Welcome to HeleX.org.uk!
Sunday 05-06-2005
Okay, it's been over a year now since this site was properly updated - not that I really think that anybody's likely to be looking at it anyway! The only updates I've made in the last year were to the Blog, which has a diary of my fortnight's holiday in New Orleans.
During the last 12 months, I've been trying to learn Java and although the progress hasn't been as rapid as I'd have liked, I'm now close to being "fluent" enough to write my first application. More on that later!
I've also made the move to Linux on my main system, and am using almost
totally Open Source software. I've started to post some details of
my experiences in the new Linux
section of the site. I'll
try to keep this up to date, as I poke around in its workings.
Monday 31-05-2004
This site is still under construction and there is very little content here presently, but that will change in the coming months.
I'll be using the site as an online technical document repository, posting details of any interesting .NET, Java, HTML, CSS, Javascript or XML techniques that I encounter, either in my day-to-day work as an analyst/programmer or in my true calling as a general IT fanatic!
I'll document my recent experiences whilst building a new PC to act as an entertainment hub based in the living room. This machine is now being used to play a wide variety of CDs, DVDs, MP3s and DivX / XviD encoded films. It also houses a TV card and can therefore act as a digital video recorder and time-shifter (now, if only the broadcasters would show some programming that was worth watching..!).
I'll also use the site to promote my other interests. There will be reviews of various films and books that I have seen or read together with articles on other subjects including digital photography, cycling and Bioware's excellent Dungeons & Dragons based Neverwinter Nights.
To produce this site, I'll be using freeware and open source tools whenever possible. Where possible and practical, I'll give preference a java-based tool to ensure total cross-platform compatibility (as I plan to make the move to Linux sometime soon!). My main browser these days is Mozilla's Firefox, whilst my text editor is the java-based jEdit. I'm also using the GIMP for graphics duties and Filezilla to FTP the pages to the server.
More about the wonderful world of open source later.
Finally, on a personal note, I'd like to congratulate my brother and sister-in-law, Nick and Penny, on the birth of their first child (& my first nephew!), Alex, born on Tuesday 4th May 2004.
Check back soon for more content! Cheers!
Rich