Paul Divers
BSc (Hons) Computing, Dip Applied Physics
Special Interests
Landscape and Nature Photography
Writing
Linux and Computer Technology
Free and Open Source Software
Programming languages - C, C++, C#, Java and Python
Professional Web Design & Development to Web Standards
User Interface Design & Human Computer Interaction
Education and Personal Development
Background
Born in Glasgow, Scotland, I left when I was young because the city was in decline. I studied Electronic Engineering and Applied Physics and then worked in the electronics industry for years before arriving in Dublin in 1999. I have lived in Ireland ever since and now think of it as home
The city life was not for me so I left to ramble around Ireland, to the quiet places where a man can fish and learn about the geography of the island and the ways of the people. I was drawn to Sligo and Donegal where my family originally came from and the pull of these counties was too strong for me to ignore
There was a sense of connectedness in all this because Glasgow has always been a spiritual mecca for Donegal people who have historically close ties with the great city that is virtually just around the corner and up the River Clyde. When I was growing up near Clydebank in the 1970s I was part of a community that had very strong Irish roots and who celebrated Irish culture in song, folklore and politics
During the Celtic Tiger era I turned my back on the city life and saw an opportunity to quietly slip out the back door. I went in search of a more meaningful life and I found it on the West Coast of Ireland. I am grateful for having struck up the courage to chase the dream because my choice took me to places I would otherwise never have found. The path led me to discover what made me tick and going against the flow was strange but fortune favours the brave. You even discover talents you never knew you had
I attended Sligo Institute of Technology in my late 30s and studied Computing because I knew it was an enabler for people living in remote areas. We have to make the most of what we have and I took the only way out that was open to me at the time. It was 4 years of hard work but it taught me a lot about me, my strengths and my weaknesses. Being a mature student helped me to balance the left brained person I had been in my earlier career with the right brained person I knew was hiding within. After graduating I walked away with a big sense of achievment that would help motivate me for the rest of my life
It is now the age of the freelancer and I predicted this back in 2002 when I was applying for college. It was apparent to me back then that we were entering a truly electronic age where there would be countless opportunities out there for individuals who were determined to break from the herd and do what motivated them the most. By doing something you enjoy you think of it more as a calling rather than hard work. It also makes you feel younger and happier
Technology, if used intelligently and creatively, can free people from drudgery and boredom and opens up whole new worlds of opportunity. With computers I find it is possible to find things to do that are rewarding and give me great pleasure both creatively and intellectually. Computers are not only fun and educational but they can also be used to earn a living if you are prepared to educate yourself and think of them as tools and not something that is the sole preserve of geeks and technical gurus. Hopefully this site will help convince you that you don't need to be a geek to get along with computers
I like to write about what I know and believe that by sharing my knowledge freely with the world that it will one day send some good karma my way. God knows I am surely due some by now ;-) In other words in this life you get back some of what you are prepared to put in
If you have any questions for me, about the site or it's contents then simply contact me
Keep the faith
