Sorry, you caught me with the walls unpainted and tools everywhere!

I'm just getting this site up and running, but I do have some pretty pictures covering the bare walls. By the time the last tarps are rolled up and the hammers put away, this site will have a collection of my writing, notes, a photo gallery and a members area.

Currently, I have many of my photo galleries up and running (although with just a general dump of images, some of which still need post-processing) and a page for a couple of Thunderbird user guides I wrote. I apologize in advance for any unsightly holes you find on the site.

For now, feel free to take a look around at what I have done. Over the next week, or so, the remaining areas will be finished off and opened for use. Then I'll have to dust off all the content that will be on Jim's Papers and give it a quick polish... and that will probably end up being a major construction job in itself! There's always that 'one more tweak before it's right!'

Mind your head and watch where you step; things aren't all there yet!

About Me

Hi! I'm Jim McCullough and I'll be your host for this visit. Actually, I'll be your host the next visit too as this is my Web site. I live in British Columbia, Canada, where I have been working in various capacities in the computer industry for over fifteen years. I guess you could call me a 'generalist', but I say I just like learning new things. Currently I am writing technical documentation.

On the non-IT side of things, I love to get out into nature. Rain or shine you'll find me out hiking in the local mountains. Basically, as I live on the British Columbia coast, it's rain; at least for half the year! You know the old saying, it's no problem if you dress for it. ;) I also took up kayaking last summer and it's great! It's a fantastic way to get to those out-of the way places, and the sea life seems to more curious about kayakers than afraid. Pretty cool!

And then there are road trips. I love driving, and I love nature, and there are large stretches of empty wilderness between cities just waiting to be explored. Best of all is when you can combine a road trip with a camping trip. I bought a Camry Hybrid a few years ago, so I figure that off-sets some of my irresponsible carbon emissions from the road trips. It's my rationalization, anyway.

However, my overriding passion for the last couple of decades has been computers. At various times I've had up to seven cobbled-together computers, running various operating systems, networked together in my home. I find it hard to sleep now, unless I have a low background hum of computer white noise. The latest computer technology is like a carrot on a stick that keeps me learning new things and ensures I never get bored.

While working in the computer industry, I have:

• Supervised college computer labs.
• Ran the Windows computers, NT and Novell networks, and Lucent phone systems for two large hotels in Victoria, Canada.
• Wrote the documentation for an ISO17799 and Enterprise Risk Management Best Practices tool for the British Columbia government.
• Administered the Linux servers for a global on-line gaming site.
• Administered the computer facilities for a global on-line gaming site.
• Provided software administration and documentation on a contract basis.

The most recent project I've completed was writing a couple of guides on using Thunderbird 3.1 in Ubuntu for the Ubuntu Vancouver LoCo, an Ubuntu users group in Vancouver, Canada. The guides, Getting Started With Thunderbird 3.1 and Taming Your Email With Thunderbird 3.1, are available at the Ubuntu Vancouver LoCo or on my Taming Your Email page in the Writing section. Check them out if you are interested in using Thunderbird, or you already use Thunderbird and want to learn new ways of managing your email. I am planning to expand the guides into complete Thunderbird guides for Linux, Windows and MacIntosh.

Currently, I am working on the documentation and Web design for Picture PlaceMat, a Web-based photo gallery and slideshow. It is coming along quite nicely, but isn't quite ready for public consumption. I have an introduction to the project in my Writing section.

Thanks,
Jim

Recorded Reflections

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'Writing and photography define the present by interpreting the past'
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