SynTax Profiles (1) @~By request of John Nicholls, here are the first few profiles of @~SynTax readers / contributors, from Alex, Richard, JJ, Theo and @~myself. See also the screenshots section of SynWin for a few @~pix! ... Sue ------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Alex van Kaam Name: Alex van Kaam Haydnstraat 18 5751 ES Deurne The Netherlands E-mail: Borimir@msn.com Age: 25 Profession: Baker, Starting a study informatics PC: Self built Pentium 90 Likes: Playing RPGs & Adventures, Writing for SynTax, Reading Fantasy and SF Books, Programming in Visual Basic for windows, BMW, F1, McLaren, Baking, Cruising Bill's Super Highway, Fiddling with hardware and software, Walking the dog, Calling Sue, X Files, Star Trek, Outer Limits, Pink Floyd, Crash Test Dummies, Hootie and the Blowfish, REM, Getting E mail Dislikes: Slow Drivers, 'Soft Drool' Music, Mr. 'Bargain' people. Ambitions: Becoming the first baker in outer-space, so if you have any connections please let me know. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Richard Hewison I'm 28 yrs old and played my first adventure on a friend's TRS-80 in 1981. I have owned most home micros (BBC B, Spectrum, C64, ST, Amiga, PC) and hand held consoles (Game Gear, Game Boy and Lynx). I've had two Spectrum adventures published under the pseudonym of Palmer P. Eldritch for Zenobi Software (Mike Gerrard once offered to reveal my identity for the usual used fiver in an issue of YS!). From mid 1986 to early 1988 I wrote a regular adventure column on BBC2 CEEFAX (part of the NEXT computer pages) helping stuck adventurers and reviewing software, which is how I first made contact with Sue, on the adventure pages of Micronet. In '88 I worked for Telecomsoft (Rainbird/Firebird) and then moved on to Microprose, Mirrorsoft and for a short while Sony (on the new Sony PlayStation console). I currently work freelance in the software industry, writing game manuals for Mindscape, Virgin, Renegade and Domark (amongst others) and I also bug hunt (test) games when I can. I've been contributing to SynTax since issue 3 (under my own name and the pseudonym Roy Sims) and in 1993 I wrote the Amiga version of SynTax for Sue using AMOS. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. A Profile Of James Judge - The Mess Behind The Man Hi there, I've been writing for SynTax three years now. I'm 18 years old and am in my last year of A'Levels, so that's why I'm often in a bad mood . Computer-wise I've got an ageing Speccy propping up a shelf (somewhere), an ST (propping up a table) and a PC (propping up me). My fave games are RPGs and strategies, but I'm also pretty nifty with the old arcade stuff. Technically I know quite a bit about the workings of STs and PCs, but I've never sat down and learnt a programming language... What else do you want to know? I'm a Taurus, born in the year of the horse. I've got a cat and absolutely adore Dungeon Master. Enough? Good. Interested applicants should write to... ------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. Profile of Theo Clarke Theo Clarke is a writer and a management consultant who is a director of two games companies. He lives in Peckham with a fishpond and a lot of books and games. From an office at the top of the house he edits and writes for magazines on games, computers, project management, change and archaeology, He has been playing adventures since 1974. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. Sue's Profile I saw my first computer in the 60s as part of my maths O Level course. It filled a room, used punch cards and probably had the same memory as the 48K Spectrum we bought 20 years later! Alan is completely to blame for my interest in computers as he suggested getting a computer when I wanted something to keep my brain active, and started the collection by buying me Abersoft's Adventure 1 (a version of Colossal) and one of the Artic games, Ship of Doom, I think. We later bought the ST (one of the original 520s, it is so old it only has external drives!), and I'm now on my 3rd PC, which could do with upgrading. I won a modem and a Prestel sub, which got me onto Micronet and, after much persuading by Marion who I met there, onto ClubSpot's Adventure Helpline where I later became an editor, concentrating on mazes, which I still love. Like Richard, I reviewed for Ceefax until their computer pages closed. Now, as well as editing SynTax, I have been the PD/Shareware Editor for PC Mart for over 2 years and in April last year started my own DTP business from home. I love doing all my different types of work and one day I hope to make a profit! I have other hobbies, when time permits - reading (especially fantasy), music (Queen, REM, Erasure, Peter Gabriel), jigsaws (though I haven't risked one since we got Robbie) and counted thread embroidery. I also play the piano (I started learning when I was 8 and graduated to the church organ at 14). - o -