Deepwire's Blog

When I’m asked in person to describe myself, I struggle.  The same goes for writing about myself, but I will give it a go.  Hopefully it won’t be too long or boring.  Starting off with the basics, I graduated from The University of Reading 2 years ago, where I received a First Class MEng degree in Computer Science and Cybernetics.  I chose to study this, specifically Cybernetics at Reading, after finding out about it when I was young.

Though I still find it difficult to describe ‘Cybernetics’, due to its’ varied nature, I am also glad it is such a varied field.  I remain interested in computers and electronics, especially programmable devices, such as the Arduino and Netduino.  But my interests have grown considerably, having discovered topics and technologies I didn’t know about before university.  I have become a fan of virtual worlds (think Second Life), haptic interfaces (think advanced force feedback) and innovations in human-computer interaction.

Unfortunately though, the only job I was able to get after putting in all of that effort was one where the need for a degree somewhat eludes me.  So far there has been nothing that really interests me or grabs me, and I feel that most of what I learnt at university has been lost.  It’s a shame, but graduating in the middle of a recession couldn’t be helped, and my degree now does not feel worth very much.  Hopefully this year, with some ‘experience’, I’ll be able to get somewhere I enjoy, but I’m not holding out much hope.

Away from technology, I enjoy listening to music; my tastes are somewhat ‘semi-varied’.  I prefer heavier sounds, Rock, Metal, Emo etc, but my collection does have some anomalous material.  I give new music a try regardless of genre, so you may be surprised what you see (see my Zune Card for what I’ve listened to recently).  I don’t play an instrument, but I am loosely attempting to learn how to play the drums.  It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, so I have got myself an electronic drum kit to start (this way I can use headphones and not disturb the neighbours).  I do play a fair few video games, mostly on the Xbox 360 (for convenience),  as I find keeping a PC up to spec enough for current too expensive.  If I was in a decent job earning good money, then maybe I could, but at the moment I’ve got no chance!

In the outside world, I enjoy off-road cycling, swimming and going to the gym, though there is no particular sport I do regularly.  I’ve also been involved with a local Scout group for 2 years, and run their Beaver Colony.  This at least gives me something I enjoy in life, and want to put effort in to, so that the monotony of work doesn’t consume me.  One of my other ‘hobbies’, if you can call it that, is baking.  I always used to enjoy it as a child, maybe because the end result was cake.  Now I find myself baking quite often, trying new recipes or making things for friends; you may even see me write about it from time to time.

With me, the cake is most definitely not a lie.