Ilene Hoffman
 I come from an over achieving family of 5. I've spent my life under the halo of being the black sheep of the family. :-) As an ADD suffering underachiever, I've still managed to acquire two degrees, and step fluidly (ok I tripped my way) through four careers.  |
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| How did you personally get into using the Macintosh family of computers? |
My Dad had to get a computer. I lobbied for a PC because all the social work agencies used them. He bought a Mac, which I had to learn to use to teach him. Boy, did I hate that thing at first. After a few months I was using MacPaint to design fiscal reporting forms for my Area Agency on Aging. The rest is history. | |
| Status: | Hopeful. | |
First Mac:
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My Dad bought a Mac 128K in 1984. I borrowed it. He never saw it again. | |
Current Mac:
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PPC 8500/180, 840 AV, IICI. | |
| When did you get your first modem? | Does a 300 baud phone coupler in 1979 count? My first real modem was a wonderful Hayes 1200 baud in 1987. | |
| Who did you call first? | My mother? Nah... The phone coupler hooked me into the Univ. computer to play ZORK again and in 87, I called The Graphics Factory BBS run by Noel Gouevia in Newton, MA! | |
| Present Occupation: | Macintosh and Internet Consultant and Writer. | |
| Claim to Fame: | Robert Hess, formerly of this earth and MacWeek magazine took me under his wing and showed me the path to take. The Macworld Events list is his legacy. My other claim to fame is/will be the mark left on this earth by my exceptional son. Joined the esteemed company of Guy Kawasaki and David Pogue by winning the User Group Hero Award from the User Group Academy, Jan. 1999 |
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| Dream Job: | I think I have my dream job. About 9 years ago I said to a friend - wouldn't it be an awesome job to host conferences and do live tech support on the Internet? Five years later I was doing just that; and it is still one of my consulting gigs now. |
| Not So Random Thoughts... | |||
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| Was there ever a time in your life that you had to "Think Differently"? What was the situation and what did you do? |
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| There wasn't one time in my life ... thinking differently seems to be the bain of my existence. I have fallen into the potholes of the leading edge of many activities from being on staff at one of the first underground high school newspapers, then at one of the first crisis intervention peer counseling centers, an early joiner to 2 modern dance companies, to study MIS systems in non-profits, to the Mac. Does it stop here? | |||
| How has using the Macintosh computer changed your life? | |||
| While seeking human service/research work, people kept hiring me as a consultant because of my computer skills. I used real early versions of stat programs on my Mac, plus wrote grants, and did DTP as part of the work. I was a single Mom stuck in the house, so I started BBSing. I was prompted through the Boston Computer Society to write articles on the Mac. Eventually I drifted into consulting and writing on the Mac alone. To that mix, I've add the Internet, where my skills in marketing, communication, social work, and writing come together in perfect synthesis. In short, my Mac gave me the opportunity to connect to the world, and expand my career horizons. | |||
| What is the weirdest thing in your office right now? | |||
| Nothing really. Problem is *everything* is in my office; which is fine as long as I can distinguish the current coffee from last week's. Oh, ok... I suppose its this glass bottle which my grandmother crocheted a red poodle on. Can someone tell me WHY people do that? | |||
| My Passions are: | |||
| I live to dance, I dance to live. Did I mention my son? my dogs? my HO train collection or wooden jigsaw puzzle collecion? ... I'm indiscriminately passionate about many things. ;-) | |||
| If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive who would that person be and what would you ask them? | |||
| I suppose Martha Graham (the dancer in the "Think Different" ad campaign). I'd really like to know how she developed a dance form which was such a departure from traditional ballet, yet built solidly on ballet's concepts. How did she come to use the spine and pelvis as the main pivotal point for the contractions and extensions which are the mainstay of her dance form, yet free the body to move so completely. Other forms of modern dance munge the spine in contortions to accomplish the art, while Graham extends it; stretches it, and takes the body truly through time and space. | |||
| Favorite Music or Band: | |||
| I don't really have one favorite, as I like a wide range of music. But please bury me with a tape which has Frank Zappa's "You're Probably Wondering Why I'm Here," Sweet Charity: "There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This," Steve Miller Band's "Seasons," Poco's "Sagebrush Serenade," Beatles' "Blackbird," The Byrds' "Eight Miles High," CSNY's "Carry On," Collin's "I Can't Dance," KD Lang's "Constant Craving," Jevetta Steele's "Calling You," Streisand and Sommers "Somewhere," Phish's "Jesus Just Left Chicago," Doors "Crystal Ship," Phil Ochs' Pleasures of the Harbor," "Footloose," "Maniac," Jackson's "Never Can Say Goodbye," ... (Have I reached 90 minutes yet??) | |||
| When I grow up I want to be: | |||
| I think I'm supposed to be grown up now; but my son says, I missed the boat. | |||
| The question never asked: | |||
| "Would you like to go dancing with me?" (According to my bosses, when I'm around there IS no question never asked.) |
| Just The Facts, Please... | ||||
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| Biographical Tidbits: | I live. I breathe. I eat. One of my friends says I do "particularly unglued" things. My mother says I always pick up strays. My dearest friend says I'm just unconventional. | Education: | Stephens College, MO (dance), Tufts University (dance & sociology), Northeastern University (BS social welfare), & University of Texas, Arlington (UTA) (MSSW with a minor in human service MIS systems and alcohol/drug abuse.) | |
| Location at Birth: | Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, MA | Current Location: | 17 mi southwest of Beth Israel Hospital. | |
| Where you've been in between: |
New Hampshire, Texas, Missouri to live, and to visit, almost all the national parks. | Astrological Sign: | Sagittarius | |
| Available? | I'm available, but I'm not easy. | Chat Nick: | IRC: Boston, SusieCreamcheese, ileneCCC; AOL: ileneh, AFCileneh, awwcilene | |
| Favorite Books: | Tropic of Cancer - Henry Miller The whole Dragon riders of Pern series - Anne McCaffrey RiverWorld Series - Philip Jose Farmer And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street - Dr. Seuss. |
Do you play a musical instrument? | Used to play nylon guitar - poor thing has a crack in the middle of it and won't hold a tuning anymore. I sing and was in a number of college musicals; but ultimately I'm a dancer. | |
| Favorite Food: | Anything prepared by someone else. | Cat or Dog Person: | Definitely a dog person; cats are too aloof for me. | |
| Ilene's Machine - Personal Web Site | |
| MacSOS Resources or IMH & Assoc. -- Ilene's Professional Web Sites | |
| Favorite Web Site: | Total Yellowstone Page |
| "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, "It is possible for your mind to be so open that your brain falls out?" -- Source Unknown |
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Created Wednesday, August 28, 1998; Edited: 6/29/99 (banner changed) ; 6/3/04
Page design and updates by Ilene Hoffman, MS.
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