JO

Writing a homepage is a serious exercise in naval gazing. It brings one rather suddenly into contact with questions that simply aren't part of a normal daily routine. Who am I? What do I do? Why do I do it? Why the hell would anyone care anyways? Well, since you're browsing here, learning about TOS TrekMUSE, you have probably spent some time online, and maybe even have rubbed elbows with my virtual persona, so I'll start with how I got here.

A newbie wanders in...

In September of 1993, I got my first real dose of Net access, when I received an account on an aging Sun3 at the University of Victoria. It was slow, cranky, and often down, but it had the all-important net connection. I spent a little time wandering about the Net, poking my nose into a few well known telnet sites and scamming lots of software from the ftp sites, until a friend of mine told me about this place called ``TOS TrekMUSE''.

``It's cooooool!'', he said.

So, the next day I wandered down to the basement terminal room, and logged in. And sure enough, it was cool. Here were all these poeple, working together to build societies and structures in a place that didn't even exist in the real world, spending their time and intellectual energy on a complete fantasy! Needless to say, I was hooked.

...and stays.

As the year progressed, I spent a great deal of time on TOS, talking to people, making virtual friends, and especially, coding. I always enjoy learning new things, particularly pointless ones, so I spent many hours honing my skills and becoming an expert. MUSE code is a language that has absolutely no real applications; the only thing it's good for is juggling fantasy information in a fantasy environment. Put into non-computing terms, learning to do MUSE code is like teaching yourself conversational Latin -- it's fun, but you'll never use it for anything remotely productive, ever.

Paul reaches the Top

Eventually, my ability at shaping my virtual environment earned me some recognition, and everybody likes recognition, so I redoubled my efforts. As time passed, I worked my way up the virtual food chain, eventually attaining the exalted rank of Director. And here I am now.

`Yeah, so you're a Director, but what do you really do?'

Well, since you asked...

My name is Paul Ramsey, and I grew up in a small northern town named Prince George, about five hundred miles north of Vancouver. Yes, it's veerry cold there. I did my undergraduate degree in mathematics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Yes, it's veerrry wet there. Now, I'm a graduate student diligently working towards a degree in applied statistics at the University of Victoria. Currently, I'm working on a thesis in computational statistics, applying computer tools like general linear models to stochastic processes and time series data. Hopefully I'll be done before I reach retirement age.

When I'm not soaking up the rays in front of a warm CRT, I like to spend my time lifting weights, playing basketball and sailing. Fortunately, I don't live in Idaho so I can get in lots of time on the water.

Paul in his element

And There You Have It

Funny, writing a home page is kind of cathartic. Like writing a diary in many ways, I suppose. Except less personal. I think on the Net we spend alot of time screening who we are, since we're always on stage.

That's really the essence of TOS too: being on stage, being a performer. Role Play is only part of it, it's the whole ethos of online communication. I know you're there, and you know I am, but the only way we can connect is through actively performing for each other; vividly showing each other just who we are.

Now you know who I am, in a superficial sense. Now it's your turn to get online, get into things, be who you are, login to TOS TrekMUSE, and have a good time.

Back to the Romulan Empire page.

This page written by Jo / joachim@tos.net / Copyright © 1995, TOS Enterprises, all rights reserved.