About
Index
Personal
Professional
Overview
I live in the midwest USA.
I've been a power computer use since the mid-80's. I've spent a good majority of my life on my computer pursuing all things creative. I have yet to exhaust its endless possibilities.
This website is centered around my interests in computers and tech, and my life in general.
Creative Work
As I mentioned in the overview, my computer is my primary creative outlet. Here is a list of things I've been into over the years.
Early Years and Programming
I became fascinated with computers at an early age. The very first computer I saw was a TRS-80. Later I had access to an Apple II in grade school.
In high school I found out there was one Apple II in the library, but you had to get library passes from your teachers to be able to skip study hall and go to the library instead. I put my teachers on rotation, begging for library passes. I didn't always get them.
The one Apple II in the library was in high demand. Several of us would rush when the bell rang, racing to be the first one to the computer. Whoever got there first got to use it, and the others had to sit there and watch.
There were two other computers in the library. Tandy 1000s. I didn't care what computer I used, I just wanted to use computers. I started using the Tandy instead, which was almost always free.
In that day there wasn't any software on the computer, just the disk operating system (DOS) and BASIC programming language. I started to teach myself BASIC programming.
A couple years later I purchased my own computer with money I had saved up from a summer job. My first computer was a Tandy 1000 EX.
I spend long hours on my computer programming.
I transitioned to a vocational school my junior and senior years to have access to computers, as my high school didn't have a computer lab. I spent my time programming on IBM XTs with monochrome monitors. Yes, I did pass the class.
Near the end of my senior year my teacher talked me into entering a BASIC programming contest at the local technical college. I attended and got fourth place. I could've gotten first if I hadn't developed an OCD programming style. I spent too much time focusing on the look of the program before adding the functionality. Poor time management. I did get my picture in the paper though, and received some prizes.
Deafened Psychosis BBS
Before the internet there were BBSes. BBSes were self-hosted dial-up services that anyone could set up on their computer. BBSes offered message boards, files, games, chat and more.
I started a BBS in 1991 called Deafened Psychosis. My BBS grew into a small vibrant community of local computer enthusiasts. I made all of my own ANSI artwork, had networked message board and a number of games. The overall theme was letting go and having fun.
I started networking with other local SysOps (BBS operators). I would visit their homes and we would share ideas and work on content together. One of the SysOps was also an ANSI artist. We got together often to hang out and work on ANSI art together. We would pass the keyboard back and forth and each add something unique to an art piece. (I still have all of them.)
Our ANSI art collaboration led to us co-forming an ANSI art group. Our first and only art pack was released in 1993. You can still find it on ANSI archive websites. At least one of my pieces from that art pack is currently being used on a BBS website. My BBS listing can be found on archived BBS lists.
Alongside this was my love of the MOD music and demo scenes. I collected files from both and posted them on my BBS.
The BBS led to a local computer store owner and I forming a computer club. This allowed the BBS community to get together every month to share what we were into. The first meeting I took my computer and stereo and showed MOD music and demos.
I wrote several BBS add-ons in QuickBASIC that I hosted on my BBS.
I didn't set out to make BBS history, I did it as a hobby. When I look back on it all I'm amazed at how much happened in such a short time, and how pursuing the hobby I loved left a mark on computer history.
In recent years I've attempted to relive the glory with a BBS again, but the scene is beyond dead. No one wants to use message boards anymore. It is the message boards that are the life of the BBS. If people aren't using them then there is no community.
I want to keep a BBS running, but it's a waste of electricity at this point. Instead, I'm seeking other ways to form a community. (Read on for that.)
The Web and Chat
When the BBS scene died circa 1995 I moved to the web along with everyone else. I attempted to recreate my BBS on the web, but we didn't have the technology to make forums yet in those days. I was able to put up a couple CD's of BBS files on my website. The benefit of having a local web provider is that you can hook hardware up to their server. I had a 7-disc NEC CD changer set up to host files on my website. Later I made a PHP version which had search functionality and leech protection. The BBS files were up for many years, but I eventually moved on from it.
Internet Relay Chat became my home for the next decade. I found a home in an Undernet chat channel and made many friends, one of which would end up in a real life relationship.
During my time on IRC I scripted an MP3 player and file sharing system for mIRC.
I spent a lot of time at LAN parties with friends on the weekends, and playing the MMO's of the day. Meridian 59 and Everquest. World of Warcraft came later, as well as many others, like Dark Age of Camelot, Star Wars: Galaxies.
Milsim Airsoft Website and Forum
I joined a milsim airsoft team with some friends in 2005 named Task Force Blackeagle, or Blackeagle for short. At the time the team was just forming and practicing. We practiced that year and went to our first event where we made a name for ourselves in the community.
After a short time it was apparent we needed a presence on the web. I registered our domain, set up a promotional website, and customized a forum. We used the forum for our own private communication at first, but other players joined and made it a community. Later the forum was used for organizing our first event.
Our team collaborated with other teams. We would visit and practice with each other, and work together at events. For a while there we were attending the top events in the United States.
I retired from airsoft in 2014.
Second Life
I discovered Second Life in 2008. After a few days of looking around I knew I wanted to learn how to build and script. A short time later I developed a product line and opened my first store in 2008 on my own land.
I wanted to get more exposure, so I sought to rent a shop at a location I had visited and liked. I rented a shop and started attending their live artist events at their club.
I continued to develop new products while watching and helping the development of the shopping center properties. I was asked to join as a partner a short time later.
In that year I developed many scripts for the various projects we were working on, which led to them being actual products in my store.
One of the partners left, and I left shortly after. Both of us wanted to pursue our own creativity. I suggested that we join together and work on projects. The partnership we formed would last for 8 years.
In my time in Second Life I learned a lot about business that I have applied to my real life.
In 2015 I started a YouTube channel to teach building and scripting alongside my businesses. I opened a sandbox and started mentoring.
Today I'm still in Second Life, but I spend my time leisurely enjoying the virtual world. I still build and script as a creative outlet.
Wurm Unlimited
I found Wurm Unlimited in 2016 and joined the Mythmoor server. Once I was established I started taking in and teaching new players. This led to a promotion by staff to Community Assistant. That same year I was promoted to Chat Moderator and then GM. I am still an active admin and GM. I now have 12k hours in Wurm Unlimited.
I saw a need for a way for new players to learn the game, so I made the New Player District, a self-paced facility for players to learn, skill up and outfit themselves before setting out into the world.
The spawn rate on the Prime map became very slow due to the number of animals players had on their settlements. I created The Proving Grounds as a dual-purpose facility, for fighting skill training and acquiring farm animals.
As a player I saw a need for a player wiki specific to Mythmoor. There was already Wurmpedia, but we needed our own. I created the Mythmoor player wiki and a GM wiki alongside it (both hosted here at freth.us). I am currently working on my own wiki based on the template you see here to transition from DokuWiki to my own.
The players of Mythmoor use a number of mods for quality of life, so I created a mod pack with all of the popular mods. I just recently created Python installer executable to make mod installation easier.
I have created several instructional videos for Mythmoor.
Terminal 51 BBS
Recently I decided to create a new BBS using the same software I used for Deafened Psychosis. I am in the process of configuring it now. I have message boards set up and plan on file boards, and door games eventually.
I spent a week looking into various door kits for making my own doors. I tried Turbo Pascal, Turbo C and QuickBASIC. (I registered EasyDoor for QuickBASIC years ago.) All of these are serviceable, but they do have their issues. Turbo Pascal needs the TPPATCH to fix an error. Turbo C door kits are a pain to use, and the best one has a registration nag that you can't remove because you can't register it anymore. QuickBASIC is probably the easier option. Where before in the old days I found QuickBASIC fun (heck I spent hundreds of hours programming in it), today in 2026 the joy is gone.
I started looking into modern alternatives to make a door kit that works with my BBS software. The most obvious choice for me was Python. I don't know Python yet, so I had AI help me with a simple door kit. Making doors in Python bring door development into the modern age. I can use a text editor and Python on the command line. It's so simple and beautiful.
However, this vintage BBS project may be doomed before it begins. I'm considering making Python telnet BBS software instead, which would allow me to use modern tools to run a BBS. First, I need to learn Python. lol The telnet address won't change, just the software.
Tildes
I am currently a member of three tildes: envs.net, ctrl-c.club and tilde.team
Tildes are communities of users on Linux servers who have their own web space and server space for software development. My interest was in setting up a gemini protocol website. I don't need to be a member of all three, but I wanted to try them out to see the differences, so I have three. Some of the pages are incomplete. I'll eventually get them all done.
What Now?
All things creative on the computer, of course. Currently I am looking for various platforms that are free from corporate control and joining them if I find them compelling. Embracing free internet.
I'm getting back into IRC. It appears to be dead. No one chatting. I hope to find an active channel or two that I can join.
Career
I retired at age 49, after thirty years of service. I have been retired since 2020.
I was a Network Technician at an international telecommunications company.
My career paralleled my computer hobby in that I was working with various telecommunications systems. I installed, maintained and repaired both hardware and software for various telecommunications networks that make up the backbone and core functionality of the telecommunications industry.
I developed a number of applications to make my job easier.
- A log parser for switch logs.
- A command generator for switch growth and degrowth.
- A terminal program for digital cross-connect systems.
- A database program for cross-connect data.
My love for technical writing came out of my hobby first and my career second.