My heartfelt thanks go out to Aidil for sponsoring my pro account - what a gift, pal! Thx 'heaps', as you say :-)

Given the update of my screen name, I felt it was about time to update my profile, as well. So, something about me? Well, I work for a small software company in the Greater Munich are in Germany, holding a diversified set of functions, which comprise customer support, customer relations and some marketing-oriented content production. I previously held several positions as Project Manager for companies of all sizes and have a history of self employed IT(C) developer/trainer/consultant/project manager. I also did some technical writing and translation for ITC companies and automotive. I was full time writer and copy editor for a special interest publication in the Macintosh realm in Germany. I did some PR work, mostly customer success stories for Apple Computers, Inc.. I am currently in transit to Canada, for which I hope to be given permanent resident status in about one and a half years' time from now.

My first love as a "career" was music and I pursued that for some time at a younger age. I was able to make my living from playing guitar, keyboards and being a vocalist for several years, but I never succeeded in getting a real break and hitting the big stage. I then studied and started my second walk of life which led into the IT(C) business, where I have remained to this day.

My latest love is photography. Within a matter of weeks I have turned from casual shooter with a pocket size gadget to severely addicted flickerite and passionate amateur photographer.

I enjoy: Watching movies (mostly romantic comedies with witty dialogue), occasionally listening to and playing along with music on the radio and my iTunes collection, going to see concerts, doing some sports, e.g. going on little bike trips around my "home base", waterskiing, skiing, inline-skating and such. I also like select food, drinks and a cigar every now and then, but having found out recently that I am subject to a number of food allergies, I had to reduce my diet to a mere 2-5% of what my previous menu consisted of. Eversince keeping to that diet, I notice a significant boost in vitality and a dramatically increased quality of life. So I gained from abdication or: No loss without gain and vice versa.

As for the web in general and flickr in particular: I will never forget that initiating moment some 14 years ago when I had my first online chat over a UNIX command line software with a former schoolmate and friend. He introduced me to a way of having a realtime online chat way before chat rooms and according client software like e.g. Instant Messenger were invented. So I was typing away my comments on one end of the line, sitting at a small, "pizza box"-sized Macintosh LC II and a 14.4 kpbs modem dial up, whereas he replied from a full-blown UNIX computer at Harvard University, where he had landed himself a scholarship (yeah, he's a real savvy, no doubt about that). This experience sparked my passion for communication technology which I still get excited about to this very day. Latest renditions of the web, such as "web 2.0" and what is often termed "social web" aren't only cool, they are much more: These tools are means of liberation for all free spirits around the globe and allow us to interact at an unprecedented level and speed and on a global scale. You might even go as far as to coin it a global crosslinking of brains and a super-node of minds. I think this and coming generations have a responsibility to do everything in their power in preserving this status and saving the web from any nation or organization trying to take (sole) control over it.

Having said this, I think flickr is a most impressive example of the aforementionend and also a nice rendition of AJAX-technology. It sports both technical savvy as well as design chops with regard to the consistent and intuitive user interface.

Oh, and one last thing: I may have a tendency towards producing lots of text (you might consider me a mild case of ADD, I'm afraid) ... So, be prepared to that if you choose to add me as a contact: I just might leave more than one or two lines of comment... ;-)

update as of November, 8th, 2006: I have formalized a contract with a migration agent, who will process my application for immigration to Canada. The link refers to my blog documenting this process. My declared destination will be Vancouver, B.C., and it's a long standing dream I'm pursuing with this endeavour.

update 2: flickr is a great community and 9.9 out of 10 encounters are of a positive, friendly, productive nature and I appreciate all of my contacts and friends. I have had only one annoying case, yet, where someone automatically invited me to groups on a regular basis that I had previously and repeatedly turned down being part of. Although only one click away from the trash bin, such messages get pesterous over time and given the mass amounts of spam that already frequent the wires, my tolerance towards unsolicited messages has dropped to zero. If you undergo any similar action, that is to disrespect me in a similar way by ignoring my decision for or against an invitation, you'll get blocked for good.