Challenge One : Introduce Myself to the Webmaking 101 Community

My obsession with computing began in the 1980’s, when my father purchased an Apple //e for our family. At the time, its 64KB of RAM and roughly 1MHz CPU represented the cutting edge of home computing. Over the years, we periodically upgraded as newer and better technology became cheaper and more accessible to mainstream households. KB became MB, and MHz became GHz. My fascination grew in tandem while it became increasingly apparent that my core purpose was grounded in ones and zeros. I dreamed of a splendid place where life was comprised of snippets of code and the circuits through which they travel. But, the algorithms of life took me down many disparate paths before delivering me to that destination. Nonetheless, I’ve now arrived. And, it’s trulyglorious.

It’s important to explain that my obsession with computing has never been about its practical benefits or recreational utility. It’s about the integration of computer technology with the abstract elements that make us human, such as creativity and free will. It’s about the physics of the universe, and the acceleration of human intelligence. Perhaps, it’s even about the future of humanity.

Now, I realize that’s a lot of abstraction and speculation to digest. After all, we can’tpossibly know for certain if something like Ray Kurzweil’s Technological Singularity will ever take place. You know, that hypothetical event horizon at which man and technology irreversibly converge. Or, if John Smart’s STEM compression hypothesis (Space, Time, Energy, & Matter) will ultimately lead to the transcension of mankind into the fabric of the universe. But, what I do know is that it’s mathematically impossible for us to continuing making this kind of exponential progress in technology without experiencing an event of unprecedented magnitude – eventually.

So, in a nutshell, this is my obsession with computing. It’s the lens through which I process the complexity of life, and of being alive. I’ve found my niche as a Web developer – a calling that allows me to create living and dynamic experiences – experiences that invoke thought and emotion through artistry. It’s a rewarding profession that’s infinitely more than the sum of its deliverables. It’s a fundamental extension of my physiology and personal character.

And, most importantly, it’s my core purpose.