I'm going to keep this simple: I'm a hardcore self-taught DIY hobbyist inventor.
I wake up every day with a new idea. I'm not afraid to acquire the knowledge to implement it but since I'm low on time and resources, I do sometimes (most of the time tbh) must abstain myself from doing things so I can work, pay for food and survive.
Programming
Although I'm involved in a wide range of projects, my main focus and my main hobby has always been coding computer programs for fun. I'd wish I just collect sports cards or have a lighter hobby, but nooo...I have to break my head and reinvent the wheel every single time.
I made my first program in BASIC in an Atari XE series in 1992 at the age of 8 but I did not went full in until I was 15 y/o and started coding in a 486 PC. Fast forward, now I code in many languages, make use of many tools and then took the next step and started inventing my own new technologies.
I've made countless programs, more than I'm able (and allowed) to publish here. I code with a passion, I put all my heart and soul into it. I code only when I'm fully inspired and I don't release anything unless it is perfectly done, line by line - bit by bit, extensively documented and my OCD satisfied.
By the way, this website is powered by a robust PHP framework I invented and keep maintaining since 2014.
Tinkering
I understand electricity. I go with my intuition and it always work out fine (no fires). I have access to a very constrained workshop, very tiny and without access to power tools nor modern machinery. Just old school Geppetto style handcrafting.
I'm not deep into electronics but I know enough to complement my programming skills and craft all of my wonderful/Frankenstein creations.
My culture plays a big role in it, I just apply it, I apply myself like I always do. I pay close attention to details and abide by perfectionism.
I feel attracted/interested more and more by the field of microelectronics and embedded computers. I think it's fascinating, easy for me to learn and would like to develop more into it in the future.
Computers
I have big nostalgia for retro-PC hardware (and software) from mid 90s to early 2000s. Winamp, Napster, Norton, ICQ, WinZip, etc...Remember all that? Well, I do!
For me, around the year 2003 was the peak in terms of PC hardware, with the Athlon XP and the godly nForce2 chipset both breaking through the market and all those GeForce 2 and 3 cards (the greatest GPU marvels) still giving a good fight.
I have a humble collection of systems like a pair of Windows 98/ME/XP + Pentium 3/4 based platforms with pristine motherboards, maxed out RAM, 3dfx/nVidia/ATI/S3 graphics cards, SoundBlaster audio cards, CD/DVD writers, plus a couple more expansion cards and peripherals. I still pay homage to the hardware I let go...big mistake, never sell your retro hardware!
Video games
Video games! Oh I like them, I like them all.
I play video games but I don't consider myself a heavy gamer, I mean, I don't play that much and I don't collect games (I buy only what I play or will/would play). I'm more interested in the technical aspects and the technology behind them. When I watch or play a game I go in my mind like: "Hey, how did they do this?" and then go deeper thinking into algorithms and stuff. Similarly goes for console hardware. But I do enjoy the gaming experience when I play and when it's time to buy games.
I do like video games, all games, all genres. I'll play and like (almost) any game you put in front of me. I love the fact that they exist and people enjoy them. I don't have all games nor have played all of them but I do keep track of the latest news and releases. I also like to "play videos about video games" (other people playing games or gaming channels in general) in the background while I do my other stuff. Does all of this make me a gamer or not?
This is it for me: The Sony PlayStation 2 (with the backwards compatible PS1 game library) for home console and the Nintendo 3DS for gaming on the go, the best of both worlds.
I also own a hefty Steam library to fill the gaps in my collection. My PC hardware is very outdated though (2014) and there is only so much I can play with it. Nonetheless, I'm very happy with what I have which is enough for an entire life.
I'm curious about what the future will throw at us gamingwise. I stand vigilant, watching from a distance, holding onto my hardware and game library. But who knows, maybe something outstanding comes out and I take the jump into new technology. I'm thinking something like the Nintendo Switch 3 or even better the Nintendo Switch 3D(S) with autostereoscopic 3D screen and backwards compatible with the Nintendo 3DS (hhhmmm, one can only dream).
Outroduction
I want to leave with a message, one that was passed on to me, that I now pass on to you: Your riches, your knowledge, your hobbies and all the things that bring you joy in life; do something trascendental about them and please share them with others, share them with someone important, someone you trust, someone you love. If you do, these things will become real and their value will increase. Otherwise, if you keep them for yourself then it's like they never happened and time itself will make sure they become just a worthless tick and they'll get swallowed by the entropy of the void.
Make friends, good friends, spend quality time with them, make things together and witness each other so that they become real.
You don't have to understand my message, at least not right now. All I ask is that you listen to it, as diffuse as it sounds. Eventually, life will sort things out for you so that my word becomes true. But at least try, for once, to take your perspective one level higher, observe, analyze and finally act (now) before it's too late.
One practical reflection about my message is that "to share" is an abstract word with different meanings. If you are a professional and love what you do then please do not give away for free your talent and your chance to make a living. "To sell" your products or services is a way of sharing yourself or your goods with the world.
But hey, enough with this philosophical nonsense overthinking.
Enjoy life my fellow humans. Drink beer and raise cats!
