[Techtalk] An Introduction

[TechChiq]

Forgive my bad manners, I should have done this before jumping in and asking
questions. :) I hope this is not too late. I don't know if it's even
required, but it's sometimes something moderators prefer in some groups, and
don't in others. I'll chance it and post an intro about me anwyay...

*ahem* :)

My name is Tika, but online I go by "TechChiq" at the moment. :) I've been
programming computers since I was 15 on a TRS-80 Model III (16K, cassette
based). I'm now 37 and still enjoy playing around with computers! I have
fibromyalgia and can't work enough to pay the bills (plus work is impossible
to find that I can do at home since my health prevents me from travelling
too far outside of my immediate neighborhood). I spend a lot of time on my
computer, plus some time with my boyfriend (just fixed his computer up
recently).

I use Windows 98SE as my "main" OS but hope to migrate fully to Linux. I've
tried Linux 1.1 (I don't know what distro), Red Hat 5, ZipSlack 8 and
ZipSlack 9, now I'm using Pink Tie 9 (Red Hat 9 clone found at
CheapBytes.com). I prefer the GUI of course (KDE/Gnome in X) but I find
myself popping terminals now and then anyway (I do that in Winblowz too).

I can program in GWiz Basic, QuickBasic 4.5/QBasic (where I got well known
at one time for posting innovative gui and other code in the FidoNet
QUIK_BAS Echo), Visual Basic 6, Perl 5, PHP/MySQL, Python (Paint Shop Pro 8
uses Python Scripting now! So I want to get it running in WINE),
HTML/DHTML/CSS, JavaScript. I also have learned K&R C (Tandy CoCo 3/OS-9
Level II), ANSI C (was active in the FidoNet C_Echo - yes, I've communicated
with Bob Stout a few times - he's pretty clever :), and a little Borland
C++. On Winblowz I have the Bloodshed C++ compiler. On Linux I have whatever
comes with it. :) I also have TurboPascal that is free at Borland. So I have
done a variety of programming. Even tried Euphoria and Liberty Basic and
some scripting like POV-RAY. I plan to use POV-RAY in Linux.

While I had my Tandy CoCo 3 and OS-9 Level II, I got used to the U**x style
of doing things as OS-9 was very much based on that (and I still swear to
this day some VAX too... thinking about the way they used the modules in
memory, and how a friend of mine explained VAX which I might have forgotten
important points). I also programmed in Basic09 (OS-9) then, which was a
combo of Basic and Pascal. So when I went to PC, I was a bit dismayed at DOS
5 - NO multitasking, 8.3 filenames, and well, it just wasn't like OS-9. I
was LOST (oh I did learn DOS batch file scripting too). When I found out
about Linux and tried it, I felt more at home. Only it (at the time 1.1 was
out) didn't support my hardware. I'm still having some problems with that
part, since I use USB imaging devices. Lucky I did get the USB printer
(Epson C40UX) working real easily.

I'm the type that loves to try things and see if it can be done. :) I would
spend hours and hours all night long just writing a script or program, or
trying to get something to work. It just fascinates me. I enjoy sharing what
I learned too (so I don't just ask questions and snarf knowledge here :)
Ok, so that was long and boring. :)

BTW, I'm in Rochester, NY. I read on LinuxChix.org site there was a Linux
Users group for women starting up but it might have been an old post... is
that still starting up and who do I contact? I'm hoping it'll be closer to
my area (I'm not in the city). I know we have a User group in my city but
it's out of my travel range (due to health).

TechChiq
Pink Tie 9 (RH9 clone from CheapBytes.com)
Kernel 2.4.x
Win98SE (dual-boot)