John Welch
 John is an IS type specializing in making the Mac a better than average piece of any network. He currently works for an Atmospheric science company in Massachusetts |
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| How did you personally get into using the Macintosh family of computers? | I actually started with the Lisa. I had been working primarily with Apple II's and TRS-80 Model III's, and saw this odd looking box in the local Apple seller's store. I sat down, and started to play with it. It was an epiphany! No bizarre commands, if you needed nomething done you just did it. For someone using TRSDOS and CP/M, it was like a chorus of angels telling me, "This is the way John!" I saw the Mac shortly after it was released, and have been working with [it since}. | |
| Status: | Generally unknown, but unforgettable. | |
First Mac:
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A IIci with a Radius ColorPivot LE. It cost $3000, and I bought it 3 months before it was discontinued. | |
Current Mac:
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A G3/300 server, a PowerBook 3400/240, many others. (There's an advantage to being an I.S. hardware freak/tester.) | |
| When did you get your first modem? | 1984 | |
| Who did you call first? | Technically nobody. We were direct - connecting them in a class, because we read an article on it and thought it would be cool to try. | |
| Present Occupation: | Dad, Mac/PC Administrator. | |
| Claim to Fame: | Alex, (my 5 - year old son). | |
| Dream Job: | Margarita quality control officer for the Tahitian Tourism Department. |
| Not So Random Thoughts... | |||
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| Was there ever a time in your life that you had to "Think Different?" What was the situation and what did you do? | |||
| Constantly. I have worked with every operating system and hardware platform except for MVS, AmigaOS, and their hardware. I currently deal with 3 types of Unix, the MacOS, OS/2, and 4 flavors of Windows. For me, thinking different is the norm. | |||
| How has using the Macintosh computer changed your life? | |||
| It made computing fun. And considering that most of my job entails listening to and dealing with irate or frustrated people, I have on occasion restarted my PowerBook just for the smile, because somedays, that's the only one I get before I get home. | |||
| What is the weirdest thing in your office right now? | |||
| A fly swatter, code - named "Debugger Lite." It was a graduating gift from an IVR system I worked with and on by Edify Corp. (Hi Max!) | |||
| My Passions are: | |||
| *Everything. Life is too short to limit yourself. | |||
| If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive who would that person be and what would you ask them? | |||
| Diane Duane. The woman has written every one of my most beloved books, and I would absolutely die to actually talk to her and thank her for what she has given me. Unfortunately, she lives in Ireland. :( | |||
| Do you play a musical instrument and/or are you in a band? | |||
| Steering wheel and table top, and no band yet. | |||
| When I grow up I want to be: | |||
| Pooh. Pooh just is. | |||
| The question never asked: | |||
| Cannot be answered, but the answer is there. |
| Just The Facts, Please... | ||||
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| Biographical Tidbits: | John spent almost seven years working on Electronic Countermeasure Systems for the B-1B bomber in Grand Forks, North Dakota. (Crows!) | Education: | A.S. in Avionics Systems Technology from the Community College of the Air Force, (CCAF). Finishing a 15 - year bachelor's degree in Computer Science. | |
| Location at Birth: | Chicago, Il, during one of the worst blizzards the city has ever had. | Current Location: | Near Boston, Mass. | |
| Where you've been in between: |
Miami, San Antonio TX, Biloxi MS, Grand Forks/Meckinock N.D., St. Petersburg/Palm Harbor FL. | Astrological Sign: | Pisces. | |
| Available? | For what? | Chat Nick: | Bynkii, (it's a loonnnng story). | |
| Favorite Books: | Anything by Dianes Duane and Carey, Clive Cussler, The Destroyer, by Murphy and the late Richard Sapir, whatever I can get my hands on. | Favorite Music or Band: | Anything but really yodelly country. | |
| Favorite Food: | Oriental, Venison, and Buffalo. | Cat or Dog Person: | Yes | |
| Personal Web Site:None, I try to leave work at work. | |
| Professional Web Site: None, I'm an admin, not a developer. ;-) | |
| Favorite Web Site: | Mackido |
| Favorite Color imac: |  Orange. |
| "Pain is just weakness leaving the body" - numerous special ops instructors. | |
Created Monday, March 15, 1999; Edited: