Peter

Qualifications & Experience:

• Graduate Certificate in Antarctic Studies
• Private Pilot's License (please send money)
• BTech (Hons) (Industrial Engineering)
• Once I got given a bunch of trophies at school, but I had to give them back.

In the mid-80s, I spent six inscrutable years in Japan working for a great little computer company which later got swallowed by a giant (Toshiba). Some of my time was spent refereeing a development team consisting of stroppy Kiwis, Irish, Nihonjin, Koreans and one token American. When I wasn't doing that, I was jet-setting all over the world, learning interesting things about the insides of hotels, airports, offices and restaurants.

In '89 Vicki and I spent a few fantastic months re-visiting these places, and discovered that they had museums, architecture, scenery and people! Then we came home and settled in Christchurch, New Zealand, which is a great place to live.

And started this business...

What I do with my time:

When at work, I manage the rest of our team and devote my remaining seconds to designing and developing software, generally high-performance client/server database and Web applications. Most of this is done using Borland Delphi, and runs on WinNT and its successors. At the moment, I'm up to my neck in electronic publishing applications, particularly Web automation and ecommerce, such as TurboPress. I really enjoy this stuff!

Otherwise, I sail every chance I get, fly whenever the bank balance is almost in the black, travel whenever I can't get away with flying (and I'm dying to get back to Antarctica!). I also dress up in funny clothes and pose as a 12th-Century scoundrel, and read endless books to David and Perry and Erica. That is, when we're not up on the roof playing petanque.

I write stories too, at least one of which was described as "amusing" (Alex Heatley), "Splendid stuff" (New Scientist, Feb 20, 1999) and "You cannot be serious!" (Dave Jones). It even got published in Phlogiston.
I've got proof!

I've also been known to act, but I won't bore you with the reviews...

Email (be gentle).

Vicki

Qualifications & Experience:

• BSc (Psychology) BA (Sociology)
• Mother of two horribly cute little boys and equally cute girl (must be genetics)
• I've got a big bronze Science and Technology Medal of New Zealand which makes a great paperweight

After abandoning Auckland to start a Canterbury science degree in astrophysics, I wandered through a startlingly diverse range of departments in search of a major, and ended up with the perfect academic background for a science journalist -- I know a little about everything, but not a great deal about anything in particular.

I spent my sojourn in Japan working for a science and technology database and, later, as a science and front-page editor for one of the four main English daily newspapers, The Daily Yomiuri..

I'm a self-confessed science groupie, which explains 10 years of work on the New Zealand Science Monthly and my current role as managing editor of SciTechDaily Review. But the bulk of my time these days is spent in project management for SPIS, advising clients, organising site development and keeping an eye on the long-term view.

What I like to do with my time:

Actually, the Web stuff can be a lot of fun and very satisfying. I really enjoy the strategic planning side of things where we can help people think beyond the next six months. It does mean I spend far too much time slaving over a hot computer though...

Other things I do include being Chair-entity for the , which involves (among other things) early morning calls from radio stations every Friday 13th. *sigh*

If I'm lucky, I get to put on my 16-gauge steel helm and camail, my breastplate, my padded gambeson, my knee and elbow pads, my groin protection, my puncture-proof trousers and my boots, and go out and shoot arrows at Peter (see SCA).

If I'm really lucky, I hit him.

Email -- she doesn't bite. Honest.

Phil

Totem Animal Sloth Star Sign Loves Sleep, Toys, Ouzo Loathes Idiots, Illiteracy, Legumes Fondest wish Arbitrarily great wealth

Qualifications & Experience:

• BSc (Computer Science) BA (Psychology)
• I can do many things -- and around here I usually have to

After a decade or so as a university student and part-time tutor, I sort of drifted bit by bit into a job with this place. Not as much fun, but the money's a bit better and I still don't have to have a haircut or wear shoes.

What I do with my time:

Aside from slaving at work, I sleep, read, argue, listen to music, procrastinate, play games... you know, sort of like everyone else really. Some day I may get around to updating this page and doing a comprehensive sloth page.

Email

Ros

Totem Animal Cat Star Sign Likes Books Music Sunny weather Loathes Telephone salespeople Drunken louts Noisy neighbours Fondest wish To be able to sing really well

Qualifications & Experience:

• BSc (Physical Geography)
• Various administration-type course certificates
• Motherhood - with a teenager and a toddler I can cope with most things that come my way!

I started my working life as a Government employee which trained me to work for a Government department but not much else. When my first son was about 4 I moved back into the workforce doing gardening, cleaning and a temporary contract job with a non-profit voluntary organisation. I drifted into working here starting part-time doing basic administration and now manage the office administration side of the business.

I also get to look after many of the Web sites we administer which is a really enjoyable part of the job.

What I do with my time:

As mentioned above, two sons keep me busy most of the time. However I do get time to read, do some gardening, sing in our Church choir and take part in the Society for Creative Anachronism.

Email .

Nigel

Qualifications & Experience:

• Diploma of Computer Graphic Design
• Diploma of Multimedia

After five years on a factory floor I left and headed for England, then came back and started at The National College of Design and Technology with a course in Computer Graphic Design. What was to be one year and back to England become another year at the College getting my Diploma in Multimedia. After some months of contract graphic/web design work I was lucky enough to get the job here and I've been working hard ever since.

What I do with my free time:

Free Time???? Ten Pin Bowling, reading fantasy books, drawing, personal computer projects and now and then I even tutor.

Email .

Alex

Qualifications & Experience:

• BSc in Computer Sciences, "Lucian Blaga" University, Sibiu, Romania
• Alot of self-teaching
• A couple of Microsoft SQL 7.0 administration and programming courses nobody cares about
• When I was like 10 I've got some real diplomas on glider models (aeroplanes) contests

During the Uni I had been working for a small company writing accounting software in FoxPro 2.6 (anyone remembering it?). After graduation I took a well deserved 3 months break, doing nothing . For the next 3 years I had worked as a System Engineer for the Romanian Telecom company - that position meant that I had various duties, from programming (using Visual FoxPro, Delphi and MS SQL Server) to network administration, to software and hardware mentanance (ie. cleaning&dusting), to replacing printer ribbons and tonner cardriges. Alot of fun though! At some moment we (me and my wife Ioana) decided to move to a place with a better lifestyle: "New Zealand!" we said. And here comes into the picture Alexandru Matei (also working for the Romanian Telecom): he has been working with/for SPIS for a few years and he made my connection with Peter. After arriving here I took onto the role of Software Developer (mainly Delphi and Interbase).

What I do with my time:

As I said, we love to travel so we try to visit as much of New Zealand as possible. We're also interested in scuba-diving (that one time diving in Mediteranean Sea was so amazing), so maybe one day we'll be able to find some warmer waters to go down again. During the winter nights we usually watch TV (some will say it's a bad habit) wondering about the inteligence and stupidity of human race... During the summer, we go out with friends, you know, have a chat, a BBQ and a couple of beers I still hope one day I'll have my own, private, powered aircraft (scale model, that is) and also I hope I'll manage to jump off a real aircraft (with a parachute at my back, of course).

Email .

Andrew

Qualifications & Experience:

• Dip BC
• 10+ years as a graphic artist
• Fluent in one language

I do support for TurboNote, general research for ongoing development projects and I get to write some code too. I do structured testing of prerelease products which involves trying to break things and keeping notes while I do it.

What I do with my time:

Have two primary school children, I don't actually get a lot of "my" time. I write for several role playing games (I've even been published for money a couple of times). I like to listen to Dixieland Jazz and support a number of trendy liberal causes (in a movie I'd be the bleeding heart liberal who dies horribly to show how evil the villian really is).

Email .

Seth

Qualifications & Experience:

• BSc (Computer Science, Philosophy)
• Grad Cert (Cognitive Science)

I left SPIS at the end of '99, and now run , but I still maintain some of my old SPIS projects, and work on the odd new one for them.

What I do with my time:

I work an awful lot. I have some mostly neglected hobbies:

Active:

• The SCA, where I get to wear shiny armour, dance with lovely ladies, and work out my frustrations on other SCA fighters.
• Working on my BBS,
• Working up a sweat on the squash court.

Quiescient:

• Reading novels, typically science fiction or historical in flavour.
• Playing Boardgames, particularly the modern German games.

Dormant:

• Backgammon, roleplaying.

Email

Jo

Qualifications & Experience:

• BA (Medieval History)
• Postgraduate Diploma (Museum Studies)

Currently I divide my work hours between Business Daily Review and being a full-time student. If I'm really lucky I get to work on my other incipient job, being a contract corsetière.

What I do with my time:

I am a compulsive gardener (the compulsion hits usually when I'm wearing my best clothes), a dabbler in historical re-enactment (Society for Creative Anachronism) and I would like to have more time to sew weird and wonderful clothes. Once in a blue moon I actually manage to complete an embroidery. I enjoy historical novels and spend far too much time researching subjects unrelated to my university studies (such as costume history and earth building).

Email .

Amie

Qualifications & Experience:

• BA (Psychology)

What I do with my time:

Play chase-the-toddler and related games. Concoct peculiar messes in the kitchen (culinary, cosmetic and other), mostly based on medieval or renaissance recipes. Angst about my neglected (but nonetheless pretty) garden. Read & watch far too much Science Fiction. Occasionally write fiction. Work hard finding interesting *stuff* for .

Email .

Alexandru Matei

Qualifications & Experience:

• Graduated from Technical University of Cluj-Napoca in 1993
• Educated to program in C++, now studies Scott Meyers' books
• Highly interested in graphics and communication software

I quit smoking at the age of 9. As a teenager I was a fan of the game of GO. Now I am a computer programmer trying to spend as much free time as possible with my wife Nicoleta and young son Cristian (born February 10, 1998).

Although I am fully employed at Romania's national telephone company, in May of 1998 I found myself drafted into the role of International Software Development Agent Extraordinaire for SPIS Ltd. What this basically means is that I took my lifetime career opportunity :-) !

I live in Sibiu, which is an historic town in central Romania, and enjoy it here.

And please use TurboNote -- since SPIS has found a clever way to spread it to over 200,000 users (as of May 2000), my best reward is to see everybody enjoying it!

Many thanks to Emil Fickel from Germany for his advice and ideas, Paul DiLascia for replying to my e-mails in July 1998 and especially Bartosz Milewski for being the guru of a great site: .

Email
"If this program works, it was written by me. If not, I don't know who wrote it" Paul DiLascia - MSJ