed the font... cleaned things up..... gave me pointy ears.... and impressed my username on the back of my head.
I was like.... "wow... that's cool as hell". (later finding out, that it didn't take much more than 15-20 minutes in PS to make, if you weren't a moron)
So I went back to photoshop and tried doing it myself.
That went sour in a hurry... and my frustrations had reached their peak, as I was on the verge of giving up on all this nonsense.
At the time I had ICQ. I didn't use it for much....... only for talking to online gaming guys that I used to play with.
So I go back to the Asylum.... I'm lookin' at this sig that was modified..... and I decide to look at the users profile for whatever reason.
I see the person's got an ICQ number. I'm feelin' down and out.... so I figure.. eh.. what the hell... I'll try to message this guy and see if he won't enlighten me a little bit about the sig making process.
Things just wouldn't quite be the same after that.
Weadah pretty much opened my eyes to photoshop. I began to realize how I was even more ignorant to things than I had previously thought. But he was always willing to give me some feedback on this or that......... He'd give a tip here and there to point me in the right direction............... and all the while, his work was just amazing.
We continued to chat about things while I increased my photoshop knowledge and skills.....
We spoke every other day on ICQ about whatever topic was hot at the Asylum.
Then that kinda trickled into bullshitting about stuff everyday..... and a whole range of topics. And so it went. Weadah is/was my best friend on the internet. And although it sound cheap and cheesy for anyone who's out of their 'teens' to be referring to people as their best friend....... I'll just have to deal with the insults.
I'd give him the shirt off my back anyday. Believe that.
I couldn't possibly thank him enough for everything he's taught me, and done for me.
Thanks Wead, where ever you are.
My early days at the Asylum turned into daily trips over to the Guru's Network as well.
Things have never been as active over there.... but I'd make most of my trips so I could read through the tutorials.
After a short amount of time, I decided that I was going to try to help out in their Flash section.
My knowledge of Flash 4, despite being basic.... wasn't too bad in the grand scheme of things at the time. So after I unveiled my fist website ever, (which was made entirely in flash) ... I decided to write some tutorials.
I started chatting it up on ICQ with a fella named Phil. (aka... Scansped)
It just so happened he was one of the guys workin' on the GN site at the time, so he kept my mind fresh on the task at hand, without ever putting pressure on........... and I ended up crankin' out 2 or 3 very basic tutorials. (that are still there today, if I'm not mistaken)
I was never "accepted" into the whole Guru's Network clan (and I probably shouldn't have, anyway). They didn't give me the secret handshake or whatever it took to be cool....... *smirk* (GN guys... don't take that personally... I'm just kidding) ...
But partly due to a slight feeling of rejection by the group over there (with the exception of Phil, who's just an outstanding guy in every sense of the word)... and my considerable dislike for a few of the people there, I stopped frequenting the GN discussion board.... and I stopped writing tutorials.
In the meantime... back at the Asylum... I was a posting madman.
Nights and weekends would turn into post fests with vogonpoet and kretsminky. There always seemed to be something humorous goin' on... and we'd find our way to it............... or, we'd just make it humorous, ourselves.
Things went on like that for a long time.
My bonds with people grew considerably stronger..... The Asylum took twists and turns like a bad soap opera. Hell... I'm really surprised we haven't had someone die and come back to life yet.......... but eh... there's plenty more episodes to come.... So look for that to happen in the near future.
Times have certainly changed around the Asylum. Attitudes are different, and there's a new breed of people inhabiting this place.
It saddens me when I think of the good people that have left the Asylum and moved on because they were unhappy with the Asylum's direction. We all make our own decisions though.
I stay with the Asylum because of what I've learned there.... and what I think I can help pass on to others.
I stay with the Asylum because it's got a personality like no other board I've ever visited.
I stay with the Asylum because of that cookie picture that docilebob posts when someone is helpful.
I stay with the Asylum because I still have so much to learn.
I stay with the Asylum because of the little flame wars that break out.
I stay with the Asylum because I've never seen 2,500 strangers act like a family anywhere else.
I stay with the Asylum because of these people.
Tired of reading yet? (i don't particularly care... i just felt like asking)
So, this is me....
I can be a real asshole when I want to.
I probably don't like the majority of people that I meet in real life.
I suppose on quick thought, I'm a pessimist. But in reality, I'm more of a "realist" that doesn't like to leave room for error.
Sometimes I'm a little fanatical about little things that are pointless to just about everyone else.
I keep my room dimly lit at all times.
My entire ICQ list is Asylum junkies with the exception of 2 people.
I eat a lot of pizza.
I don't sleep too much.
I like drinking Guinness.
My computer is over 3 years old.
And I sleep with 5 pillows.
When I'm not working on one of 5 or 6 projects on the web that I always have moving, I spend my time harassing the winker on ICQ, or causing mischief with synax. He's became one of my better friends at the Asylum in a very short time. He's highly motivated, and extremely talented..... so he pisses me off a lot.
Whenever I manage to get myself out of the military, I'm probably going to look to make some plans to have a drink or two with quite a few folks I've met around here. (Jeni, Krets, synax, etc...)
Well, this little introduction turned into an animal I apparently have been waiting to let out for quite some time.
(it's also turned into a linking nightmare, and I'm sure I've botched it somewhere)
*casts a glance to the computer clock*
I suppose I should be going. There's no need for me to write and autobiography that no one's interested in reading.
If for some reason, a few of you *did* make it all the way to the end....... mmm.... wow. That's craziness..... don't you have anything better to do?
After a brief browse of the other pages, this would seem to be one of the more comprehensive inmate pages to date.
Yay, me.
Where's DB with mah cookies?
