What is your day job?

[ScottF]

I´m a retired English professor (Ph.D., 1982)--actually just quit in 2000 to move to Argentina. I met a lady, go figure.

In the 1990´s I got the bug for web design and spent every waking minute with HTML, CSS, javascript, and graphcs for the web. I created two online classes and taught them for a couple of years before I quit.

Now, I´ve just bought XtremePro and am re-learning the webstuff--as in XHTML and the new standards for CSS. I have no idea what I´m going to do with any of that, besides have fun. Maybe I´ll get back into web design, etc. The biggest challenge is Xtreme Pro, as in finding some sort of structure for learning all the stuff.

I have a website, where I did all the coding and graphics work, but it hasn´t received any attention in over five years. If you´re interested, it´s http://aliscot.com

Thanks to all for the advice and for the great video tutorials!

[amoore]

I'm the Managing Editor for a software company that creates health information systems for hospitals and other healthcare institutions. That's the closest we've every come to a title that describes what I do.

Theoretically, I'm responsible for anything having to do with words (although that isn't always feasible in a growing company). It used to include writing the user documentation and help systems for our products (thankfully our tech writer is now doing most of that). However, I still have overall responsibility for documentation and help, along with reviewing error messages and terminology, creating marketing materials, developing demo disks, publishing newsletters, creating design and print materials for our user group meetings and seminars, implementing the website design and doing the content maintenance, publishing contracts and other administrative documents, handling bulk email communications, and supporting Admin, R&D, Customer Service, Marketing and Sales as necessary.

To the extent that we have in in-house designer, that's me, but I would categorize advertise myself more as an editor.

[simsmj]

I manage all datanetworking facilities for a local authority, covering 160+ sites, and very early on knew I needed to fully document my networks, and much preferred diagrams supplemented with text rather than just text, so I got into drawing programs many years ago. This started out with Draw, which was native to Acorn Archimedes, but soon moved onto Vector, then Artworks from Computer Concepts, which as we all know evolved into Xara Ltd, generating applications for PCs. When I finally replaced my Acorn for a PC, I adopted CorelXara.

So, naturally, I now use XaraXtreme Pro, and had been drawing things like Celtic knots (it's still network diagrams, it's Celtic Local area knotwork! ). Bought Xara3D v5 a number of years ago because it looked so cool, and outside of work, that's mainly what I draw for these days. I'd be delighted if I could think of a good reason to use it at work, too!

Mike

[Xhris]

Physicist (Ph.D. 2006). My expertise is essentially in natural applications of water-ice electro-microphysics. My current work is indirectly related, and is presently involving a lot of difficult scientific technical writing. Xara is being used to produce diagrams ending up in the scientific literature.
I've always had affection for Xara. It is a piece of software that, so far, most closely aspires to excellence relative to other software I've come across. It’s also a fun piece of software to use, which is pretty unique to Xara (besides games of course). My work requires me to excel at explaining things well, or risk it being rejected; I hope this is reflected in the tutorials I've written for the community.

[stlewis]

A bit like John R I am a Jack-of-a-lot-of-trades, and try to be a master of one or two.

I have been self-employed as an IT Consultant/web person/... for 15 or so years. And with two young sons I also serve as house husband. I do a tasty sourdough loaf.

My core skill is in the data side of things - analysis of requirements, and then design and construction of databases (Access and MySQL). And because you have to do things with the data I can get by with VBA and PHP, built either in Access or in Dreamweaver. I've never really got into raster graphics so Xtreme does 90% of what I need on that side.

But like so many here, if you chuck me a job and I think I can do it or learn to do it, I will.

[barrym67]

I am blessed to be living a reclusive life that I prefer and have managed to get buy making a few websites here and there. My main job is creating graphics for my own site which I sell. It can be quite stressful at times when the site is quiet and I do not have any other work. It is just as stressful making other websites and having to draw for my own site at the same time, my site is a hungry monster and I need to keep my members happy with new stock. My office is my bedroom, lounge, kitchen all in one, and I usually am always listening to electronica type music (Buddha Bars etc).

It has taken a year for my site to really get going, so far I have had over 70 000 unique hits to my site this year, wish I had as many sales, it is a tight market.

I sketch images on paper, re-draw them in Xara and shade them in Paint Shop Pro. I like watercolor brushes and find it difficult to get a watercolor effect in Xara. I live in South Africa on the east coast and I am a vegetarian.

Well that is more than just about my day job, but now you know a little more about me than you anticipated.

[parahandy]

Well!!!!!! follow that lot if you can. Me I am of course retired, one of the best things that ever happened. Imagine, it's like being on holiday all the time, no more answering the bugle calls. Before I retired I was a river warden,for 11 years free to go to anywhere in the region where I live to inspect the condition of the local rivers and burns, the seashore looking for pollution or the discharges from factories, farms sewage works, in other words I was paid to wander up and down the my area in all weathers sunshine rain snow in beautiful countryside . A job that had no stress. Imagine it, wonderful job. Before that I was a radio and television engineer, which to me while I loved electronics it could be pretty stressful, managing people and billing and repairing the hard to diagnose jobs. No connections with the Graphics/art world at all. So all day to spend with my favourite program Xara or my other hobby woodworking. Thank you Gary for this thread and the chance to look in on the lives of our friends on the forum.

[TimS]

I work in the quality department for a small company that makes troubleshooting equipment for the telecommunications field.

[iamtheblues]

Like Norman, I'm retired, although not officially a pensioner. Like Norman, it's one of the best things that ever happened. I loathed and detested the old day job, working for the gas industry in the incident room, controlling and managing labour resources. Basically, directing gas engineers to potential safety problems and ensuring that statutory deadlines were met. Trying to do this with far too few personnel at my disposal caused much of the stress, and the rest caused by dealing with the general public who to a large extent were abusive and ill-mannered because cost-cutting and manpower shortages prevented me from meeting their demands. Of course, having too few staff working alongside me provided extra stress.
Shiftworking too took its toll, now medically proven to be deleterious to health. I was so relieved when the industry downsized enough to allow me the opportunity to take early retirement, which I snatched as soon as possible. Almost 30 years was more than enough.
As soon as the industrial pension kicked in at the age of 50, we sold up and moved from the UK to Spain. I was finding that life in the UK was mirroring my experiences at work, with a very large percentage of the people one came into contact with being ill-mannered, loutish and aggressive.
A rural retreat in Andalucia and the passage of nearly seven years have helped to restore my sanity, and, to a degree, my faith in humanity. It is only since being a resident here that I've discovered an interest in things graphical, and I think that the forum adds to the pleasures of life.
Thanks, Gary for a very interesting thread, it helps to bring fellow participants of this virtual community to life.
Would I ever consider a return to Blighty? Not in a million years!
Saludos,
Bob.

[Soquili]

Very nice thread Gary.

As others have mentioned it brings more life into our view of our friends here at Talkgraphics.

It does appear that I negelected to include my sideline of writing programs for some of the small businesses (mostly Mom and Pop shops) around the area. Not much money but good friendship and a pie or cake occasionally