[HLUG] Self-introduction

[Andrew Smith]

Hi all,
After subscribing to the list I thought I should make myself known to 
you all. First things first:

Member		Distro		Status		Location
Andrew Smith	Debian		Intermediate	Abergavenny

I think that Intermediate is the fairest description of my Linux 
position, as though I have been using computers for many years (I 
first earned computer based money for myself with a ZX81 in 1982) I 
have only been experimenting with Linux for about eighteen months. 
Starting with  Suse and Mandrake I quickly looked at RedHat before 
reaching Debian via Knoppix and other live CDs. I have currently, 
though, succeeded in getting a print server/fire-wall machine to run 
stably, so I would say that I am over the initial learning curve. 
This I managed through persistence in making and correcting mistakes 
rather than initial knowledge, but I guess that is true of the first 
stages of learning anything.

My major interests are in programming, to make obstinate beige boxes 
do what I want. This has been in a variety of compiled languages, 
Basic, Assembler, Fortran, Delphi and Java, listed roughly in the 
order in which I encountered them. I have dipped my fingers into C 
and its descendants but, without wishing to start a flame-war, I find 
it much too concise in its syntax for my taste. To ease my 
understanding, give me a descriptive word over a single character 
symbol any day! I am very sympathetic to Open Source ideals and lurk 
on the outskirts of a couple of community projects in the software 
modelling and testing areas. My current preoccupations are with 
topics  connected with the use of GPG.

I hope to get along to some meetings, but I doubt if I can make the 
February one since I have to be in London that day.

Until we can meet,
Andrew Smith