Also a special thanks to impara.de for hosting the Xerox Parc Time-Capsue!
About me: Eric Bowers
Work History:
I graduated with honors from the Arkansas School for Mathematics and Sciences in 1997. At ASMS, my main focus was computer science. My senior thesis was on artificial intelligence and expert systems. For the science research portion of the project, I created an expert system written in LISP, which was to my knowledge the first application using an A.I. expert system to diagnose mental illness. It's purpose was really to provide a functional version of Joseph Weisenbaum's ALICE program. The school has changed it's name to The Arkansas School for Math, Science, and the Arts and is under the umbrella of the University of Arkansas, but if you are interested in seeing my original research, the thesis is still on file locally at the school's library. I then attended Tulane University's Engineering School with a major in Computer Engineering.
My first work out of school was as an Internet Services Administrator for a local ISP which consisted of maintaining current Client’s websites, creating new pages, Custom Graphics, and administrating servers for Clients with services such as HTTP, FTP, SMTP, POP, PROXY,Telnet, IRC, and DNS Name Servers.
After that I was hired at large institution to analyze, troubleshoot, and document their hybrid SCO UNIX, Novell Netware, Windows NT 4 Network and was responsible for Y2K compliance. This network was a mess. 20 years of technology piled on newer technologies on top of newer technologies. They wanted me to document the network because nobody that worked there had any idea what anything was or how it all worked. This network consisted of various x86 and Alpha servers, workstations, printers, data, dedicated dual ISDNs for their private WAN and a T1 for their voice and internet network. I even got to use a working "Serial Server" serving 12 original DEC VT100 dumb terminals.
My most recent work was with one of the "Big 5" telecoms. My title was "Wireless Technology Consultant". Basically I got to advise companies and their buying reps on the newest wireless solutions, particularlly EvDO and 3G wireless devices running PalmOS, Windows Mobile, and Blackberry software. I had hacked my HTC PocketPC to run Linux though which blew all network admins away. LOL
The Real Me:
There seems to be a big difference between my work history and my actual interests. While my work history would lead one to believe that I like networking and engineering, this couldn't be farther from the truth. I'm more of a philosophical /artistic minded person than a technical minded person; more of a thinker/dreamer/logistician than an engineer. I love researching the roots of where the technologies actually came from and what their inspirations are and also researching all the current operating systems (however obscure) and also the developing programming environments and languages emerging. This would explain my Xerox PARC and Smalltalk archive. I'm extremely interested in User Interface design, Computer Human Interaction, its history, and its future. The machine I'm typing this on right now quad boots the following OS's:
Do note the distinct lack of a Microsoft OS. I tend to take the view of Steve Jobs on Microsoft. They produce second rate products and have no aesthetic or artistic vision. Although I do believe that Mac Os has also grown stagnant over the years and is in need of an overhaul.Mac OS X
Sun Solaris 10
Fedora Core 6
Plan 9 from Bell Labs
