Who is this guy?

I am a graying web programmer, techno-activist, romantic idealist, who never quite left the sixties, even though I became quite successful in the Internet space.

My business philosphy is different now than when I toiled in the bigco world. About a decade ago I experienced a life-altering epiphany: I was sacrificing my personal life and health to feed a corporate monster.

I gained this insight while lying on an emergency room gurney. At only 48 years old, I had been struck by a heart attack — at my desk at 7 am on the day after Christmas!

I recovered, and so did my life.

The bigco, by the way, was CompuServe. I was director of strategic technologies there when AOL bought us and pulled the ripcord on my golden parachute.

I have no regrets about my career there. I had tons of fun working with tremendously bright people. And only a few dullards. I was fortunate enough to be employed by a company that for whatever its reasons gave me the resources and time to help pioneer the dot com world.

But in the post-coronary rapture, other things beckoned. I moved to Florida, reunited with the love of my life after being apart for more than 20 years, and rediscovered serenity and sunsets and Captain Morgan rum and orange juice. I even bought a sailboat and lived aboard for awhile.

And that long-lost love? I married her. Her name is Judi Jetson (and yes, that’s her real, legal name).

We now live in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, continuing our mutual quest for meaning and happiness in our lives (while becoming reacquainted with sub-freezing temperatures and snow).

Judi has a dream job with HandMade in America where she helps small towns develop local craft-related industry and businesses.

Me? I am trying to live up to my self-proclaimed label of “techno-activist”. We’ll see what happens…