_Paul Anthony – Public Portrait – @webireland

Website: WebDistortion
Twitter: @webireland

I am Paul.

I cut my teeth on the Amstrad CPC 464 (retro cool eh?) programming simple things to annoy my sisters. After that the next machine I “acquired” – (read begged / pesterd my folks for) was a Compaq Presario running Windows 3.1 with a 386 processor.

Speeeeeedy.

After breaking it a few times and learning how to squeeze as much performance out of it as possible (remember config.sys and Autoexec.bat anyone?). Amstrad basic quickly became Qbasic, Qbasic became Visual Basic, Visual Basic became Visual Basic.NET and the world of object orientated programming opened up a whole world of possibility – especially to the web – which was introduced to me through a friend lending me a broken 56K modem – which I Iater fixed.

The magnet pull of the web grabbed me. Building something that millions of other people could possibly use or see really got me hooked. I read, and read and read. I borrowed HTML books from the library, and taught myself all I needed to know to create websites. Albeit, particularly ugly ones.

In between all of that, the world of web development and design seemed to complement the harsh and cold world of computer programming. I started developing database driven stuff with Active Server pages, which has now become ASP.NET. This mishmash of skills created someone who now loves single handedly developing attractive web applications using  Microsoft’s .NET language and making them pretty with Photoshop. In my spare time I enjoy writing (mainly on my blog), designing, networking, marketing my products, and taking the odd photo. I also currently works full time as a software developer for an e-commerce company – but that doesn’t stop me dreaming of one running my own business. The foundations of which are currently being constructed.

Paul Anthony
www.webdistortion.com